Summary of Daniel G. Amen's You, Happier

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book.

#1 Happiness is not reserved for the rich, famous, or beautiful. You can learn how to be happy no matter your age, income, or situation by using practical neuroscience and the seven secrets to happiness no one is talking about.

#2 The Don’t Worry, Be Happy mindset will make you unhappy and kill you early. You need some anxiety to be happy. Advertisers and fast-food restaurants know what will make you happy. Someplace else will not make you happy.

#3 The news constantly floods our brains with negative stories in an effort to boost their ratings and profits. These companies succeed in raising our stress hormones, which can shrink the major mood and memory centers in our brains.

#4 The idea that money makes you happy is false. Money can change your circumstances to a certain point, but money doesn’t help much once you have your basic needs met. When wealthy people were asked what they needed to be a perfect 10 in happiness, most said 2 to 10 times more.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Apr 7, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669382478

IRB Media

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Insights on Daniel G. Amen's You, Happier

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 2

Insights from Chapter 3

Insights from Chapter 4

Insights from Chapter 5

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

Happiness is not reserved for the rich, famous, or beautiful. You can learn how to be happy no matter your age, income, or situation by using practical neuroscience and the seven secrets to happiness no one is talking about.

#2

The Don’t Worry, Be Happy mindset will make you unhappy and kill you early. You need some anxiety to be happy. Advertisers and fast-food restaurants know what will make you happy. Someplace else will not make you happy.

#3

The news constantly floods our brains with negative stories in an effort to boost their ratings and profits. These companies succeed in raising our stress hormones, which can shrink the major mood and memory centers in our brains.

#4

The idea that money makes you happy is false. Money can change your circumstances to a certain point, but money doesn’t help much once you have your basic needs met. When wealthy people were asked what they needed to be a perfect 10 in happiness, most said 2 to 10 times more.

#5

Happiness is associated with novelty, fun experiences, positive relationships, laughter, gratitude, anticipation, helping others, staying away from comparisons, meditation, nature, and living in the present moment rather than the past or future.

#6

I began looking at the brain in the late eighties, when I started treating patients, and found that symptoms alone did not tell me anything about the underlying biology of the problems. I began using brain SPECT imaging to evaluate blood flow and activity patterns in the brain, and found that there were not one but multiple patterns associated with each illness.

#7

The scans began to reveal personality traits in patients. If your brain was evenly lit up, it was considered Balanced. If the front part of your brain was more active than average, you were more likely to be creative and impulsive. If your emotional or limbic brain was more active than average, you were more likely to be vulnerable to sadness.

#8

The Persistent and the Spontaneous brain types are two sisters who share a room. The Persistent sister has the front part of her brain very active and loves a neat and orderly space. The Spontaneous sister has low activity in the front part of her brain and is always looking for the next social engagement.

#9

The brain is the organ of happiness. With a healthy brain, you are happier, healthier, wealthier, and more