Gretchen Rubin. The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun.
Russ Harris (Author), Steven Hayes (Foreword). The Happiness Trap: How to Stop Struggling and Start Living.
On first sight, the two books appear to be on two opposite sides of the happiness controversy – should we pursue it or not? Should we strive to be happy, or is happiness only achievable as an indirect (and not guaranteed) consequence, or side-effect, of focusing on other worthwhile pursuits?
After reading both books, I find their opinions smart and differentiated enough to agree with both. Whether the authors would agree with each other, I don’t know…
Gretchen Rubin’s book is a delightfully honest, refreshing and funny report about a year-long “happiness project”. Although it is very easy to read, it also contains a lot of research and is packed with creative insights.
The “Happiness Trap” is starting from a very different place – it challenges the very assumption that we should strive for happiness. In Russ Harris’ view, trying to find happiness ends up making us miserable and lies at the bottom of many addictions, depressions, and anxieties.
Instead, his advice is to live in line with our values. Happiness may follow if we do that, or it may not, but that’s not the point.
I highly recommend both books, although “The Happiness Trap” may be more useful for people who struggle with depression or anxiety. People already living fulfilling lives in great mental health (to the extent that they exist :)) will get more entertainment and education out of Rubin’s “Happiness Project”.
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