Full Answer Section

Describe the “two selves” and the characteristics. How is confusion between the two selves part of the “mess about happiness?” Share an example of a time when you can relate to this confusion.

Kahneman describes two selves: the experiencing self and the remembering self. The experiencing self is the self that is experiencing the moment-to-moment events of our lives. The remembering self is the self that reflects on our experiences after the fact.

The two selves are often confused because they have different goals. The experiencing self wants to experience as much pleasure as possible. The remembering self wants to have a positive overall life. This can lead to confusion because the experiencing self may make decisions that are not in the best interests of the remembering self. For example, the experiencing self may choose to eat a delicious but unhealthy meal, even though the remembering self knows that this will make them feel bad later on.

I can relate to this confusion because I have often made decisions that were in the short-term interests of the experiencing self, but not in the long-term interests of the remembering self. For example, I have stayed up late to watch a movie, even though I knew that I would be tired the next day.

What is meant by the idea that a bad memory ruins the memory of the experience but not the experience itself? Share an example.

Kahneman’s idea is that a bad memory can ruin the memory of the experience, but not the experience itself. This is because the remembering self is more important than the experiencing self when it comes to happiness. The remembering self is the one that reflects on our experiences after the fact and decides whether or not we were happy. If the remembering self has a bad memory of an experience, it will not be able to appreciate the good aspects of the experience.

For example, I once went on a vacation that was mostly enjoyable. However, there was one day when I got really sick. This one bad day ruined the memory of the entire vacation for me. I can still remember the good parts of the vacation, but they are overshadowed by the bad memory of the one day when I got sick.

Think of a situation in your own life that had a bad ending that dominated your lasting impression, despite a mostly neutral or positive experience. Describe the situation and how you might change the ending to make the lasting impressions more positive.

I once went on a date with a guy who seemed really nice. We had a lot in common and I was really enjoying myself. However, at the end of the date, he told me that he didn’t think we were a good match. This really upset me and it ruined the whole experience for me.

If I could change the ending of the date, I would have asked him to give me another chance. I think that if we had gone out on a few more dates, we would have realized that we were a good match.

How is it that we make decisions based on memories of experiences but not based on the experiences themselves and that we think of the future as anticipated memories?

We make decisions based on memories of experiences because the remembering self is more important than the experiencing self when it comes to happiness. The remembering self is the one that reflects on our experiences after the fact and decides whether or not we were happy.

We think of the future as anticipated memories because we imagine how we will feel about the future based on our memories of the past. For example, if we have had a bad experience in the past, we are more likely to anticipate a bad experience in the