Much
of what we know about the happiness of individuals has come to us via surveys,
and some of the findings are not what people expect when they think about
happiness. Here is a list of different
aspects of our lives based on how they correlate with happiness:
What’s
Not Very Important?
·
Money:
The one thing that most of us think will make us happy turns out not to be very
important at all in predicting happiness in individuals. If you exclude those in extreme poverty,
there’s little difference in happiness between working class and wealthy
individuals. Besides, the more money we
make, the more we end up spending and just incurring greater debt. Studying big-money lottery winners a year or
so after their win has shown them to be as or less happy than before they won.
·
Age:
Age appears to play a very small role in determining happiness. We might assume that people become less happy
as they age, but that’s not the reality.
Life, it appears, is about tradeoffs.
As we age, we have health issues, we often lose mobility, and we begin
to think more about our own mortality.
However, people also become more mature, wiser, and, if they are able to
retire, they have more time to pursue activities that they enjoy.
·
Gender:
Women are more likely than men to experience bouts of depression, but, on the
whole, gender doesn’t account for much concerning one’s happiness.
·
Parenthood:
You might think that a new baby would bring couples closer together, but, once
again, it’s a case of pros and cons.
When a newborn joins the family, the couple must focus attention on the
baby. And even as the child grows up
there are peaks and valleys – the terrible twos, adolescence, dating, driving,
etc.
·
Intelligence:
Intelligent individuals seem to be well-equipped for success, especially in our
technologically-advanced society.
However, intelligent people seem to be no more or less happy than their
less intelligent cohorts. It could be
that less intelligent people don’t realize that they should worry more about
things, while more intelligent do worry more about things.
·
Community:
This one actually relates to where people live, as in urban or rural areas, and
the research says that where one lives doesn’t relate very much to
happiness. It probably shows that the
old saying, “there’s no place like home,” is true, even if one grows up in a
poor neighborhood.
What
is Somewhat Important?
·
Health:
Most people, including me, would think that health is highly related to one’s
happiness, but it is not. Apparently,
people are able to adapt to health problems and carry on with their lives. And think about all the people who, after a
major health scare, finally begin to appreciate and enjoy life more than ever.
·
Social
Activity: People crave contact and social relationships with
others, but this need is more important for some than others, depending on your
personality. I, for example, like to be
around others, but, at the same time, I need a certain amount of solitude. It could be that social activity either enhances
one’s happiness or that people who are happier are more socially active.
·
Religion:
Studies have shown religious people to be a bit happier than those who do not
participate in religious services.
However, it could be that their small boost in happiness comes from the
sense of purpose they derive from their beliefs and the social support and
interaction they receive from their fellow parishioners.
What
is Very Important?
·
Love/Marriage:
Yes, apparently these can go together.
Actually, studies consistently show that married people are happier than
their single counterparts. As much as we
gripe about our relationships, the need for love and companionship seems to be
a very primal human need. People risk
heartbreak again and again in search of true love. It must be true what they say, “It is better
to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all.”
·
Work/Career:
I have worked some jobs where I hated to go to work in the morning. Liking or not liking your job can impact –
for better or worse – all other aspects of your life.
·
Personality:
As it turns out, the biggest factor in one’s happiness is the one that we have
the least control over. This is due to
the fact that one’s personality is largely inherited. Extraverts tend to be somewhat happier than
introverts, for example. Optimists also
tend to be happier than pessimists. And,
not surprisingly, people who like themselves – those high in self-esteem – tend
to be happier. While altering one’s
personality is not impossible, working on behaviors that build character might
be the best investment of one’s time and effort.
