Good studies on happiness:
Stumbling On Happiness, Book.
- Happiness is not as good as we imagine it, nor is unhappiness as bad as we imagine it. Neither lasts as long as we think they will
- We exaggerate the long- term emotional effects certain events will have on us.
- People will do things that make them happy.
- The most creative people are those who are unhappy and thus strive to change the world.
- Most of us have a basic level of happiness which we revert to eventually.
- People repeat the same errors in imagining what will make them happy.
- People rationalize unhappy outcomes to make them more acceptable.
- Events we dread may turn into new opportunities for happiness.
$60K A Year Can Make You Happy, Nobel Laureate Daniel Kahneman
Findings:
Psychologist and Nobel Laureate Daniel Kahneman says millions of dollars won’t buy you happiness, but a job that pays $60,000 a year might help. Happiness levels increase up to the $60K mark, but “above that it’s a flat line,” he said. “Money does not buy you experiential happiness but lack of money certainly buys you misery,” he said. But the real trick, Kahneman said, is to spend time with people you like.
$60K A Year Can Make You Happy, Nobel Laureate Daniel Kahneman
Findings:
Psychologist and Nobel Laureate Daniel Kahneman says millions of dollars won’t buy you happiness, but a job that pays $60,000 a year might help. Happiness levels increase up to the $60K mark, but “above that it’s a flat line,” he said. “Money does not buy you experiential happiness but lack of money certainly buys you misery,” he said. But the real trick, Kahneman said, is to spend time with people you like.
Dr Mike Pratt, Academic.
His top 10 list of happiness drivers:
- Progress towards meaningful goals using ‘signature strengths’ contributes significantly to happiness.
- Happy people take time to do things that give them pleasure.
- Quality time with friends and family is top of the happiness list.
- Doing altruistic things for others creates enduring happiness.
- Expressing gratitude enhances your own wellbeing and that of the recipient.
- People quickly adapt to material advances.
- Beyond satisfaction of needs, more money does not make people significantly happier.
- Positive experiences tend to provide more enduring happiness than tangible purchases (social benefits).
- We get little enduring pleasure from short cuts.
- Regular exercise increases happiness.
Well-Being Is Related to Substantive Conversations, Journal Article.
Results:
Results were consistent with prior research (Diener & Seligman, 2002) in that higher well-being was associated with spending less time alone, and more time talking to others. Further, higher well-being was associated with having less small talk, and having more substantive conversations. For example, compared with the unhappiest participants, the happiest participants spent about 25% less time alone and about 70% more time talking. They also had roughly one third as much small talk and twice as many substantive conversations.