Keys to Happiness?

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.