Happy:
Chapter 1:
- We're a product of the story we tell ourselves. Change the story, change your life. Derren, however, doesn't seem to provide a clear step by step approach of how we can change the story.
- Gives examples of Anagram and participants in his show to argue for the effectiveness of changing your story.
Chapter 2:
- Derren not only argues for the problems with reading books like The Secret (the problems wiht unhindered belief in unrealistic optimism), but also punches down on more main stream ideas such as having SMART goals. He SMART goals are narrowly tied to external material success (money), but more money doesn't essentially make us happy. Derren is just as happy now as he was when we was poor doing magic tricks at restaurant tables!
- "If you're prone to unhappiness when you're poor, you're very likely prone to unhappiness when you're rich"
- He futher argues that "ignore all haters" attitude that's commonly endorse isn't helpful either. We hear that many successful people had this attitude, but there's many more people with such attitude who failed who we don't hear about!
- He's getting at a deeper psychological fixes than having external productivity goals.
- "Focus on future and goals. Believe in yourself." -- equivalent to giving up on present which is a receipe for suffering. "By trying to control what we can't, we all but garauntee frustrations and disappointment."
Chapter 14: How to die well
- Honest conversations about dying is taboo. The general narrative people have is "keep fighting"
Other:
- Morning momentum is key. It helps maximize tranquility. You can enjoy after 5pm knowing you've done your part for the day.