The subject of happiness is one that has received a lot of research attention over the past few years, and many of these ground breaking discoveries have been covered right here on Tripping to Reality. Whereas science and research usually try to keep away for subjects that cannot be scientifically defined, surveys have shown that the level of happiness as measured across a wide range of variables has stayed pretty miserable ever since we started measuring it.
The fact that global happiness is is showing such very unsportsmanlike behaviour in an age where technology is finally able to deliver the much advertised benefits of more free time, less hard labor and a general improvement in living conditions, all of them considered to increase our levels of happiness considerably, is probably one of the big factors driving the high level of interest, but it is by no means the only one.
While many people believe that happiness is as easy to find as winning the lottery, experience has shown that happiness is notoriously elusive. So much so that until recently, the only tried and tested way of ensuring happiness was in secular or monastic pursuits, but the usual entry condition that you must give away most of the stuff that you find of value to a charitable cause is not something that has inspired crowds to sign up. The whole idea of attaining happiness though discipline, frugality, meditation, chastity and eternal poverty is not a very tantalizing journey.
Most people argue that such living conditions only work for the zealots who become so pathetic or complacent in this lifestyle of sacrifice that they adopt the role of the one eyed monster in the land of the blind. A good ploy, and guaranteed to lead to some happiness perks, but not nearly the happiness you would expect considering how much you have to sacrifice.
So far, so good, but after all of that we still do not have a formula to take or a pill to drink that is beneficial and work without side effects. Fortunately the scientists observed our pathetic attempts to make a happy life, and with the aid of the latest in technology they started a meticulous investigation, that up to now may not have provided us with the happiness elixir, but quite a good collection of strategies that are almost guaranteed to get you happier at least.
A recent article by the little dumb man actually provide an excellent overview of all these discoveries, and ends by breaking down the various components that make up the happiness of the avarage man in the street. According to Dumb Little Man our total happiness coefficient is made up of roughly 50 percent as a set point determined by our genes, 10 percent by life circumstances—our marital status, our jobs, where we live, and so on--, and the remaining 40 percent by what we do and how we think. That is, 40% of our happiness is determined by our intentional activities and strategies.
A quick calculation of your own spurious success stories will reveal pretty much the same percentages, but even though every single one of us believe that happiness is primarily the result of our environment, the actual influence is a meager 10%! Once again the human ability to make informed decisions prove to be less than helpful.
Lets face it, as a collective we are terrible at calculating odds, and even though history abounds with the failures that result from such calculations, the majority of the decisions that we make is still based on trying to weigh the odds.
I think some of the hesitance to put to practice these easy happiness boosters is that we have given up on ever finding it, and besides, we know that things like meditation work, but its not as easy to do as you were made to believe. And take for instance the old adage count your blessings. That one is so old it has become part of legend and lore and fairy tales, and it doesn't really fit in to a reality that must balance the pressing matters of survival of the fittest, keeping up with the Johns-es, peer pressure and breadline income.
Truth is, most people come up with a dozen or so excuses why they wouldn't give any of the solutions the time of day, and then turn around mumbling about how hard, and how pointless, and how frustrating their lives are.
It behooves me to witness such a large scale of self inflicted misery, but my previous efforts to get friends and family involved in increasing their happiness has resulted in rebound apathy and woe of yet another failure.
Anybody want to help me establish a "Happy Farm", please e-mail me asap.
The fact that global happiness is is showing such very unsportsmanlike behaviour in an age where technology is finally able to deliver the much advertised benefits of more free time, less hard labor and a general improvement in living conditions, all of them considered to increase our levels of happiness considerably, is probably one of the big factors driving the high level of interest, but it is by no means the only one.While many people believe that happiness is as easy to find as winning the lottery, experience has shown that happiness is notoriously elusive. So much so that until recently, the only tried and tested way of ensuring happiness was in secular or monastic pursuits, but the usual entry condition that you must give away most of the stuff that you find of value to a charitable cause is not something that has inspired crowds to sign up. The whole idea of attaining happiness though discipline, frugality, meditation, chastity and eternal poverty is not a very tantalizing journey.
Most people argue that such living conditions only work for the zealots who become so pathetic or complacent in this lifestyle of sacrifice that they adopt the role of the one eyed monster in the land of the blind. A good ploy, and guaranteed to lead to some happiness perks, but not nearly the happiness you would expect considering how much you have to sacrifice.
So far, so good, but after all of that we still do not have a formula to take or a pill to drink that is beneficial and work without side effects. Fortunately the scientists observed our pathetic attempts to make a happy life, and with the aid of the latest in technology they started a meticulous investigation, that up to now may not have provided us with the happiness elixir, but quite a good collection of strategies that are almost guaranteed to get you happier at least.
A recent article by the little dumb man actually provide an excellent overview of all these discoveries, and ends by breaking down the various components that make up the happiness of the avarage man in the street. According to Dumb Little Man our total happiness coefficient is made up of roughly 50 percent as a set point determined by our genes, 10 percent by life circumstances—our marital status, our jobs, where we live, and so on--, and the remaining 40 percent by what we do and how we think. That is, 40% of our happiness is determined by our intentional activities and strategies.
A quick calculation of your own spurious success stories will reveal pretty much the same percentages, but even though every single one of us believe that happiness is primarily the result of our environment, the actual influence is a meager 10%! Once again the human ability to make informed decisions prove to be less than helpful.
Lets face it, as a collective we are terrible at calculating odds, and even though history abounds with the failures that result from such calculations, the majority of the decisions that we make is still based on trying to weigh the odds.
I think some of the hesitance to put to practice these easy happiness boosters is that we have given up on ever finding it, and besides, we know that things like meditation work, but its not as easy to do as you were made to believe. And take for instance the old adage count your blessings. That one is so old it has become part of legend and lore and fairy tales, and it doesn't really fit in to a reality that must balance the pressing matters of survival of the fittest, keeping up with the Johns-es, peer pressure and breadline income.
Truth is, most people come up with a dozen or so excuses why they wouldn't give any of the solutions the time of day, and then turn around mumbling about how hard, and how pointless, and how frustrating their lives are.
It behooves me to witness such a large scale of self inflicted misery, but my previous efforts to get friends and family involved in increasing their happiness has resulted in rebound apathy and woe of yet another failure.
Anybody want to help me establish a "Happy Farm", please e-mail me asap.
