The Science of Happiness
By Bruce Hood
Simon & Schuster, 272 pages

The ultimate goal of life, it can be said, is to be happy. Though some people may define ‘happiness’ in a slightly different manner, what we mean here is that we all want to be at peace and harmony with oneself and the surroundings. Yet, given the way we are programmed to function by biology, by society, we end up being unhappy more often than not. Ironically, the chief reason for unhappiness is the striving for happiness itself.

This is the story of each of us; the crux of human condition. Religion and spirituality have sought to offer their own answers to the question ‘how to be happy’, and so has philosophy. (Buddhism and stoicism, among many other traditions, come to mind.) The essence of some of their ideas has found support in the modern science of psychology.

What psychologists discover from their scientific studies find their way to people at large in the form of self-help books (and now podcasts, videos and online courses too). There have been a plethora of self-help books on the theme of happiness. Prof Bruce Hood’s new book, ‘The Science of Happiness’, stands out for two reasons: while it is based on his research combined with the latest findings of other psychologists, it is presented in a simple and reader-friendly way.

In our quest for happiness, we can make a beginning by learning the simple fact: We are unhappy usually not for reasons coming from outside, but because of the processes going on inside that we are not aware of. Then, we can work on these processes and try to remove the obstacles within us. To guide us in this work of cleansing, the author offers seven steps:

Alter Your Ego
Avoid Isolation
Reject Negative Comparisons
Become More Optimistic
Control Your Attention
Connect With Others
Get Out of Your Own Head

At first glance, it seems ‘avoiding isolation’ means ‘connecting with others’, which is ‘getting out of your own head’. But, when the three steps are explained separately, they probably make more sense.

It is assuring to see that the seven steps tally with what religion/spirituality/philosophy have said – minus the faith element, and now grounded in long and in-depth studies in neuroscience and developmental psychology.

The author, Professor of Developmental Psychology in Society at Bristol University, undertook his Ph.D. in neuroscience at Cambridge followed by appointments at University College London, MIT and a faculty professor at Harvard. He also offers the lessons of this book in the form of a course (https://science-happiness.com/).

The book comes with endorsements by leading experts of the happiness field such as Laurie Santos and Daniel Gilbert. If you are not the type to go around in search of happiness with a scripture in hand, this book could be just right for you.