if we were put in exactly the same situation again, then 100 times out of 100 we would make the same decision

evidence from Kathleen Vohs and her colleagues suggests that social problems may arise from seeing our own actions as determined by forces beyond our control—weakening our morals, our motivation, and our sense of the meaningfulness of life

Bruce Waller, a philosophy professor at Youngstown State University. In his new book, Restorative Free Will, he writes that we should focus on our ability, in any given setting, to generate a wide range of options for ourselves, and to decide among them without external constraint.

Determinism is the belief that our decisions are part of an unbreakable chain of cause and effect. Fatalism, on the other hand, is the belief that our decisions don’t really matter, because whatever is destined to happen will happen

dissipate

vantage point

marginal

. Only about a third of young adults today receive a bachelor’s degree.

Others would rather not spend four more years in school and can find rewarding, well-paying work as a medical technician, dental hygienist, police officer, plumber or other jobs that require a two-year degree or vocational training.

menial jobs

College graduates are also healthier, happier, more likely to remain married, more likely to be engaged parents and more likely to vote, research has found.

Enrolling in a four-year college brings large benefits to marginal students.

conspicuous

And when our wealth helps us do these things, it does make us happier.

While well educated Americans are clearly getting wealthier, we are not reporting higher levels of happiness.

I see how at its best my liberal education offered me increased possibilities not only of money, but significantly, of happiness.

the cost of a quality liberal education may be high, the economic benefits down the line are greater still.

vantage

I remember

It was the worst grade I’d ever received, and I felt terrible and isolated. But then I found out that no one did well on that test. The professor was trying to set a high standard.”

A decade ago, two of the co-authors of the Flagship State study, Gregory M. Walton and Geoffrey L. Cohen, social psychologists at Stanford, began tracking the progress of black students at an elite private university. As freshmen, they had participated in a similar exercise. By the time they graduated, their grades were a third of a grade-point average point higher than their peers in the control group (the difference between B+ and A-), and they had halved the black-white achievement gap. They also reported being healthier and happier.

As she begins to get it, she feels exhilarated. A new world of math opens up for her.

They believe that if you have the ability, you shouldn’t need effort

Students with this fixed mind-set become excessively concerned with how smart they are, seeking tasks that will prove their intelligence and avoiding ones that might not