How to be miserable
Subtitle: 40 strategies you already use
By: Randy J. Paterson, PhD
Published: 2016
Language: eng
Number of pages: 231
ISBN-13: 9781626254060
Subjects: Conduct of life; Self-actualization (Psychology); Humor; Happiness; American wit and humor
Description: "In How to Be Miserable, psychologist Randy Paterson outlines 40 specific behaviors and habits, which -- if followed -- are sure to lead to a lifetime of unhappiness. On the other hand, if you do the opposite, you may yet join the ranks of happy people everywhere! There are stacks upon stacks of self-help books that will promise you love, happiness, and a fabulous life. But how can you pinpoint the exact behaviors that cause you to be miserable in the first place? Sometimes when we're depressed, or just sad or unhappy, our instincts tell us to do the opposite of what we should -- such as focusing on the negative, dwelling on what we can't change, isolating ourselves from friends and loved ones, eating junk food, or overindulging in alcohol. Sound familiar? This tongue-in-cheek guide will help you identify the behaviors that make you unhappy and discover how you -- and only you -- are holding yourself back from a life of contentment. You'll learn to spot the tried-and-true traps that increase feelings of dissatisfaction, foster a lack of motivation, and detract from our quality of life -- as well as ways to avoid them. So, get ready to live the life you want (or not?) This fun, irreverent guide will light the way."--provided by Amazon.com.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references.
Table of contents: title: Introduction: the dreams of another age; title: Part one. Adopting a miserable lifestyle. Lesson 1. Avoid all exercise; title: Lesson 2. Eat what you're told; title: Lesson 3. Don't waste your life in bed; title: Lesson 4. Live better through chemistry; title: Lesson 5. Maximize your screen time; title: Lesson 6. If you want it, but it; title: Lesson 7. Can't afford it? Get it anyway?; title: Lesson 8. Give 100 to your work; title: Lesson 9. Be well informed; title: Lesson 10. Set VAPID Goals; title: Part two. How to think like an unhappy person. Lesson 11. Rehearse the regrettable past; title: Lesson 12. Blame inward, give credit outward; title: Lesson 13. Practice the "Three bad things" exercise; title: Lesson 14. Construct future hells; title: Lesson 15. Value hope over action; title: Lesson 16. Become a toxic optimist; title: Lesson 17. Filter for the negative; title: Lesson 18. Cultivate your presence; title: elsewhere; title: Lesson 19. Insist on perfection; title: Lesson 20. Work endlessly on your self-esteem; title: Part three. Hell is other people. Lesson 21. Become an island unto yourself; title: Lesson 22. Give them what they want; title: Lesson 23. Measure up and measure down; title: Lesson 24. Play to win; title: Lesson 25. Hold high expectations of others; title: Lesson 26. Drop your boundaries; title: Lesson 27. Bone with people's potential, not their reality; title: Lesson 28. Demand loyalty; title: Lesson 29. React to their motives, not their messages; title: Lesson 30. Cultivate and treasure toxic relationships; title: Part four. Living a life without meaning. Lesson 31. Keep your eye on the small picture; title: Lesson 32. Let your impulses be your guide; title: Lesson 33. Look out for number one; title: Lesson 34. Duty first, life later; title: Lesson 35. Live the unlived lives of others; title: Lesson 36. Stay in your zone of comfort; title: Lesson 37. Avoid solitude; title: Lesson 38. Choose fashion over style; title: Lesson 39. Pursue happiness relentlessly; title: Lesson 40. Improve yourself; title: Conclusion; title: Ending the misery project: life on the top floor; title: Acknowledgments; title: Notes; title: References and additional reading.