Give up on happiness. Go hard at wonder | Monica Parker for Big Think+
Big Think
6 min, 20 sec
Monica Parker discusses the obsession with happiness, the concept of wonder, and how to incorporate wonder into daily life.
Summary
- Monica Parker introduces the idea that society's obsession with happiness is misguided and proposes seeking wonder instead.
- She explains the concept of wonder as a mix of positive and negative emotions that enhance emotional resilience.
- Parker describes practical ways to encounter wonder, such as through nature, social interactions, and profound cognitive thoughts.
- She discusses barriers to wonder like being in a hurry and offers solutions like meditation, journaling, and ensuring adequate sleep.
- Parker emphasizes that wonder can be found in everyday life by slowing down and adopting a wonder lens.
Chapter 1
Monica Parker discusses society's obsession with happiness and introduces the concept of wonder.
- Society is obsessed with achieving happiness, as seen in roles like Chief Happiness Officers and reports on the subject.
- Parker challenges the focus on happiness, suggesting it is difficult to achieve and may not be the most realistic emotion in today's world.
- She introduces wonder as a more realistic and achievable goal than happiness, capable of changing how people live, learn, and lead.
Chapter 2
Parker critiques toxic positivity and promotes embracing the full spectrum of emotions, including wonder.
- The author criticizes the concept of toxic positivity, which limits the full expression of our emotional range.
- She argues for the importance of experiencing not just positive emotions, but also negative and mixed emotions for greater emotional resilience.
- Parker explains that wonder contains elements of both positive and negative emotions, comparing it to the complex process of a butterfly's emergence.
Chapter 3
The talk delves into the nature of wonder and how to recognize and integrate it into daily life.
- Wonder is described as a grounded and concrete experience that can be observed in daily life, not just an amorphous or spiritual concept.
- Parker introduces the idea of 'wonderbringers,' which are sources of wonder, and describes three categories: nature, social, and cognitive.
- She notes that there are countless ways to find wonder and emphasizes the importance of being open to recognizing it.
Chapter 4
Parker identifies obstacles to experiencing wonder and offers practices to overcome them by slowing down.
- Barriers to wonder include being in a hurry and distractions from technology, which can prevent us from noticing wonder.
- To combat these barriers, Parker suggests 'slow thought' practices such as meditation, narrative journaling, and adequate sleep.
- These practices create space for the brain to process experiences, notice wonder, and enhance resilience.
Chapter 5
Monica Parker shares her personal journey with wonder and encourages others to consciously seek it in the ordinary.
- Parker admits that despite understanding wonder, she is not an expert in finding it and is also on a journey to discover it.
- She makes a daily effort to slow down and appreciate the beauty in everyday things.
- By viewing the world through a lens of wonder, one can find it daily despite the fast pace of life.
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