The two books I read on happiness reminded me of Yoshi's Valley in Mario Kart 8. On this map you have many paths to choose from, but no matter which path you choose, you end up in the same place. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Like the path to happiness, the most optimal path depends on the person. The books The Happiness Hypothesis and Loving Ourselves both present radically different paths. These paths differ depending on the era in which they were written, the type of psychology they use, and the personal beliefs of the author. Even though the two books were written at very different times, some ideas are common while many are different. The Happiness Hypothesis was published in 2006 while Loving Ourselves was published in 1977. Many psychological advances took place between the books' publication. As there was a big gap between the publication date of these books, the books have very different ways on the path to happiness. In The Happiness Hypothesis, Haidt uses positive psychology to explain his path to happiness. Meanwhile, Loving Ourselves Ashford focuses more on the "negative side" of psychology to explain his path to happiness. The authors of the books Jonathan Haidt and Ray Ashford have very similar but very different backgrounds. For example, Haidt and Ashford were both religious at one point in their lives. Haidt changed his mind when he was in high school and became a Jewish atheist. Ashford remained faithful to the religion and became a minister of a Christian church. Haidt was born and raised in the United States and Ashford lived in Canada for a time. The author of the book The Happiness Hypothesis Jonathan Haidt is a positive psychologist and he uses the idea of ​​positive psychology to illustrate how our minds work and, therefore, how to become a happier human being. Haidit also uses the teachings of philosophers and sages, his knowledge of religion, and research data to show what he believes is the most optimal path to happiness. The author of the book Loving Ourselves Ray Ashford draws heavily on his observations to illustrate why some people dislike, or even hate, themselves. Ashford also uses the teachings of philosophers and sages, his experience as a religious figure, and research data to show what he believes is the most optimal path to happiness. The first main idea shared by the books is that you must love others to be truly happy. In The Happiness Hypothesis, Haidt discusses an experiment where monkeys were left alone with their own "surrogate mothers" who were made of cloth or metal in the shape of monkeys. The monkeys ended up attaching themselves to the “mothers”. Haidt then discusses attachment theory, a theory that says when you spend time with someone you love, your stress levels go down. In Loving Ourselves, Ashford discusses the idea that when we help people love themselves, they love us, and that helps us. love ourselves. He then discusses many good and bad examples of loving others. One example he brings up is of a young girl who was playing with her friends and they were slowly called home. She ended up being the last child out. She waited to be called back, but she never was. This child thought she was not loved as much as other children. Ashford then mentions the time when the son of a.