Immune To Reality Daniel Gilbert Analysis

The physical immune system protects one’s body from external sickness. Similarly, the psychological immune system protects one’s mental health from unhappiness, a form of illness. In Daniel Gilbert’s “Immune to Reality,” Gilbert discusses how the brain acquires happiness. Furthermore, he demonstrates how the brain will keep one from achieving his or her true happiness. According to Robert Thurman’s “Wisdom,” the alternative method of obtaining happiness is through selflessness. Both Gilbert and Thurman illustrate throughout their essays that the more control one has on his or her environment and one’s brain, the less happiness he or she will experience. The ideas of how needing explanation, deliberating fabricating facts, and feeling regret proves that having control can lead to unhappiness. There is a famous quote that states, “you learn something new everyday.” However, a person is the sole controller of the amount of knowledge he or she obtains. Thurman states “’knowing’ something is a way of controlling it, being able to put it in its proper place in relation to us so that we can use it effectively” (446). Knowledge can give a person to feel control over oneself as knowledge can remove fear of the unknown. Similarly, if a person knows that he or she is incorrect, the person will no longer feel in control as being proven incorrect can hurt one’s ego, which can cause unhappiness. However, a true selfless person will not be afraid of any unknown outcomes and losing his or her pride. Instead, the person will be curious as to why he or she feared the unknown. This is because selfless is about not being self – centered. Selflessness is about not about having power over a person or situation, and rather being on the same field as others. The Buddhist idea of selflessness is focused on helping others find their way to selflessness. Therefore, according to the Buddhist ideals, the ultimate definition of happiness lies in having no control, which means to have little to no knowledge. Thurman’s idea about how happiness depends on not knowing is similar to Gilbert’s idea about what happiness depends on. Gilbert states “uncertainty can preserve and prolong out happiness, thus we might expect people to cherish it” (142). The term uncertainty is followed with a negative connotation, such as insecurity. It is believed that certainty can help a person gain knowledge and predict the future. Knowledge and prediction are one of the core reasons for human development. However, knowledge can also have negative connotations to it. When a person is more knowledgeable than others, a sense of control and ego can arise in the person. This pride and control can lead to unhappiness. Additionally, knowledge makes the world seem unexciting and comprehensible, which can lead to unhappiness. Research has proved that mysterious events tend to have a greater emotional impact on a person. This is because mysteries stay longer in a person’s brain as the person keeps thinking about why the rare event occurred. Mysteries do not go on the back burner of the brain like known items do. Therefore, uncertain items stay longer in a person’s brain as the brain …show more content…
With such negative connotations, it is evident that control can lead to unhappiness. When a person has knowledge, he or she can use it to create positive outcomes more often. With this, the pleasure of unpredictability dies down which can lead to unhappiness. Additionally, when a person has control over his or her brain and makes up false facts about a situation, he or she is deceiving oneself, which will also lead to unhappiness. Finally, thinking that one has control over a situation can make the person feel responsible for outcome. If the outcome is negative, the person will be regretful and if the outcome is positive, the person will have hubris. Both of these situations will lead to unhappiness. Through the three examples, it is evident that control can lead to unhappiness. However, the brain and people still desire control, which just takes a person away from happiness. People need to realize the truth about how the brain can deceive one and take him or her away from happiness. In realizing this, a person will easily be able to obtain eternal