For centuries, scientists have asked how we can live longer, but only relatively recently have they started asking how we can live happier. The field of happiness research first emerged in the 1970s, coalescing from a nebulous constellation of other disciplines. Now that it’s fully formed in its own right, the pioneers of the field recently gathered to reflect on the past half century of happiness research, publishing the results in the Journal of Happiness Studies.
Importantly, this wasn’t a rigorous empirical investigation. Instead, it was a kind of summary of a confab of first-in-their field pioneers who dedicated their lives to studying mental well-being, and even applied some of the lessons they learned along the way. Altogether, 13 happiness researchers (and some family members) with a collective 600 years of experience contributed to the conversation.
Read more: “Does Life’s Happiness Have a Shape?”
First and foremost, the researchers stressed that establishing and maintaining supportive relationships is the biggest contributor to happy life. “Happiness emerges from a symphony of factors, but if I had to pinpoint one secret to happiness, relationships with other people might be it,” study author Lara Aknin of Simon Fraser University explained in a statement. Accordingly, several of the pioneers said they had consciously tried to maximize the time they spent with loved ones.
Money, it turns out, is also important, but only up to a point. While the researchers agreed that everyone needs to have their basic needs met, accumulating wealth far beyond that leads to diminishing returns. According to the team, finding meaning in work aligned with your values was more important to living a happy life than the monetary compensation for it.
But if you’re left unfulfilled by your life or just predisposed to bitterness, there’s some good news: Your psychological well-being is more like a journey than a permanent state, and you can take steps to change it. The team says current models of happiness suggest only around 10 percent of your disposition is due to life circumstances. As much as 40 percent is related to “volitional activities,” or how you choose to spend your time.
“That leaves a lot of opportunity for people who may be more innately pessimistic to start practicing research-backed strategies like meditation or gratitude that might help them see the world in a more positive way,” Aknin explained.
Enjoying Nautilus? Subscribe to our free newsletter.
Lead Image: hmorena / Shutterstock
