by Ed Diener
What Do You Mean By Being Happy?
There are many types of happiness. Happiness can include optimism and joy, but it also includes feelings of calm and harmony. This is why subjective well-being researchers try to take a broad view. We are interested not only in the specific emotions that make up happiness, but also in how these emotions work together as a constellation. We are interested, for example, in the way that positive and negative emotions balance one another, and in how strongly each of these emotions is felt. Although happiness is beneficial, some forms of happiness may be less so, and some forms of negative emotions may be more helpful than others.
Take the case of feeling positive emotions very intensely. Although extreme emotional highs feel good, they are generally not where the action is in terms of the optimal level of happiness. Some studies show, for instance, that people who are prone to intensely positive feelings are also more likely to experience intensely negative feelings. These folks are just intense people, and the price they pay for their joyful exuberance when things are going well is the intense anger or depression when things go poorly. Of course, we all experience the occasional highs that come when we get married or receive an unexpectedly large end-of-the-year bonus, but this sense of euphoria rarely lasts. Those individuals who chase emotional highs, and view excited, euphoric emotions as synonymous with happiness, endanger themselves. These folks set themselves up for failure because it is difficult, if not impossible, to stay intensely happy.
Our physiology and psychology are not built to produce or handle constant euphoria. People who chase continual emotional highs will usually fall short because the biological cards are stacked against their being able to sustain this emotional intensity. In the quest for continuing intense positive emotions, some individuals turn to drugs such as methamphetamines and cocaine. In addition, euphoria-chasers may run some health risks as well. Just as the physiological arousal associated with chronic stress takes a toll on health, so too can the sustained arousal of intense positive emotions.
We recommend that people think of happiness in terms of mildly pleasant emotions that are felt most of the time, with intense positive emotions being felt occasionally. If you feel fairly energetic and upbeat most of the time on most days, and are generally satisfied with your life with only the occasional complaint, you are, by our definition, happy. Some of us will feel more intense emotions and some of us less intense emotions due to our different temperaments, but frequent positive emotions should be the goal, rather than continuing intense highs.
Do Worry, Be Happy
When one of the authors, Ed, had a dialogue with His Holiness the Dalai Lama in front of an audience of thousands, he showed the esteemed monk the quote from Flaubert that says that to be happy, one must be stupid. The Dalai Lama laughed aloud, and said that some happiness is definitely stupid happiness. It is silly to be happy when a bear is chasing you, and some people are indeed happy in a shallow, unthinking way. Thus, although His Holiness counsels happiness, he does not counsel blind, thoughtless pleasure. Although he recognizes that negative emotions are very often harmful, he does not recommend constant exuberance for no reason whatsoever. Although the first enemy is stress and depression, we must also be wary of "stupid happiness."
Even when things are going well, there can be a negative emotional snake hiding in the grass. Research on goals and emotions conducted by Eva Pomerantz shows that there may be some hidden psychological trade-offs associated with the pursuit of achievement and success. Working toward goals is good for happiness, and happiness in turn is beneficial to our personal strivings. However, Pomerantz's work suggests there is more to the story. In her study, Pomerantz noticed that the more heavily individuals invested in personally important goals, the more people worried about achieving them.
Consider some goals that are personally important to you. Perhaps you want to start a home business, or write a meaningful toast for your parents' anniversary celebration, or catch a plane with a tight connecting time. Chances are, in each case, you will experience a degree of stress related to performing well and achieving your goal. The more heavily you invest in success, the more stress you are likely to feel, although the amount of worry will also depend on your temperament. This is another case where some amount of negative emotion can motivate us to do a good job. If you take the view that everything will always turn out all right regardless of what you do, you may not prepare enough.
People have successful home businesses because they do sweat the small stuff, give memorable toasts because they take the time to prepare, and make their connecting flights because they scurry, not amble, across the airport. The upside to all this is that the more heavily people invest in their goals, tolerating some stress along the way, the more happiness they experience when they are successful. This might be why there is such a thing as "eustress," positive stress, in which people feel stress in combination with positive emotions. Indeed, we have found that in nations that are relatively higher in both stress and pleasant emotions, there also tends to be high life satisfaction.
The research presents an interesting quandary. If the pleasant feelings of happiness serve as motivators, why are people willing to tolerate the stress involved with challenging goals? Why don't we just throw our hands in the air and choose easier, less anxiety-provoking aspirations? The answer lies in the fact that, for most people, happiness is not their only goal. Giving a touching, humorous, and wellreceived toast can be a worthwhile pursuit, regardless of whether some anxiety is involved. In one study, it was shown that kids who are working toward important goals achieve more joy when they achieve those goals, but they also experience more worry about those goals. The psychologist Maya Tamir has investigated this same phenomenon and found that people are often willing to experience a wide range of affect - both good feelings and bad feelings - if those moods will likely lead to final success. That is, most folks are generally willing to accept a little worry and guilt in pursuit of other worthy goals. Furthermore, it might be that our creativity is higher when we experience both positive and negative moods, not just positive ones. In one study on the workplace, positive emotions predicted creativity. But employees who had positive emotions and some negative emotions, in a supportive work environment, were the most creative.
