For example, a bias could be if your prediction of how much you will enjoy X is systematically smaller than how much you actually do enjoy X when you are doing it.
So what you’re asking is if people are good at maximizing their own happiness?
We are not. Our happiness is set up to make sure we maximize inclusive genetic fitness. Rather than fixing a bias, evolution can simply account for it. For example, the joy of sex does not compare with the discomfort of pregnancy, but due to time discounting, it’s enough to make women want to have sex.
As for what would maximize happiness, I’m not an expert. You’d need to ask a psychologist. I’m given to understand that doing things that at first appear to make you happy will tend to reset your hedonic setpoint and have little effect. The obvious conclusion from that is that no matter what you do, your happiness will be the same, but I’m pretty sure that’s not right either. People can change how generally happy they are.
I am in favor of happiness, so all else being equal, I’d prefer it if people were more successful at making themselves happy.
For example, a bias could be if your prediction of how much you will enjoy X is systematically smaller than how much you actually do enjoy X when you are doing it.
So what you’re asking is if people are good at maximizing their own happiness?
We are not. Our happiness is set up to make sure we maximize inclusive genetic fitness. Rather than fixing a bias, evolution can simply account for it. For example, the joy of sex does not compare with the discomfort of pregnancy, but due to time discounting, it’s enough to make women want to have sex.
As for what would maximize happiness, I’m not an expert. You’d need to ask a psychologist. I’m given to understand that doing things that at first appear to make you happy will tend to reset your hedonic setpoint and have little effect. The obvious conclusion from that is that no matter what you do, your happiness will be the same, but I’m pretty sure that’s not right either. People can change how generally happy they are.
I am in favor of happiness, so all else being equal, I’d prefer it if people were more successful at making themselves happy.