The Washington Post digs into the imperfect science of happiness and finds a few common “rules” that govern how we find and value it, many of them related to decisions and uncertainty. For instance, a number of experiments have shown that people tend to overestimate the consequences of events and decisions, to their detriment:
Torn between life choices? The experimental results suggest the worst option is usually indecision—no matter what choice people make, they are more likely to be okay with the consequences than if they stay on the fence.
A study noted in the article also found that those who had to definitely choose a free item to take home with them ended up happier with their picks than those who were given the option of returning them later. Makes me think twice about some of my electronics purchasing habits. Photo by Pσrcelαΐηgΐrl°.
Exceptional Innovation — the same firm responsible for that quad-CableCARD media center — is looking to give you a new weapon of choice to control your Life|ware home network. The new Life|point touch panel is available in 8.9- and 12.1-inch sizes, and both high-definition versions rock 16:9 formats, integrated stereo speakers / microphone and an ambient light sensor that automatically adjusts screen brightness depending on room lighting. Additionally, the panels are available in black, silver, cream, white and field-finish ready, and each one gives you in-wall control of your home theater, multi-room audio, lighting, security system(s) and temperature. ‘Course, it’s up to you to decide whether such a convenience is worth $6,000 (and up).