The psychology of happiness
November 7, 2011
WXVT CBS:
Everyone wants to be happy. The pursuit of happiness is such a basic human drive that the Founding Fathers included it in the Declaration of Independence.
Researchers have found that there are real benefits to being happy. Happiness leads to:
- Better health and longer life
- Better relationships
- Greater success at work
- More ethical behavior
The problem is, people aren’t very good at predicting what will make them happy. Winning the lottery doesn’t do it. After the excitement wears off, lottery winners are no happier than non-winners. Wealth isn’t the key. Once you have enough money to take care of your needs, having more won’t make you much happier.
Maybe what we need to do is look at happy people. What can we learn from them? Most important, can we become happier?
Read the whole story: WXVT CBS
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