We acknowledge that stress keeps us alert and helps us navigate safely through rush-hour traffic. We understand that a bit of performance anxiety can be just the motivator we need to prepare a terrific presentation at work. The mild stress that motivates us to take on challenges has been called "eustress." Thus, the pursuit of happiness is much more than hectic grasping at a feel-good emotion. Instead, most folks want to pursue just the right amounts of happiness, and at the appropriate times and places. However, not all negative emotions are the same. Both Australian and Canadian researchers have found that depression lowers life satisfaction more than worry does. Stress that is accompanied by uncontrollable events, such as the fatal illness of a child, is not so likely to be beneficial.
Conclusions
Some people are sick and tired of positive psychologists trying to make them happier. One woman with cancer objected loudly when overly positive friends told her that her cancer would be a "great learning experience." Kind of like when your sewer line gets plugged and your toilet flushes back into your bathtub during a party, and this is just one more growth experience. There are better and worse ways to cope with these misfortunes, but some people object when every misfortune is labeled as a happy opportunity. Some things are good and some things are bad, and it makes happiness into silliness to deny this.
Psychologists have rarely discussed optimal levels of happiness, or whether it is possible to be too happy. For the most part, people in the psychology profession have been focused on helping those unfortunate souls who suffer from depression, chronic anxiety, or frequent anger. But psychologists have, on a few occasions, argued against putting undue emphasis on simply being happy.
Martin E. P. Seligman,
the founder of the positive psychology movement, is a notable exception. According to Seligman, happiness is more than just living a pleasurable life full of titillating conversation, delicious food, and soothing massages. He encourages people to look at other aspects of happiness, including living a meaningful and engaged life, that do not always feel good in the short term but that ultimately deliver lasting satisfaction. He suggests that sometimes to achieve life satisfaction and meaning, we must sacrifice some pleasant feelings and even experience some negative feelings. The trade-off is worth it, however, because long-term satisfaction, engagement, and meaning are worth the price of occasional negative feelings along the way. Although high life satisfaction is considered to be a good thing, chronic euphoria is not a desirable goal.
The psychologist Robert Schwartz maintains that there is an optimal balance between positive and negative thinking, with some negative thinking being necessary for effective functioning. Emotions are like a gas gauge, giving us important feedback about what is happening on the road of life - many miles of smooth driving or a sputtering loss of power. But for those people who strive only for positive emotions or those individuals who encourage you to be ever happier, it is like having the gas gauge stuck on full. Anyone who has driven a car with a broken gauge knows that it is missing vital feedback. It is good to not have an empty tank, but it is also good to have a gauge that accurately shows us how much gas we have.
The Mona Lisa gives us a hint about the desirable level of happiness. Scientists recently computer-analyzed the emotions expressed in this famous lady's face, and concluded that she is 83 percent happy, with about 17 percent negative emotions such as fear and anger mixed in. Interestingly, we find that people who are happy, but not perfectly so, do well in many domains of life. Perhaps Leonardo da Vinci was onto something, and the widespread appeal of his famous painting may be due to the fact that his lady projects the look of success. Think about a frowning Mona Lisa who looks distraught; probably not someone you would want to date. But a superhappy smiling-face Mona Lisa might look like a cheerleader - fun, but possibly superficial. A happy Mona Lisa might look like she would be fun at the beach, but maybe not wise enough to run a country. Positive emotions are beneficial, but a few negative emotions can help us to be more fully functioning individuals. Thus, our admonition: Be like Mona Lisa! We don't mean feel negative emotions 17 percent of the time - that is probably a bit too much in most circumstances - but allow yourself to feel them sometimes, against a backdrop of mostly positive feelings.
Do not let others, including the authors of this book, dictate your level of positivity. Happiness, like spirituality, is partially a private pursuit, defined by individuals based on their personal values. Be wary when people tell you to live for the moment, to strive for an exciting life, or that you ought to be happier. Maximize your psychological wealth, and this will mean occasionally experiencing a few negative emotions. Decide for yourself what your optimum level of happiness is, keeping in mind that being in a frequent mild good mood is functional, and negative emotions, so long as they are felt only occasionally, can be helpful too. Then enjoy pursuing the goals and values that are important to you.
