7 Ways to Maximize Misery
Do I actually want to be happier, or do I simply take the easier path of making myself miserable?
Having a bad habit of always looking at the world from a pessimistic point of view is not healthy. For me, pessimism is my shield, but it doesn’t work when my smarter, more attractive, and infinitely wiser wife smacks me upside the head when I start down the pessimistic path.
Do I actually want to be happier or do I simply take the easier path of making myself miserable? In this video, CGP Grey shares seven tactics to maximize misery:
Stay still
Don’t go outside, don’t exercise.
Screw with your sleep
Vary your bedtime. Never sleep or wake up at the same time.
Maximize your screentime
Let the screen keep you awake. Let a screen be the first thing you look at when you wake up.
Use your screen to stoke your negative emotions
Feed your anxiety and anger about things over which you have no control.
Set VAPID goals
Vague, Amorphous, Pie-in-the-sky, Irrelevant, Delayed. Do not set SMART goals, which are Specific, Measurable, Actionable, (goals for which you are) Responsible, and Time-bounded.
Pursue happiness directly
Expect that unending bliss is possible.
Follow your instincts
Do what makes you immediately happy even when you know it will make you sadder in the long run.
The video is based on Randy Paterson’s recent book, How to Be Miserable: 40 Strategies You Already Use. I think I might need to read it.
