When sages and elders urge virtue on the young, they sometimes sound like snake oil salesmen. The wisdom literature of many cultures essentially says, “Gather round! I have a tonic that will make you happy, healthy, wealthy, and wise! It will get you into heaven, and bring you joy on earth along the way! Just be virtuous!” Young people are extremely good, though, at rolling their eyes and shutting their ears. Their interests and desires are often at odds with those of adults, and they quickly find ways to pursue their goals and get themselves into trouble, which often becomes character-building adventure... In this light, Ben Franklin is supremely admirable.

Knowing your strengths -- and weaknesses -- may give you insight into why some parts of your job are enjoyable while others fill you with dread. If you have the luxury of adjusting the scope of your job then of course you should focus on the tasks that draw on your strengths while delegating away the parts that don't -- even if you are perfectly competent at them. But even if your job is defined for you by others, you can still control how you approach it and how you interact with your boss, coworkers, or customers.

“When you are surrounded by facts, and quotes and things like that, your eye can run over an idea, you can think about it consciously; but it won’t really become wisdom until you have, I think, a much more intuitive and emotional experience to it.  Until you see connections and feel it’s importance."

"An intellectual tour de force that weaves into one fabric wisdom that is ancient and modern, religious and scientific, Eastern and Western, liberal and conservative—all with the aim of pointing us to a more meaningful, moral, and satisfying life.” -- David G. Myers, Professor of Psychology, Hope College, author of Intuition: Its Powers and Perils

“For the reader who seeks to understand happiness, my advice is: Begin with Haidt.” -- Martin E. P. Seligman, Professor of psychology, University of Pennsylvania, author of Authentic Happiness

From Booklist: Using the wisdom culled from the world's greatest civilizations as a foundation, social psychologist Haidt comes to terms with 10 Great Ideas, viewing them through a contemporary filter to learn which of their lessons may still apply to modern lives. He first discusses how the mind works and then examines the Golden Rule ("Reciprocity is the most important tool for getting along with people"). Next, he addresses the issue of happiness itself -- where does it come from? -- before exploring the conditions that allow growth and development.