wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

The notion that we are human animals who have done, and likely always will do, things to make ourselves feel better (whether or not to our individual or collective detriment) is intriguing, and promises insight and understanding when cast in the historical perspective provided by Ms. Hecht. I do wonder, however, at how we all tend to get lost in the details of what constitutes "happiness" when, in reality, being happy is ultimately a matter of simultaneously being ourselves, as individuals, and being engaged in our environment, something which has a different definition for each person. To my mind, the more interesting question is why, as humans, who also create the environments in which we live, we do not take this responsibility more seriously. The more interesting question is not "What is happiness?", but rather: "What can we do to create and nurture a world in which we can be happy?"

Very rewarding interview! Makes me a bit more humble when I think of some of my efforts to be 'happy' might be better spent elsewhere...

Our culture might pay lip service to money not buying happiness, but to a large degree it says the opposite--our economy is based on our buying as fast as we can, even if we can't afford it. Advertising, in its many forms, encourages us to shell out in order to make ourselves happy. This can work temporarily, but people don't seem to notice that they have to repeat as necessary to maintain this semblance of satisfaction. It just puts us further from reaching a real happiness (for me, friendships and creativity are important ingredients of the true recipe for happiness).