…things, whatever their number, contribute surprisingly little — somewhere between 8 and 15% — to our sustained happiness. Variables such as age, education, health, income, personal appearance, and even climate are ineffective at overriding our genetically determined set point.
…external factors have little impact on our level of happiness…our brains…turn out to be amazingly adapable to both good and bad circumstances…scientists can observe neurons firing most urgently to new stimuli; once nerves habituate to a situation, whatever its nature, they respond less…lottery winners …[or]paraplegic from an accident…Within a year after the event that changed their lives, they were pretty much back to their earlier level of happiness. That holds just as true for less dramatic conditions, says Lyubomirsky [professor of psychology at U of CA-Riverside and one of the originators of the happiness formula.] “If you make a stable change — …buy a bigger house… — you’ll get used to it after a while and return to your set point. It works the opposite way as well, which is why daily hassles make people very unhappy. You never get a chance to adapt because the conditions are constantly changing.” Liz Seymour
I don’t know whether this can be seen as good or bad. Good, if you are going through tough times, because you can hold onto the idea that a sense of normal will return, even if time doesn’t heal all ills, despite the adage. Bad, if you were really hoping that what you hoped for would do the trick on a permanent basis.
But isn’t it better to be aware of this than not to be and then be surprised when our highs aren’t sustained as we had thought. It takes some work to stay on top.
The same parameters that would seem to keep us at a certain happiness set point are the same parameters that lead to progress for all of us. After all, if we were happy and content with the status quo always, we’d still be in caves. A certain level of discontent and unhappiness leads us to find new solutions to old problems.
It’s the daily hassle thing we have to watch out for.
Sometimes I think it is similar to changing a channel on TV. We don’t watch a program we dislike. We shouldn’t have to think a thought just because it appears on the horizon of our consciousness. After a point, dismiss it or turn to something else to think about. Which is, of course, sometimes easier said than done, especially if we haven’t trained ourselves to do that — or didn’t realize we could.
Not so surprisingly finding things to be grateful for contributes to our happiness. Of course, sometimes I just don’t want to go there, say, if I’m mad…but eventually I do, and I do feel better. More about that (and what scientists find for those who do that) after a couple more parts.
Karin
Originally posted 2007-09-22 07:26:42.
Related Posts -
FOTD Review: E.L.F. cosmetics This is a little more of a made up look than I've been wearing lately, but it is really the same amount of product. I could tweak it with a little glitter on my lips,... -
FOTD Friday Fyrinnae eyes + lips Life in the fast lane with end of year school projects (for the mom!) and etc. are putting me behind in posting my FOTDs. It helps to have lovely makeup to make you feel and... -
When do you know a friendship is over? The loss of some friendships hits at a visceral level. On the other hand some friendships just kind of drift away from lack of contact or interest(s.) When growing up, I had serial best friends.... -
FOTD AL eyes NYX lips I was happy with how this turned out. Eyes: Base: Beauticontrol pink, then my sparkly mix Crease: AL Grape matte Tight Lined top and wetlined lower: Clarins Midnight Flash pencil -- love this, too bad... - Ranting and raving a little bit on Town and Country Fall Fashion issue First, I love Town and Country magazine. It is easy to read, usually has some great fashion and jewelry in it, and very little health issue info which is prevalent in a lot of other...
Related Websites - Some Inexpensive Consumer Products Bad for You? Is it the âNanny Stateâ trying to protect you from every little thing that might hurt you, or is it real? It depends on who...
- Lesson Learned - Accepting A Freelance Project With A Very Strict Budget. Even if you do think you can complete the project on time within the budget, spend some extra time figuring it out. Case in point,...
- Ready for a vacation I'm usually ready for a vacation, but lately the itch to go traveling has been worse than normal. I keep finding all these great deals...
- how to be a good partner to a stay-at-home spouse You may not realize it, but being a good spouse to a stay-at-home parent is a hard job in and of itself. There are few...
- linklings, economic end game edition photo credit: Shiny Things I have been working in the financial services industry for several years now, and times are getting grim. Bear Stearns is...
- Flora, Fauna, Nature Topical Specialty Stamps
- VI Return of the Jedi Star Wars Science Fiction Collectibles
- Nature Contemporary 1940-Now Photographic Images Collectibles
Categories:
0 comments ↓
There are no comments yet...Kick things off by filling out the form below.
Leave a Comment