What makes you happy.....................

[mc_squared]

A new six-part BBC series, starting this week, looks at the newest research from around the world to find out what could it be that makes us happy.

 

We all want to be happy but the problem has always been that you can't measure happiness.

Happiness has always been seen as too vague a concept, as Lord Layard, Professor of Economics at the LSE and author of "Happiness - lessons from a new science" points out.

"There is a problem with the word happiness.

"When you use the word happy, it often has the sort of context of balloons floating up into the sky or something frivolous."

Now scientists say they can actually measure happiness.

Neuroscientists are measuring pleasure. They suggest that happiness is more than a vague concept or mood; it is real.

Measuring happiness

Social scientists measure happiness simply by asking people how happy they are.

It is argued that what a person says about their own happiness tends to tally with what friends or even strangers might say about them if asked the same question.

Most people say they are fairly happy.

PDAs can be used to measure happiness levels during the day

 

 

The leading American psychologist Professor Ed Diener from the University of Illinois, told The Happiness Formula that the science of happiness is based on one straightforward idea:

"It may sound silly but we ask people 'How happy are you 1-7, 1-10?

"And the interesting thing is that produces real answers that are valid, they're not perfect but they're valid and they predict all sorts of real things in their lives."

One type of measurement even tries to record people's levels of happiness throughout the day wherever they are.

Ecological momentary assessment uses hand held computers.

The person being quizzed is bleeped and then taken through a questionnaire.

"The measures are not perfect yet I think they are in many ways as good as the measures economists use," said Professor Diener.

It is a remarkable claim. Simply by asking people, we have a measure of happiness that is as good as the economists' measure of poverty or growth.

And if true, governments could be judged by how happy they make us.

An adviser to the Prime Minister, David Halpern, told us that within the next 10 years the government would be measured against how happy it made everybody.

Power of happiness

Happiness seems to have almost magical properties.

We have not got proof, but the science suggests it leads to long life, health, resilience and good performance.

Standard of living has increased dramatically and happiness has increased not at all

 

 

Professor Daniel Kahneman, University of Princeton

 

 

Scientists work by comparing people's reported happiness and a host of other factors such as age, sex, marital status, religion, health, income, unemployment and so on.

In survey after survey involving huge groups of people, significant correlations between happiness and some other factors are repeated.

At the moment scientists cannot prove causation, whether for example people are healthy because they are happy, or whether people are happy because they are healthy.

However, psychologists have been able to identify some very strong links.

According to Professor Diener the evidence suggests that happy people live longer than depressed people.

"In one study, the difference was nine years between the happiest group and the unhappiest group, so that's a huge effect.

"Cigarette smoking can knock a few years off your life, three years, if you really smoke a lot, six years.

"So nine years for happiness is a huge effect."

Richer but no happier

Happiness researchers have been monitoring people's life satisfaction for decades.

Happy people have close friends

 

 

Yet despite all the massive increase in our wealth in the last 50 years our levels of happiness have not increased.

"Standard of living has increased dramatically and happiness has increased not at all, and in some cases has diminished slightly," said Professor Daniel Kahneman of the University of Princeton.

"There is a lot of evidence that being richer... isn't making us happier"

The research suggests that richer countries do tend to be happier than poor ones, but once you have a home, food and clothes, then extra money does not seem to make people much happier.

It seems that that level is after average incomes in a country top about £10,000 a year.

Scientists think they know the reason why we do not feel happier despite all the extra money and material things we can buy.

First, it is thought we adapt to pleasure. We go for things which give us short bursts of pleasure whether it is a chocolate bar or buying a new car.

But it quickly wears off.

You can't take a grouch and make him giggle all the time

 

 

Professor Martin Seligman, University of Pennsylvania

 

 

Second, its thought that we tend to see our life as judged against other people.

We compare our lot against others. Richer people do get happier when they compare themselves against poorer people, but poorer people are less happy if they compare up.

The good news is that we can choose how much and who we compare ourselves with and about what, and researchers suggest we adapt less quickly to more meaningful things such as friendship and life goals.

What makes us happy?

According to psychologist Professor Ed Diener there is no one key to happiness but a set of ingredients that are vital.

For added happiness, look for meaning in your life

 

 

First, family and friends are crucial - the wider and deeper the relationships with those around you the better.

It is even suggested that friendship can ward off germs. Our brains control many of the mechanisms in our bodies which are responsible for disease.

Just as stress can trigger ill health, it is thought that friendship and happiness can have a protective effect.

According to happiness research, friendship has a much bigger effect on average on happiness than a typical person's income itself.

One economist, Professor Oswald at Warwick University, has a formula to work out how much extra cash we would need to make up for not having friends.

The answer is £50,000.

Marriage also seems to be very important. According to research the effect of marriage adds an average seven years to the life of a man and something like four for a woman.

The second vital ingredient is having meaning in life, a belief in something bigger than yourself - from religion, spirituality or a philosophy of life.

The third element is having goals embedded in your long term values that you're working for, but also that you find enjoyable.

Psychologists argue that we need to find fulfilment through having goals that are interesting to work on and which use our strengths and abilities.

Unhappiness

However, there are also many things we experience in life that can produce lasting unhappiness.

