Through controlled experiments, Scientific American’s Sonja Lyubomirsky explores ways to beat the genetic set point for happiness. Half the pie is the genetic set point. The smallest slice is circumstances, which explain only about 10 percent of people’s differences in happiness. So what is the remaining 40 percent? – Find out HERE
Related: 9 secrets for a long, happy, healthy, sexy and rewarding life
If you plan it right, then the older you get the more you decide exactly what you want to do. The rest of the world and their insignificant opinions can go to hell.
This is happy news; the more space wasted on happiness studies means less ink used for global warming articles.
Learn how to whistle.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-diB65scQU
The secret of happiness would be good to know. Is there a lot of reading involved, though, or are the 9 secrets outlined in a concise and laconic manner? I have the attention span of a drunk gnat, you see.
I think gnats are generally happy. Not sure about drunk ones though.
Happiness comes from making the world a better place,
ie getting even with every sumbitch that ever did ya wrong.
Turning the other cheek is a license for bad people to do someone else.
Probably that would depend on the intensity and stage of drunkenness.
Too many researchers and too many grants to investigate the inane and useless.
Research made for some woman’s magazine…
I think that the New Riders of the Purple Sage have the answer here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mzs3TUfUST0
I’d say that each element accounts for about 20%, for, of course, a total of 40%.
Red Green got it right when he said the secret to a happy life is lowered expectations.
Something like this is on the verge of being debunked:
http://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/jan/19/mathematics-of-happiness-debunked-nick-brown
Black Mamba said: “Is there a lot of reading involved, though, or are the 9 secrets outlined in a concise and laconic manner?”
Indeed. Ten seconds of my life that I’ll never get back.
Life span is probably more than half genetic. “Happiness” is a mental state moderated by neurotransmitters and also (according to the article) more than half genetic. So is “sadness”, by deduction. If one has a feeeeeling that is unpleasant, wait five minutes and it will change.
Absent a persistent and debilitating depression, one might consider just shutting up and getting on with things.
Kathy, thanks for that article. Nice exposure of innumeracy in Psychology circles.
Somebody (someplace on a blog that I read) said that Big Science now occupies the same place in Society that the Church used to. Meaning that for the first time, Big Science and its practitioners have real social power. Their word carries a great deal of weight, and large sums of money follows what they say.
Obviously we presently are living through a period where power is corrupting Science. Influence is for sale, and one need look no farther than climate science or the medical literature to see it being offered wholesale.
Trouble is that positive thinking DOES improve one’s general emotional state. In my field of physical therapy I’ve seen it many a time. You can tell the patients who are going to live from the ones who are going to die by mental outlook. The ones who accept their injury after a normal period of outrage and grief will live. The ones who wallow in it will die. Most times the difference is a decision on the part of the patient to just shut up and get on with things, even though it sucks.
Why some come to that decision and others don’t I can’t really say. But its a moral -decision- they make that does it, not some kind of fairy dust. First the moping, then the decision, then a whole lot of hard nasty work.
I think I know what makes her happy….
“The research needed to answer questions about lasting happiness is costly, because studies need to follow a sizable group of people over a long time.”
Lots of taxpayers funding her research.
…. Paying taxes to study happiness isn’t, so far as I’ve recognized, making me happy.
north of 60 has my take on it. I also include beer.
One small side path to happiness is firstly, to not be a progressive or a liberal … that is a sure route to perpetual unhappiness. Next, watch how frightened, angry and envious those leftist folks are. You will then be happy to not be them.
Other things that will lead to some some level of happiness.
Dont’ be a muslim
Don’t be a Quebecer
Don’t be an Indian
Don’t be a negro
Don’t be drunk
Don’t use hard drugs
Don’t marry a liberal
Don’t go to university
Don’t get married unless you are sure your are marrying your best friend
Don’t have kids unless you really, really want them
Don’t get pregnant .. unless see above.
Don’t watch too much TV, or spend time in front of any screens if you can help it
Take time to think about things ….
DO NOT USE CREDIT FOR ANYTHING BUT A MORTGAGE
Do not be unemployed … ever …. there are always menial jobs and any job is better than no job.
Do not go to government for anything you do not absolutely need to go them for such as a drivers license.
Do not trust your bank
Read stuff and lots of it .. then think about it … always try to answer the question ‘why’ ? That is where you can find truth.
Truth will a) set you free b) get you tossed in jail …. so be careful with it.
That’s all I got. Hope it helps.
De Gaulle said, more or less, that “happiness” was invented by mediocrities to console themselves for their failures.
Ah yes: “Only when man’s life comes to its end in prosperity can one call that man happy” – Aeschylus.
Now that is what I would call an article Kathy. If nothing else at least one you could get a grip on – Substantial