I’m leaving my desk for a few days, so in my absence, thought I’d re-post one of my favorite round-up pieces, about ten widespread myths about happiness.
A while back, each day for two weeks, I posted about Ten Happiness Myths. Here they are, for your reading convenience. (Click on each myth to read a longer explanation of it.)
1. Happy people are annoying and stupid.
Wrong. Actually, studies show that people find happy people much more likable than their less-happy peers. Happy people are viewed as friendlier, smarter, warmer, less selfish, more self-confident, and more socially skilled — even more physically attractive.
2. Nothing changes a person’s happiness level much.
It’s true that there’s a powerful genetic link to happiness — usually it’s estimated to be about forty to fifty percent. Some people are born more Tigger-ish, and others are born more Eeyore-ish. And it’s also true that people are amazingly adaptive, both to good and bad fortune. Human resilience is extraordinary.
However, adaptation has its limits.
Before posting, please read our blog moderation guidelines. The comments below begin with the oldest comments first. Click on the last comments page to jump to the most recent comments.
Before posting, please read our blog moderation guidelines.
Post a Comment:
Copyright © 1995-2013 Psych Central. All rights reserved.
Site last updated: 19 May 2013
|
I used to be a victim of the so-called arrival fallacy for I always attach happiness or contentment to a certain goal. Yes, it worked for me for the last 25 years of my life but later on I find it quite stressful.
Now, I’m trying to enjoy every moment as they come, celebrate small victories and even laugh at failure. Not an easy task to master and I’m still learning until this day.
Thanks Gretchen for this good article.
I think you hit the nail on the head. I’m going to print this post and display it where I will read it daily.
“It’s true that there’s a powerful genetic link to happiness — usually it’s estimated to be about forty to fifty percent.”
To continuously reiterate this is reckless. There are no studies that stand up to the scientific method (The ability to recreate the experiment and achieve the exact same results.) confirming this “link”. The best you will get is (as in the first thing that pops up when goggled) “The study of more than 2,500 Americans revealed two variants of a gene ….Those born with two long versions of the gene (one is passed down from each parent) were more likely to declare themselves “very satisfied”. There are so many flaws with that, BUT people will take it with the same validity as the “Law of gravity”.
The only reason to keep pushing this concept is to justify the pushing of the drugs to make those people who “have no control of their happiness due to genetics or biology”. You can’t take a pill to fix a “borderline society”.
One’s belief systems are being fed information and symbolism through media and society all the time, not to mention the society’s cultural belief systems encouraged in family life, professional life and education. Western societies should be taught to turn off media instead of feeding on it….including this media now and then.That being said, I am happy I have found this website. This media, in particular,is also contributing to virtual satisfaction and consumerism, we need to vigilante in encouraging people to turn off and walk away from media more often. Media loves to reinforce these myths.
You said that “Aggressively venting anger relieves it.” is a myth, but I disagree. I would like to see the ‘studies’ that show that venting makes people feel worse… in fact, I can site numerous studies that show the opposite to be true.
If we just be pissy and grumpy and angry and blaming the world, maybe you’re right… we will feel worse. But “real” venting, punching a pillow, screaming about what’s “really” bothering us, deep down (and take responsibility for our anger), is one of the most healing things we can do!
Please Matt, could you provide links to the studies you’re talking about? I’m genuinely interested.
“6. Money can’t buy happiness.”
Humm…. how about the rather more prevalent myth:
“Money CAN buy happiness.”
Myth 6 is not a myth – its the truth. Money can only provide relief from material deprivation – which can be a condition for suffering, sure. It cannot provide happiness as such, which is precisely what people are hoping and expecting from it when they are gambling or playing the lottery.