Professor Ed Diener identifies two key events which can have lasting effects.

After the loss of a spouse it can take several years to regain the previous level of well-being.

The loss of a job can affect a person for years even they are back to work.

So if you are born grumpy are you always going to be grumpy?

The question of whether we can actually use our knowledge of what makes us happy to lift our levels of happiness permanently is hotly debated by psychologists.

According to the positive psychologist Professor Martin Seligman of the University of Pennsylvania it is possible to lift our biological set range of happiness, at least to some extent if we work at it.

"The best you can do with positive emotion is you can get people to live at the top of their set range.

"So I think you've got about 10 to 15% leverage but you can't take a grouch and make him giggle all the time." The first episode of The Happiness Formula will be shown on BBC Two at 1900 BST on Wednesday.

[kekita]

^ PDAs can be used to measure happiness levels during the day

thanks for this Mc² doing an assignment on PDAs ;)

[ClearAsCrystal]

Yet despite all the massive increase in our wealth in the last 50 years our levels of happiness have not increased.

"Standard of living has increased dramatically and happiness has increased not at all, and in some cases has diminished slightly," said Professor Daniel Kahneman of the University of Princeton.

"There is a lot of evidence that being richer... isn't making us happier"

The research suggests that richer countries do tend to be happier than poor ones, but once you have a home, food and clothes, then extra money does not seem to make people much happier.

It seems that that level is after average incomes in a country top about £10,000 a year.

Scientists think they know the reason why we do not feel happier despite all the extra money and material things we can buy.

First, it is thought we adapt to pleasure. We go for things which give us short bursts of pleasure whether it is a chocolate bar or buying a new car.

But it quickly wears off.

You can't take a grouch and make him giggle all the time

 

 

 

I think this much is true (and I agreed with some other things too :wink: )

At least, in my personal standards...Having the essentials makes me happy, and not having them, gets me stressed. I can deal without the extras and I don't get stressed NOT having them

 

but other people standards are totally different. like, if like, scientist are measureing two people and you have someone like me, and then someone who has really high standards of living (meaning they need things that are really trully "unnecessary") you get jacked up results... so the measuring might be a tough thing :confused:

[mc_squared]

^I agree. People are generally too greedy and want too much. I'm glad I don't have that problem. As long as I have what I need, then I'm satisfied. The one luxury I really value is holidays.....................................

[a few words]

Here are 100 things to turn our frowns upside down:

 

1-a day off from work or school

 

2-a field of wild flowers

 

3-a hot bubble bath

 

4-getting a raise

 

5-free lunch

 

6-cuddling with our spouse or lover

 

7-home made ice cream

 

8-a walk on the beach

 

9-a hug from our little one

 

10-the smell of fresh roses

 

11-a soft feather bed

 

12-a ride on a motorcycle

 

13-a jaccuzzi

 

14-getting our hair done

 

15-playing with play dough

 

16-an ice cream soda with two straws

 

17-riding a wave

 

18-breathing fresh air

 

19-passing to the next grade

 

20-getting an A

 

21-earning that A

 

22-writing poetry

 

23-eating pancakes loaded with butter and syrup

 

24-staying up all night with our friends

 

25-dancing

 

26-getting buried in the sand

 

27-aromatherapy

 

28-buying a new outfit

 

29-roasting weiners and marshmellows

 

30-winning the pagaent

 

31-riding horses

 

32-funny pictures of friends piled into a photo booth

 

33-a cotton sundress

 

34-getting those braces off

 

35-trying on perfume

 

36-painting your toenails

 

37-cotton candy

 

38-love letters

 

39-pop sickles

 

40-walking through clover barefoot

 

41-winning the lottery

 

42-getting published

 

43-getting a birthday card

 

44-licking the mixing bowl

 

45-slipping around the floor in your socks

 

46-slow dancing with your love

 

47-a smile

 

48-a look

 

49-a kiss

 

50-candle wax

 

51-watching fire works

 

52-strobe lights

 

53-the ice cream truck

 

54-playing in a band

 

55-sleeping all day

 

56-buying a new car

 

57-pigging out

 

58-candle light

 

59-hot cocoa

 

60-coffee pots with timers

 

61-caramel popcorn

 

62-poetry

 

63-your favorite song

 

64-big screen tvs

 

65-hearing "I love you"

 

66-push up bras

 

67-butterflies

 

68-toe rings

 

69-thongs

 

70-peep holes

 

71-three way calling

 

72-Christmas

 

73-Santa Claus, the Easter bunny

 

74-glueing things

 

75-old photos

 

76-old houses

 

77-vacations

 

78-palm trees

 

79-four wheelers

 

80-diamonds

 

81-silk nighties

 

82-champagne

 

83-a cold beer

 

84-a birdie

 

85-scary masks

 

86-Halloween candy

 

87-Easter candy

 

88-Christmas morning

 

89-new shoes

 

90-the first day of school

 

91-the last day of school

 

92-hot home made chocolate chip cookies

 

93-making love in the afternoon

 

94-making love at night

 

95-love

 

96-a puppy

 

97-holding a baby

 

98-smiley faces

 

99-weddings

 

100-gum