I find it kinda surprising how much our popular culture -- and our wider social culture -- ignore it completely.
I find it unfortunate, but not surprising. Even if the goal is to maximize happiness over a 40-year span, people tend to think they can't see any of those forty years -- what will happen, how they will feel, what they should do now as a result. But they can tell how they feel right now very easily... so that's the information they use to decide.
The culture reinforces this from day one, too, constantly reasserting that that is not only an option, but the smart option. See if you can come up with even one Top Forty hit, romantic comedy, or novel, in which the creator advises the audience to make love-life decisions based not on temporary emotions but on a rational evaluation of long-term outcomes.
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I find it unfortunate, but not surprising. Even if the goal is to maximize happiness over a 40-year span, people tend to think they can't see any of those forty years -- what will happen, how they will feel, what they should do now as a result. But they can tell how they feel right now very easily... so that's the information they use to decide.
The culture reinforces this from day one, too, constantly reasserting that that is not only an option, but the smart option. See if you can come up with even one Top Forty hit, romantic comedy, or novel, in which the creator advises the audience to make love-life decisions based not on temporary emotions but on a rational evaluation of long-term outcomes.
"Follow your heart" is just much easier to sell.