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The Wisdom of Psychopaths
In this engrossing journey into the lives of psychopaths and their infamously crafty behaviors, the renowned psychologist Kevin Dutton reveals that there is a...
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[Below is the original script. But a few changes may have been made during the recording of this audio podcast.]
“...you're taught to chase after all the usual brass rings; you worry about whether you have a fancy enough title or a fancy enough car.
"We too often let the external, the material things, serve as indicators that we're doing well, even though something inside us tells us that we're not doing our best…”
That was President Obama’s advice to the graduating class of Arizona State University on May 13.
And a new study in the June issue of the Journal of Research in Personality backs it up.
Based on a survey of 147 alumni from two universities, achieving ones’ goals leads to a great deal of satisfaction. But there’s a caveat: it depends on the nature of those goals. The survey was administered twice, once a year after graduation and then 12 months later.
Their research confirmed that achieving material and image-related goals has zero impact on happiness, and can actually lead to guilt, anger and physical symptoms like headaches and stomachaches. But graduates who focused on, and achieved, a level of personal growth, close relationships, community involvement and physical health rated themselves as happier, with fewer physical problems.
Such intrinsic goals are closely related to an autonomous self, noted the authors, while a constant comparison to anothers’ external image breeds feelings of inadequacy and envy.
This lines up with Obama’s plea to A.S.U. grads:
“…that in fact the elevation of appearance over substance, of celebrity over character, of short-term gain over lasting achievement is precisely what your generation needs to help end."
"I'm talking about an approach to life -- a quality of mind and quality of heart; a willingness to follow your passions, regardless of whether they lead to fortune and fame;...a lack of regard for all the traditional markers of status and prestige -- and a commitment instead to doing what's meaningful to you, what helps others, what makes a difference in this world.”
—Christie Nicholson
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8 Comments
Add CommentI am going through this struggle right now. I just lost a high paying job and cannot find work for the past two months, other than jobs that pay half as much or less. But when I left my last job I was so unhappy, so I am conflicted, trying to get back in touch with who I am and what I want to do with my time on the planet.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThanks, Obaminator. You should have a breakfast cereal.
To me it seems that people are so engrossed on the messiah obama every word....we are starting to forget to think for ourselves!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"Don't bother pursing wealth and material possessions. If you get too attached to the money you earn and assets you acquire, you will be upset when the government commandeers it to finance all of the federal spending. Instead live a simple life. Don't worry about money, or a comfortable retirement. You can count on your government for that. Bankrupt social security? Nonsense. Bankrupt Medicare? No indeed! Just do what you love, never mind the financial repercussions. You can count on your government to take care of all that. When it comes to running your life, managing your money and planning for your future, we the government know what you want and what you need much better than you do."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHe's right on. I have a middle-income job that is great, stress-free and leaves plenty of time for family and outside interests. I have turned down a number of promotion opportunities that would have moved me into management positions, because of the workload and stress involved. I am almost 60 and have a resting pulse of 45 and can sustain 165 during hard exercise. My family has no debt. We are figuring out how we can do without a car entirely when our current 10 year old Ford finally gives up the ghost. All choices entail trade-offs. Happiness may begin by figuring out what those are, then choosing your lifestyle accordingly.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBut does Obama practice what he preaches? His speech rings with a peculiar irony. After all, to get as far as he has, didn't he, himself have to chase "the usual brass rings" and worry about whether he had a "fancy enough title?" Moreover, the book he has already published must have brought him a nice sum of money, not to mention the book he can still publish when he finishes his term of office, the lecture tours, etc.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSo true!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisReminds me of a line I heard at a McGill U graduation ceremony:
"Take care of yourself, cause if you don't, who will; take care of others, cause if you don't, what's the point?
the irony of course, is that only those who have money can pretend it isn't important. no mr. president, not having enough money creates more unhappiness. people who are living at or near the poverty level have shorter life expectancy, higher divorce rates, and suffer from more mental health issues. what could be a greater service to ones community then creating jobs and employing people? what we need is to stop putting down those that create jobs and insulting the idea that taking care of yourself is somehow selfish. what happened to the idea of NOT being a burden and NOT being a liability? mr president, spare us the preaching and worry about iran, the potential collapse of the dollar, and the talibanization of pakistan. oh yeah, and if you are going to preach about the evils of money and how it doesn't matter then maybe your wife shouldn't be out helping the homeless wearing five hundred dollar designer tennis shoes. just a suggestion.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI think a few of the previous commentors are missing the true meaning of what Obama and the research backing him up are saying. They aren't saying money is evil and no one needs it, what they are saying is to make sure your highest priorities are meaningful on a deep level. Fortune and fame can be fleeting, and if you pursue them above all else you are fostering unhappiness in your life. Expanding your horizons, building relationships, and affecting change in the world bring true happiness.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisEveryone needs some amount of money to survive comfortably in our society, and it is difficult to achieve much of anything without it. But it should be a means to an end, a way of achieving loftier goals, rather than the goal itself. Likewise, people who achieve great things often also receive fame, but the fame is not the true achievement. This article is distinguishing between the people who go out into the world thinking "I want the biggest house and the nicest car and man wouldn't it be great to have a personal jet?" and the people who think "I want to see the world and work towards a cleaner environment so my grandchildren can still go see a glacier up close". Maybe that person earns kajillions of dollars in pursuit of that goal, or maybe they earn only an average salary, but chances are they are going to be happier than the guy sitting in his giant house, trying to figure out whether his neighbor makes more money than him.