BY JEFF CORBETT
I thought you’d be interested in a study on happiness from a joint project of three universities, as reported in TIME magazine. The research team’s findings had me conflicted a bit. See what you think.
In a nutshell, they were looking to answer the question, “Can you be too happy?”
Using a 10-point life satisfaction scale, they found that the higher up you went, the happier you were and the more successful you were until you reached the top rating, the “10,” where things suddenly changed.
The study found those who rated a perfect ten earned less money than those reporting to be slightly less happy.
The TIME article mentions college students with a “10” had a slightly lower grade-point average and missed more classes than the group with an “8” or a “9.”
But TOO Happy?
The golden nugget in the study became clear to me when Ed Diener of the University of Illinois, one of the researchers, explained, “For some reason, we think we should expect to be superhappy. But we need negative emotions.”
Having some discomfort or uneasiness with where we are in life — and wanting to be better — is what motivates us to improve and to seek new and better ways of fulfilling our purpose.
Americans are fixated on being the absolute best, like always being the winner, having the biggest house, the most money, and the sexiest car.
It seems we want to be ultra-happy, with no problems, wants, or cares. But your gadgets and trappings do not bring you true happiness — and with that the study’s message comes to life.
Let’s look at happiness in a new light.
Eudae-What??
“Eudaemonia” is your word for the day. This is the essence of what happiness and well-being are all about. “Flourishing” is another synonym for eudaemonia.
Aristotle coined that word, and eudaemonia is precisely what Thomas Jefferson had in mind when he inked “the pursuit of happiness” passage in the Declaration of Independence.
What is it?
Dr. Martin Seligman of the University of Pennsylvania and former president of the American Psychological Association defines eudaemonia as “the good life, and consists of first knowing your signature strengths and then re-crafting your life to use them more—re-crafting your work, your romance, your friendships, your leisure, and your parenting to deploy the things you’re best at.”
It’s about positioning yourself at your uniquely personal point of prime potential and living life to its absolute fullest.
A profound joy in living ensues, along with a happiness not borne of possessions.
Freudenfreude
Another form of happiness is “Freudenfreude,” a German word that translates to “joy of joy” and describes the experience of taking pleasure in another person’s success or happiness.
If your spouse, friend, or co-worker are telling you of some success they’ve had, how do you feel?
A 2022 New York Times article by July Fraga offers this perspective: “Freudenfreude is like social glue,” said Catherine Chambliss, a professor of psychology at Ursinus College. “It makes relationships ‘more intimate and enjoyable.’”
“When we feel happy for others, their joy becomes our joy,” said psychologist Marisa Franco, author of “Platonic: How the Science of Attachment Can Help You Make — and Keep — Friends.”
Time and Happiness
An article by Kelsey Borresen in the Huffington Post earlier this year offers a fascinating perspective about spare time and happiness.
In 2021, a team of University of Pennsylvania and University of California, Los Angeles social scientists found that people who had two hours or less of free time per day had lower levels of happiness, according to Borreson.
But they also found that those “who had more than five hours of discretionary time per day showed decreased levels of happiness, too.”
Cassie Mogilner Holmes, one of the researchers, said: “And so what that is suggesting is that … it’s not so much about the amount of time you have. Then the question comes in, how are you spending the hours that you have?”
A Balancing Act
Dr. Diener notes that “Happy people are more likely to volunteer. They’re more likely to be rated highly by their supervisor and they’re more likely to make more money.“
But, he cautions, don’t avoid unpleasant emotions, which “not only signal that something is wrong, but motivate people to make necessary changes.”
Having too cushy of a life leads to complacency and a flabby brain. Ambition goes to sleep when you sit on a pillow of comfort.
Remember the old English proverb, “A smooth sea never made a skillful sailor.”
True happiness comes from challenging yourself, in becoming the best you can be. Start your quest today!
Jeff Corbett is an experienced public speaker, meeting facilitator and sales and marketing professional. He lives in Statesville. He can be reached at jeff@speak-well.com.