By Evridiki Fatolia,
For some, happiness seems to be quite a simple concept. It means feeling good. It’s something you understand right away. However, as it turns out, things are not that simple, as there is a wide range of definitions about how exactly the particular emotion is experienced. Yes, happiness is a much more complex concept than any self-help book can argue.
1. Freedom is more important to happiness than money.
Just as the saying goes, money doesn’t bring happiness. Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen found that societies that expanded the level of freedom and independence saw a corresponding boost in citizens’ quality of life. It concludes that allowing people to live as they prefer is much more likely to lead to widespread satisfaction than GDP growth.
2. Happiness increases as we grow older.
An information that can help you with the idea that you’re growing up. Chances are that your level of happiness will rise along with the candles on your cake. A University of Alberta study followed participants’ happiness levels over a 25-years period. The researchers, checking other variables, found that generally, those who grew up became happier.
3. Some cultures deny happiness.
While happiness is an overestimated value in Western civilizations, it is not found worldwide. In fact, different cultures discourage different kinds of happiness for many reasons, according to a related study. From Japan to Germany and the Middle East, there can be a tendency towards “happiness repulsion”. The reasons for this disgust fall into a number of categories that may seem completely foreign to you:
- Being happy increases the likelihood of bad things happening to you
- Being happy makes you a worse person
- The expression of happiness is bad for you and others
- Pursuing happiness is bad for you and others
4. Telephone calls make us happier than messages.
Or at least, it’s better for the happiness and health of relationships than distance. Researchers found that those who communicated via telephone or webcam were more likely to feel emotionally supported. Those who used messaging and chat did not feel the same connection.
5. Lights have a big impact on happiness.
In the book Happiness Hacks: 100% Scientific! Curiously Effective!, Alex Palmer writes: “Do you feel sad? Turn on some lights in the room”. In three different study conditions, researchers found a correlation between people’s feelings of despair and their perception of room lighting. They found that when participants assessed the brightness of a dark room, they felt desperate. They, themselves, showed a preference for a brighter room.
6. Pets are a source of happiness.
According to the distinguished professor at the Department of Psychology at the University of Miami, Allen McConnell, the difference between whales and cynoids is zero. “We have not found any differences between dogs and cats. The main difference is the extent to which you anthropomorphize the pet. If you see your iguana as having human compassion and qualities, it’s as good as a golden retriever. It’s all in the owner’s mind”.
7. Happiness is indeed contagious.
It turns out that surrounding yourself with happy people also increases your personal sense of happiness. This was one of the findings of researchers’ study, which looked at the health and happiness of more than 4,700 residents of the city of Framingham, Massachusetts. The researchers found that people who felt happy tended to form their own societies. They also found that the chance of happiness increases by 15.3% if a family member or close friend is happy.
8. The happiest places in the world have high suicide rates.
Countries and states that rank high on the list of “the happiest parts of the world” also tend to have the highest suicide rates, according to research.
9. Even bad days help.
Just as experiencing emotions beyond happiness can have amazing, positive side effects, bad days can actually be good for your long-term happiness. A psychology team from Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering found that individuals who experienced a combination of happiness and sadness at the same time were more likely to improve their sense of mental health in the long term.
10. Happiness can ‘kill’ creativity.
Another study related to happiness argues that moderate levels of positive mood can help open our minds and make us think unconventionally and creatively. However, those who experience high levels of happiness do not show the same explosion of creativity as those who feel less well.
References
- Seven Truths About Happiness. Nina Gruenewald. Available here
