The Opposite of Happiness: How Bad Feelings Make and Break Us

Why do negative emotions like anxiety, regret, and loneliness often take over, even when life is going well?

In The Opposite of Happiness: How Bad Feelings Make and Break Us, pioneering behavioral economist George Loewenstein, Ph.D., offers a surprising answer. Misery is not a malfunction of the human mind. Instead, it is a feature. And many of the ways we try to escape difficult emotions can actually make them worse.

As one of the founders of behavioral economics, Loewenstein draws on decades of research. He explores psychology, neuroscience, and evolutionary theory. He also shares deeply personal experiences. Together, these insights reveal the hidden logic behind some of our most painful emotions.

From anxiety and jealousy to regret and loneliness, these feelings serve important purposes. However, they can easily misfire in modern life.

Rather than offering quick fixes, Loewenstein asks readers to rethink emotional well-being. He challenges our cultural obsession with happiness. Instead, he suggests that understanding and even accepting misery may help us live more fully.

Throughout the book, Loewenstein brings these ideas to life with excerpts from literature and candid firsthand accounts. He also shares responses from his Misery Survey, which explores why difficult emotions can become such powerful forces in our lives.

Loewenstein will be in conversation with Eli Finkel, Ph.D. (FAN ’17), a Northwestern University professor with appointments in psychology and the Kellogg School of Management.

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