Is There a Science of Happiness?

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I think there are aspects of the human experience that are not quantifiable. The attempt to reduce the experience of being a vampire or having a child to what mathematicians call a scalar meaning a single number is an unhuman, anti-human mistake. I would go as far as to say that it is beyond the scope of social science to do that or science generally. It's not a scientific question.

Philosopher and author L.A. Paul talks about her book Transformative Experience with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Paul explores the uncertainties that surround the transformative experiences that we choose and that happen to us without choosing. How should we think about the morality and personal impact of these kinds of experiences, especially when some decisions are very hard or impossible to reverse? Examples include becoming a vampire, having children, religion, and other life experiences and choices.