What is the main message of The Happy Mind?

The main message of The Happy Mind is to cultivate happiness by training our minds and focusing on positive thoughts.

Who is the author of The Happy Mind?

The authors of The Happy Mind are Kevin Horsley and Louis Fourie.

Mindfulness & Happiness

The Happy Mind Book Summary - The Happy Mind Book explained in key points

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The Happy Mind summary

Name: The Happy Mind
Rating: 4.5 (275 reviews)
Author: Kevin Horsley and Louis Fourie

Kevin Horsley Louis Fourie

A Simple Guide to Living a Happier Life Starting Today

4.5 (275 ratings)

24 mins

Brief summary

The Happy Mind by Kevin Horsley and Louis Fourie explores the science of happiness and teaches readers practical ways to cultivate joy in their lives. It offers insights and tools to help readers shift their mindset towards positivity and develop healthy habits for a happy mind.

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Inspiration Mental Health Happy

Table of Contents

The Happy Mind
Summary of 9 key ideas

Audio & text in the Blinkist app

Key idea 1 of 9

What’s in it for me? Learn the dos and don’ts of living a happier life.

There’s no shortage of how-to guides on making money and seeking fame and fortune, but these guides tend to leave out a crucial element: what to do when all that money and success still leaves you feeling empty and unfulfilled.

You might wonder how someone with endless amounts of money could possibly feel unhappy with their life, but, as authors Kevin Horsley and Louis Fourie explain, money is no harbinger of happiness. In fact, money, fame, adoration, awards and the newest cars, clothes and gadgets can’t bring anything but a fleeting sense of happiness in the guise of pleasure.

To find sustained and meaningful happiness, we must look beyond money and the shiny new toys it can buy. We must look within ourselves, and to the steps we can take to change our perspective on the world around us, and not lose sight of the things that really make life worth living. Ahead, you’ll find a variety of tips and methods to help you develop a happy mind and a happier life.

In these blinks you’ll find...

why it’s never good to confuse pleasure for happiness;
what the stone age has to do with our relationship to money; and
why being a news junkie can be harmful to your well-being.

Many people believe that happiness depends on external factors, but it doesn’t.

If someone asked you to define happiness, what would you say? Most of us assume we know what happiness is, but, if we stop to think about it, the concept becomes fuzzy. Let’s take a closer look to see if we can pin down what it is, as well as what it isn’t.

One common misconception is that happiness depends on external factors, such as material goods or events. People tend to associate happiness with nouns, like cars, vacation destinations and sexual partners, or moments in time that mark a personal or professional triumph.

What all these things have in common is that they provide only temporary moments of pleasure. As a result, people develop the impression that their happiness is tied to other people, or to whether or not a future event will occur.

This isn’t ideal, because, when your happiness is inextricably linked to external factors, you have no control over your happiness in the here and now.

You don’t have to look too hard to see that this arrangement doesn’t bode well for sustainable good cheer. In fact, the more you turn to external sources for happiness, the less happy you’ll be.

For millennia, people have lived under the misguided assumption that they can buy happiness, if only they had enough money. Yet there are numerous studies that show that wealthy people are just as miserable as anyone else.

When the average person sets out to gain money, they do so to buy all the luxury items they associate with the good life: big houses, fancy cars, massive TVs and stereos. But these things don’t just fail to bring lasting happiness, they also end up putting people into debt. The resulting financial pressure can easily send a person spiraling into more anxiety and depression than they had before they bought all their fancy toys.

But money isn’t the only thing people mistake for being a source of happiness – as we’ll see in the next blink.

Happiness isn’t found in the future or the past, and it won’t be delivered by other people.

While life is an amazing gift, it’s far from perfect. On any given day, we can be confronted with illness, heartbreak, an unexpected financial calamity or any number of anxiety-inducing events.

As a way to escape these difficult moments, we often resort to activities that take us out of the present. If you’re looking for happiness, this method of escape is actually a mistake, because happiness can only be found in the present.

Happiness is different than pleasure, and happy people have common traits.

If you have a sweet tooth, your idea of happiness might be a delectable bar of Godiva chocolate. The chocolate may be delicious, but this way of thinking reflects another common mistake: confusing pleasure with happiness.

