KhizooologyStumbling on Happiness
An imagined future is a forecast, not an experience.
Big Idea
Gilbert examines why imagining future happiness is difficult and why confident emotional forecasts can be misleading.
Imagination fills gaps
A mental picture of the future includes details a person may not notice inventing.
Present feelings
Current emotions can influence predictions about a very different future.
Adaptation
People may respond to change differently from what they expected beforehand.
Comparison
The imagined value of an experience depends partly on its comparison point.
Other people's experience
Accounts from people already in a situation can challenge a confident personal prediction.
Notooo Take
Before a major change, ask someone living that reality what ordinary days are like.
One Thing to Keep
An imagined future is a forecast, not an experience.