The Happiness Fantasy

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Authenticity: The new definition of happiness.

"The Happiness Fantasy" takes a witty look at today's definition of happiness and how it has evolved over the years. The book highlights how our present-day idea of happiness is connected to authenticity, physical pleasure, and personal branding. Cederstrom critiques these ideals and argues it's time to build new fantasies of happiness that are relevant in today's era of austerity. If you're interested in critically examining happiness and how we conceptualize it, this book is definitely a must-read.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

The Happiness Fantasy

Regular price
Unit price
per
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ISBN: 9781509523818
Authors: Carl Cederström
Publisher: Polity
Date of Publication: 2018-11-12
Format: Paperback
Goodreads rating: 3.6
(rated by 174 readers)

Description

In this devastatingly witty new book, Carl Cederström traces our present-day conception of happiness from its roots in early-twentieth-century European psychiatry, to the Beat generation, to Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump. He argues that happiness is now defined by a desire to be "authentic", to experience physical pleasure, and to cultivate a quirky individuality. But over the last fifty years, these once-revolutionary ideas have been co-opted by corporations and advertisers, pushing us to live lives that are increasingly unfulfilling, insecure and narcissistic.In an age of increasing austerity and social division, Cederström argues that a radical new dream of happiness is gathering pace. There is a vision of the good life which promotes deeper engagement with the world and our place within it, over the individualism and hedonism of previous generations. Guided by this more egalitarian worldview, we can reinvent ourselves and our societies.
 

Authenticity: The new definition of happiness.

"The Happiness Fantasy" takes a witty look at today's definition of happiness and how it has evolved over the years. The book highlights how our present-day idea of happiness is connected to authenticity, physical pleasure, and personal branding. Cederstrom critiques these ideals and argues it's time to build new fantasies of happiness that are relevant in today's era of austerity. If you're interested in critically examining happiness and how we conceptualize it, this book is definitely a must-read.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.