Happiness is, by nature, a subjective quality with a definition like a
moving target. There is scant evidence — qualitative or quantitative —
to lend convincing support to those life variables most critical in
determining individual happiness, which is likely why past researchers
committed to the scientific method rarely tried to tackle the subject.
This is changing. Take, for example, the World Database of Happiness
in Rotterdam, self-described as a, “continuous register of scientific
research on subjective appreciation of life.” Also, take the positive
psychologists, a movement whose “members” perform scientific research
into the nature of happiness and who published Character Strengths and
Virtues: A Handbook and Classification, an 800-page behemoth that
outlines all the characteristics, behaviors and conditions that lead to
happiness.
While we’re not entirely convinced of this marriage between science
and subjectivity, we can still offer up a top 10 of things that
determine human happiness, as supported by this growing body of
research.
No.10 – Having a short memory
Are you one to hold grudges? Do you need the jaws of life to pry
forgiveness out of you? Well, don’t expect these attributes to
contribute to your happiness or to your overall health for that matter.
This ability to forgive and forget, to go with the flow, is frequently
cited by researchers of centenarians as being a key factor in their
ability to live to see their 100th birthday.
No.9 – Exacting fairness
According to a recently published study in the prestigious journal Nature,
people derive more happiness from scenarios and situations that result
in a perceived fairness for everyone involved, even when this fairness
goes against self-interest or comes at some personal cost. In short,
researchers at Rutgers found that the reward centers in the brain light
up in situations in which people are treated equally.
No.8 – Having lots of friendships
Extroverts are happier than introverts and they live longer lives, in
part because they can spend time in the company of friends and family
or they can spend time alone, according to happiness researcher Ed
Diener. Like letting go of grudges and going with the flow, being
extroverted and having a wide social circle is a major factor in whether
someone considers themselves happy or not, as well as an often-cited
reason to explain how some people live to be 100 or older. At any rate,
it’s a reason to justify spending a little time at work on social
networking sites.
No.7 – Being spiritual
The results of a collaborative, multinational study that involved
over 166,000 people showed a clear correlation between a person’s
“strength of religious affiliation and frequency of attendance at
worship services” and their self-reported levels of happiness and
satisfaction with their lives. How is this correlation explained?
Researchers postulate that this increased involvement in a spiritual
circle means more friends, a wider support network and a higher degree
of hopefulness.
No.6 – Thinking ahead
In his book Stumbling on Happiness, Harvard psychologist
Daniel Gilbert argues that happiness is derived from the ability to
accurately project what will in the future make us happy — not those
things that actually do. He notes that we are the only species that
truly considers the future, and this ability to think ahead and to
imagine the future is “the defining aspect of our humanity.”
According to Gilbert, studies support the idea that we enjoy thinking
into the future because more often than not, it’s something of a
daydream, and in daydreams we are at our most successful. Furthermore,
because imagining the future and what actually happens in that future
are often at odds, many people derive far more happiness from the
anticipation of a future event than the actual event.
No.5 – Developing a skill
According to psychology professor Dr. Timothy A. Pychyl, the route to
happiness is simple enough, “Live it, don’t buy it.” This is especially
relevant in the modern world, where instant gratification can be
purchased — but only to a point, before it hits a wall.
He quotes a professional base jumper, who says, “You’ve got to have
the passion to do your time. If you haven’t done the time, you just
can’t get there.” He goes on to argue that only by paying one’s dues
through time, effort, devotion, and experience can we, “develop the rich
experiences that make life meaningful.”
No.4 – Having personal control over one’s life
Where might you find unhappy people with low morale? Those places
where people no longer feel in personal control of their lives, whether
it’s a nursing home or a prison, because control equates to happiness.
In his book Satisfaction, Emory University psychiatrist Gregory
Berns makes the point by distinguishing between pleasure and
satisfaction, “While you might find pleasure by happenstance,
satisfaction can arise only by the conscious decision to do something.
And this makes all the difference in the world, because it is only your
own actions for which you may take responsibility and credit.”
No.3 – Defining success
There’s a saying that no matter how talented or successful you think
you are, there’s always someone who’s got a leg up on you. People who
compare themselves against those people will always come out the loser,
even when the comparison is neither appropriate nor consequential. A
skilled dentist with a thriving practice can’t reasonably compare his
level of success to Robert De Niro and expect to feel good. If he made
comparisons within his own peer group or against his own expectations,
however, he’ll not only come out more favorably, but he’ll be happier
too.
As Gallup psychologist Shane Lopez explained to Psychology Today
writer Abby Ellin, “Self-referential people see themselves as the
marker. They care about their own performance, not how they measure up
compared to that guy over there…. The only competitor is the self.”
No.2 – Good genes
According to “The Science of Lasting Happiness,” an article by Marina Krakovsky published by Scientific American
in 2007, “studies of twins and adoptees have shown that about 50% of
each person’s happiness is determined from birth”, what’s loosely termed
as a “genetic set point.” The weight of this variable on determining
our happiness is supported by hedonic adaptation; according to this
theory, even if we win the lottery, within a year or so of coming into
this kind of material good fortune, we adapt to it and revert back to
whatever level of happiness we were at before.
No.1 – Liking yourself
Liking oneself is arguably the principal characteristic of happy
people. It’s been revealed in study after study after study: happy
people like themselves. They think they’re pretty great people. They
have high self-esteem, meaning they think highly of their own
intelligence, they consider themselves to have strong ethical standards
and to have far fewer prejudices than others.
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