When self-described grouch Eric Weiner packed his bags and set off to find personal bliss, one might've expected him to head for tropical weather or lavish settings. Au contraire, CNN reports: Weiner’s favorite countries were frigid Iceland and underdeveloped Bhutan. He found the most content people were those who don't chase happiness—a jab at the American obsession that led his journey.
In his bestseller, The Geography of Bliss, Weiner writes that most of our happiness comes from other people. He even argues for taxes, which he says give us a vested interest in—and fulfillment from—how the government performs. But don’t feel guilty about not moving to find joy. The former NPR foreign correspondent says his travels have left him “marginally happier than before.” (More self-help stories.)