Like money or material goods, pleasurable sensations are fleeting experiences that will never add up to a satisfying or lasting state of happiness. That doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with pleasure, or that we shouldn’t celebrate and enjoy it. But you must keep in mind that pleasure is a sensation, and therefore unstable; in the scales of life, it will always be balanced out by sensations of pain and discomfort.

Unhappiness and harmful behaviors can be triggered by survival-related fears.

Now that we have a better idea about the nature of happiness, let’s take a look at the other side of this emotional coin and see the different reasons we can end up unhappy.

One of the mysteries preoccupying modern researchers is why so many people who live an affluent life with plenty of money and creature comforts remain unhappy. One suggestion is that there are fears about survival behind this unhappiness.

Childhood trauma can increase the likelihood of chronic unhappiness, but it can be treated.

If you know someone who’s in a perpetual funk, you may feel the urge to tell them to just snap out of it. Surely they’d start feeling better if they would just get out of bed and get some sunlight, right?

Just because this kind of response works for you when you get the blues doesn’t mean it will work for someone whose past experiences have left them with a more chronic unhappiness.

Being happy is up to you, and it helps if you have a plan.

Money is something we can spend, borrow, loan to one another or save up for a rainy day. But happiness isn’t something we can take or borrow from another person. If you want more happiness, the only place to look is within yourself.

There are things that are out of your control, like the ups and downs of the stock market. How you respond to those peaks and valleys in life is, however, completely within your control. Since you won’t find happiness from external sources, you need to accept that it’s purely your responsibility.

To be happy, practice daily gratitude and keep things new and interesting.

There’s an old saying, “You never truly appreciate what you have until it’s gone.” Imagine losing absolutely everything: your possessions, your friends and loved ones – even your health and freedoms like traveling and voting. You’d miss them, right? Now imagine slowly getting each of these things back.

How grateful would you be?

Happiness can be found in shedding needless things and avoiding unrealistic goals.

How would you feel if you got to live in a mansion with expensive furnishings, five bedrooms, three bathrooms and a massive kitchen and yard? Now, what if you were responsible for keeping all the rooms, carpets, furniture and fixtures clean? What about maintaining that huge yard and its impeccable garden?

Having a lot of stuff comes with a lot of responsibilities, and can quickly turn into a stressful headache. No wonder many people have found happiness by heading in the other direction and letting go of the stuff they don’t really need.

Avoid being overexposed to news media and blowing things out of proportion.

Do you ever find yourself getting tense and anxious while scrolling through a news feed full of articles about political conflicts, violence, corruption and discrimination? It’s valuable to stay informed, but your feed doesn’t always provide you with the most accurate perspective on the world.

In fact, to stay happy, it’s advisable to limit your exposure to negative media altogether.

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What is The Happy Mind about?

The Happy Mind (2017) explores the misconceptions and realities surrounding that elusive thing we all long for: happiness. Authors Kevin Horsley and Louis Fourie explain why, despite having centuries of practice, humans still look for happiness in the wrong places and find only unhappiness in the pursuit of material riches. They also provide a practical plan that can help anyone get on the right track for a happy and more fulfilling life.

The Happy Mind Review

The Happy Mind by Kevin Horsley and Louis Fourie (2021) is a book that explores practical strategies for cultivating happiness and well-being in our lives. Here's why this book is worth reading:

Full of concrete techniques and exercises, it offers actionable advice on improving our mental state and overall happiness.
By drawing on scientific research and real-life examples, the book provides a convincing case for adopting a positive mindset.
With its engaging tone and relatable stories, it avoids being dry or monotonous, ensuring an enjoyable reading experience.

Best quote from The Happy Mind

While trying to find yourself in things, you may end up losing yourself in things. – Eckhart Tolle

—Kevin Horsley and Louis Fourie

Who should read The Happy Mind?

People struggling with depression
Students of human behavior
Anyone seeking more happiness

About the Author

Kevin Horsley is an in-demand coach, consultant and speaker who assists companies with boosting motivation and improving their creative thinking and learning processes. Thanks to his multiple victories in championship memory tournaments around the world, he also holds the title of International Grandmaster of Memory.

Louis Fourie is an award-winning economist who has spent years researching and exploring the topic of happiness together with his close friend Kevin Horsley. He spent much of his career in South Africa and had received the South Africa’s Economist of the Year award.

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