Happiness
The pursuit of happiness. Everyone wants to be alive, free, and happy. So what could ever be wrong with pursuing happiness to the fullest extent possible? The more you value your happiness, the happier you will be, right?
In two studies people who value happiness more are less likely to achieve their goal of feeling happy.
Women who valued happiness more were less happy in life than women who valued happiness less. Strangely enough, valuing happiness seemed to be more of a problem for women whose lives were low in stress, the people for whom happiness should have been within easiest reach.
As a conclusion from another study valuing happiness more may lead people to be less happy just when happiness is within reach.
The authors may be on to something to understand why so many Americans are so damned unhappy, despite all best efforts devoted to increasing happiness, even, because of such efforts.
Books suggest that achieving happiness is like other goals. If we just try hard enough we can finally master happiness, just like we can learn to play the piano, or learn a language. However, the goal of becoming happier may be fundamentally different from these other goals. The authors conclude,
"People who highly value happiness set happiness standards that are hard to get, leading them to feel disappointed about how they feel, ironically, decreasing their happiness the more they want it."
Setting a goal to become happier is like putting yourself on a treadmill that goes faster the harder you run.
Psychology Today
No comments:
Post a Comment