- What's the difference between pleasure and real happiness?
- Pleasure is a temporary, fleeting feeling that comes from outside stimulation. Happiness is a long-lasting, healthy state of mind.
- What is entitlement and how can people overcome it?
- Entitlement makes us feel like other people should be giving more to us, or the world should be treating us better. By reminding ourselves daily of gratitude and giving, we will naturally rewire our mindset to experience more happiness and joy in life.
- Should people want nothing to be happy? Explain.
- Yes, when we put to best use what we do have, we no longer crave for something we don't have.
- What does it mean to "plant trees under whose shade you do not expect to sit"?
- It means that giving without expecting anything in return is what gives humans long-lasting fulfillment and contentment.
- Give examples of things outside our control that we shouldn't base our happiness on.
- When we plan an event, we only need to prepare ourselves, not rely on expectations from others' feedback.
- What is kintsukuroi and how does it relate to happiness?
- Kinstsukuroi is the act of repairing broken pottery with gold or silver and understanding that it is now more beautiful after being broken and repaired. The same is true for setbacks in our lives. The act of repairing with gold is to learn from the setback and act on those learnings to improve ourselves.
- Who should people compare themselves to?
- People should compare themselves to themselves.
- What is one big reason people are unhappy in relationships?
- Because people are strict towards others and lenient towards themselves. They expect others to change and improve, but they themselves don't put in effort to change and improve. They want others to give more to the relationship while they take more. They want to be understood, but they don't try to understand the other person.