I read with great interest a new article “Psychologists say a good life doesn’t have to be happy, or even meaningful.” It describes recent psychological research whose basic thesis is that a good life isn’t necessarily a happy or meaningful life but is best understood as a psychologically rich life. (PRL) Continue reading Psychologists say a good life doesn’t have to be happy, or even meaningful
All posts by John Messerly
Buddha and the Universe
My article, “The Ascent of Meaning” now appears in The Moral Life: An Introductory Reader in Ethics and Literature, just published by Oxford University Press. But, as I’ll explain below, “I” didn’t write the paper.
More Great Essays
Here are some very recent essays that I recommend. I intended to write a blog post summarizing them but simply don’t have the time. Perhaps my readers will find one or more to be especially mind-opening. Continue reading More Great Essays
Children and Happiness
I recently read “What Becoming a Parent Really Does to Your Happiness” in The Atlantic. Research has found that having children reduces the quality of life but the full truth about parenthood, happiness, and meaning in life is more complicated. Continue reading Children and Happiness
Dr. Harvey Wiley: A True Hero
Dr. Harvey Washington Wiley (October 18, 1844 – June 30, 1930)
I recently watched “The Poison Squad,” an episode on PBS’ American Experience. It is the story of a time when Americans had no idea that toxic substances were in their foods and of how government chemist Dr. Harvey Wiley who, determined to banish dangerous substances from dinner tables, took on the powerful food manufacturers and their allies. Continue reading Dr. Harvey Wiley: A True Hero