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Dan Harris Gets it ...

7/30/2014

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"What the world most needs at this moment is a means of convincing human beings to embrace the whole of the species as their moral community. For this we need to develop an utterly nonsectarian way of talking about the full spectrum of human experience and human aspiration."1 ... this is exactly what I'm talking about.  In this context he is talking about how meditation might be the answer.  I'd say it's only part of it.  We need a framework that is more familiar to people, like Costco, and guided meditation is one of their services.  One of my friends on facebook recently wrote that they wish someone would just tell them what to do, i.e. help them make decisions, and I was like, maybe that should be my angle for my Happiness Service Provider business idea, market it as helping with everyday decisions.

1 From his 2006 Article Killing the Buddha, where he argues that Buddhism’s philosophy,
insight, and practices would benefit more people if they were not presented as a religion. 
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10% Happier ... What a great pitch :)

7/29/2014

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Dan Harris, wrote a book and he called it 10% Happier: How I ...  The title actually goes on quite a long way, but he had me at 10% Happier.  I didn't know who this guy was or what he was talking about, but with that title I had to read it (listen to it).  Spoiler Alert: It's about Meditation.  It is a great book but the bottom line is he has benefitted quite a bit from meditation, he thinks everyone would, and to break through peoples preconceived notions of what it is and what it can do for them he came up with the explanation that it makes him about 10% happier.  I think it's a perfect pitch.  I tried something similar when I started the blog 'A Little Bit Happier', but I think the numeric value gives it a significant edge over mine.  Near the end of the book he also touches on the fact that there are people trying to really promote mindfulness, and there are even VC's behind them.  I really need to look into this, I think if anyone would like my ideas it would be these people.  I can't remember the exact context but there was also a section where he referenced some Buddhist concept where helping others can benefit yourself.  It's not surprising that people have known this for millennia, what is surprising is that it is surprising to people.  I've got to re-listen to the last few chapters and make some notes.


On that note, I just came across a book by Matt Ridley, about this very revelation that helping others can benefit you.  This guy who wrote The Rational Optimist, which is a very interesting but I think misleading book.  If you do pick it up make sure to read the prologue which I found more insightful than the rest of the book, and a bit contradictory to the rest of the book.  Anyways, check out the description of the new book, (I mean old book, on audible it has a 2014 date on amazon it says 1998, I guess it's new to the audio book world)


The Origins of Virtue: Human Instincts and the Evolution of Cooperation
If, as Darwin suggests, evolution relentlessly encourages the survival of the fittest, why are humans compelled to live in cooperative, complex societies? In this fascinating examination of the roots of human trust and virtue, a zoologist and former American editor of The Economist reveals the results of recent studies that suggest that self-interest and mutual aid are not at all incompatible. In fact, he points out, our cooperative instincts may have evolved as part of mankind's natural selfish behaviour - by exchanging favours we can benefit ourselves as well as others.                       
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