Research

Books

The Happiness Equation (2007)

Manfred Kets de Vries

The Happiness Equation

For most of us, the pursuit of happiness is the ultimate goal of existence: it gives us hope and a reason for living, motivating us to go on in spite of life's setbacks. Through coaching work with senior executives, Manfred Kets de Vries explores why many suffer from profound periods of unhappiness despite having external success. The need to achieve balance in life is explored. The dichotomy between outward success and inner success is looked at. The importance of play in people's lives is examined. The role of stress, another important topic in the happiness equation, is investigated. It is argued that there are three components in the search for happiness: humankind's exploratory needs have to be taken into consideration; people have to strive for authenticity; and an effort needs to be made to know oneself.

 

Also Available in:

  • Estonian as "Õnne Valem: Mõtteid õnnest ja edust". Published by Pegasus.
  • Russian. Published by Alpina.
  • Hungarian as "A boldogság egyenlete: Töprengések a Boldogságról és a Sikerről, Helikon".
  • Dutch as "Het Geluk: Een Handleiding". Published by Uitgeverij Nieuwezijds.
  • Russian as an audio version. Published by Mann, Ivanov & Feber.
  • French as "L’Equation du Bonheur". Published by Eyrolle.

KDVI, 2007

Purchase

Add Comment

Go back

Related content

"Obsession for digital technology"

Addressing Digital Addiction

Digital technology has greatly enhanced our lives both inside and outside the workplace. But it is not all positive. When does an obsession for digital technology become a serious health problem?
 

Published on 17 Oct, 2016

Les top managers préféreront une communication honnête et l'empathie.

Sept actions pour préparer les temps post-Covid

Les vrais leaders veillent à ce que leur entreprise sorte de la crise revigorée et prête à affronter l'avenir. Pour faire partie des entreprises qui émergent lorsque les conditions économiques seront un peu meilleures, sept stades s'imposent.

Published on 17 Aug, 2020

"Are you suffering from the wealth fatigue syndrome?"

Pity the Super Rich

This blog entry explores the wealth fatigue syndrome. Instead, one should invest in enduring things that matter.

Published on 10 Dec, 2014

"In search of introspection and reflection"

The Importance of Doing Nothing

This blog entry explores how slacking off and setting aside regular periods of ‘doing nothing’ may be the best thing we can do to induce states of mind that nurture our imagination and improve our mental health.

Published on 23 Jun, 2014

"Assessing psychological risk factors of leaders"

How Is Our Pilot Feeling Today?: A Courageous Conversation That Could Make a Difference

This blog presents a quick assessment of psychological risk factors for high performing individuals.

Published on 18 Apr, 2015

"Forgiveness as a business tool"

Leaders Who Can't Forgive

This blog entry with the Harvard Business Review explores how costly it is to hold on to grudges and how an unforgiving attitude keeps people from moving forward.

Published on 4 Dec, 2013

"Leaders and the art of forgiveness"

Forgiveness Makes a Good Business Tool

The knee-jerk reaction of too many people in leadership positions when they feel wronged is righteous indignation and the urge for revenge. But one factor that sets truly transformational leaders apart from the run-of-the-mill is the ability to forgive - to let feelings of anger, resentment and blame fall away and become something constructive. This article looks at how forgiveness can make for a good business tool.

Published on 19 Jul, 2013

"Personailty and techno-stress"

The Human Cost of Digital Technologies

As companies race towards digitisation, the expectation that people in organisations need to be permanently on-call is creating very human challenges. This blog reports on a research study lwhich looks at how individuals cope with technostress, and the mediating role personality plays.

Published on 25 May, 2016

"Do less instead of doing too much"

The Case for Slacking Off

This blog entry with the Harvard Business Review argues that the biggest problem we have in contemporary society is not that we do too little but that we try to do too much.

Published on 10 Dec, 2013

"Slacking off is a great way to nurture our imagination"

The Art of Doing Nothing

In our current 24/7 society, introspection and reflection have become lost arts. Instead, we are at risk of becoming victims of information and work overload. In this article, the authors argue that slacking off—or a conscious effort to do nothing—is a great way to induce states of mind that nurture our imagination.

Published on 20 Dec, 2014