13
Living Happily Ever After
A major theme of this book is that happiness does not just feel good, but that it also is beneficial to success. We can function well when we are happy, and chronically unhappy people tend to fail at the important tasks of life. When we are in a positive mood, we tend to interact better with others, think more creatively, and have more energy. We are not talking about acting cheerful or giddy - we are talking about being in at least a mildly positive state. Happiness is good for you, and those around you:
• Those who are engaged and happy at work on average are better workers.
• Happy people tend to have more and closer friends.
• Happy people seem to have better health on average, and live longer.
• Happy people are more pro-social in trusting and helping others.
0 Happy people have more peaceful and cooperative attitudes.
Thus, the take-home message of this book - the point we very much hope sticks with you - is that happiness is worthwhile because it can be very beneficial! It will not only help you feel good, but will make you more likely to succeed in social relationships, spirituality, work, and health. In short, happiness is a vital, useful life resource that you need to cultivate. It will add greatly to your overall psychological wealth. And the good news is that happiness is something you have control over. Of course, there are some things that affect your wellbeing over which you have only slight control: for example, your genes and the society around you. Many things, however, you have direct control over - your attitudes, choices, and activities - and these have a substantial impact on your happiness. For example, spiritual emotions, such as gratitude and compassion, can be developed with practice; they are under your control. Although you may not be able to simply will yourself to be happy, you can with practice learn to stand tall in terms of well-being. In tough times, of course, we need the help of others - our family and friends, and perhaps even a therapist or coach. Happiness need not be a lonely endeavor; others are there to help and to be helped by us.
Psychological wealth is like a multivitamin: it helps us in several ways. It is not magic and won't cure all our problems, but it has tonic effects. Just as a multivitamin can promote health and prevent illness, psychological wealth can help with success in many different areas of life. Psychological wealth won't automatically give you everything you want, but it is your best shot at the life you value. And without it, other aspects of your life won't mean much. When people raise their children, it is typically their aim to give them the ability to be psychologically wealthy. Most folks try to instill a sense of value, advocate a spiritual approach to life, attempt to inculcate a positive attitude, and emphasize the importance of social relationships. Schools, youth television programming, and children's literature all share clear messages that speak to the importance of the various aspects of psychological wealth. When we plot our own lives, psychological wealth should similarly be our overarching goal.
Happiness is good for you, but you don't necessarily need more of it, any more than you necessarily need more vitamins. Are you happy enough? If you were happier, could you function better, or as well? Just because people write books about happiness and tell you to be happier doesn't mean that many of you are not already happy enough. And it is important to consider the different types of subjective well-being when you consider whether more happiness is better. For example, you might want more satisfaction with life, but feel good about the amount of positive emotions you experience. Or you might want more work satisfaction, but feel very good about your marital satisfaction. Thus, wanting to be happier requires you to carefully consider what type of happiness it is that you desire to increase.
Toward the Happy Society: National Well-Being Accounts
Most programs, books, and workshops about happiness focus on individual well-being. They make promises about and provide steps for achieving more happiness on an individual level. But if happiness is so beneficial, shouldn't there be some discussion about widespread happiness? Shouldn't we be having a collective conversation about raising the well-being of whole societies? Just as antismoking campaigns are not simply about getting individuals to quit smoking, but are also about promoting community and environmental health, we can also talk about whole societies flourishing emotionally. We need national accounts of well-being to parallel national economic accounts, because societies take notice of things that are measured. When measures are available, societies try to take steps toward improving numbers that are too low. If we have a measure of poverty, for example, as a nation, we tend to pay attention to it. If we assess the number of divorces in our society, we can discuss whether or not it is a matter of concern. When figures are published measuring our schoolchildren's success in different subjects, the attention of politicians is
grabbed when the figures are disappointing.
What might we monitor in national accounts of well-being? There are many policy-relevant target groups that we could examine if we had national accounts of well-being. We would be able to track, for example, whether kids are happier or less happy than they were in the past, and which kids are having problems. Are our children becoming more stressed or depressed? Are there segments of the child population who are flourishing? People harbor opinions about the quality of life of contemporary children, but without national data it is difficult to arrive at useful, firm conclusions. We could also track which workers are engaged, and which ones hate their work, and why. Another question is whether there are pockets of misery, for example certain ethnic groups, that require societal concern. Are there groups related to policy discussions, such as caregivers of the elderly, who are miserable, and could profit from organized services, such as adult day care for their patient? Are there activities, such as commuting, that are causing increased stress and lower life satisfaction in modern societies?
Most people in industrialized nations score above neutral on measures of happiness; however, high stress and burnout also characterize many people in modern societies. Many are not engaged at work, or are often bored and stressed. Thus, even though the majority of people are above the neutral point of overall happiness, and in at least the slightly positive zone, for many people there is still much room for improvement. Many people can be happier and more engaged at work; many children can enjoy school more, and depression among kids is a major societal concern.