Some Curious Facts About Happiness
One of the most curious things about happiness is that it’s difficult to define. It’s recognized as a state of joy and fulfillment, but this description falls rather short. For instance, could we say that a person under the influence of a psychoactive that generates a happy feeling in them is really happy?
Furthermore, the triggers for this feeling of fulfillment and joy vary greatly from person to person. However, there are certain situations that could be said to universally provoke exultant happiness. Like falling in love. That’s another of the curious facts about happiness. It’s completely subjective.
Everyone has experienced this wonderful feeling at some point but, under normal conditions, it’s only temporary. Occasionally, it lasts a little longer but the truth is that you can’t keep it at its maximum level for too long. Let’s take a look at some more curious facts about happiness.
“ Those who wish to sing always find a song ”.
-Swedish proverb-
Three ways of producing happiness
According to a study carried out by the University of Groningen (Netherlands) and published in Plos ONE, music changes perceptions and emotions. This research also mentions a curious fact about happiness. It suggests that happy music produces joy. It also favors the ability to recognize happiness in the faces of others.
Another factor that increases happiness is sports. In fact, experts agree that physical activity increases the production of serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins. All of these substances contribute to a good mood.
Another famous study conducted by Northeastern University (USA) suggests that two ingredients are needed for happiness. The first concerns filling your life with new and fulfilling experiences. The second is valuing what you have over what you don’t.
Factors that keep happiness away
Just as there are elements that encourage happiness, there are also others that keep it away. Research from the University of Maryland (USA) sustained over 30 years, indicates that the more television a person watches, the unhappier they are. By contrast, those who spend their time reading and socializing are happier.
On the other hand, a report from the University of Ulster (Ireland) suggests that, for some reason, boys tend to be unhappier than girls during childhood. Or, put another way, gender influences the feeling of joy during childhood, which is rather disconcerting.
In contrast, the same report indicates that, on average, women are happier than men, until the age of 47 years. From then on, most men report feeling happier, while women begin to feel dissatisfied. Of course, there’ll be many exceptions to this particular rule, but it’s still an interesting fact.
More curious facts about happiness
One of the topics that usually comes up when talking about happiness is money. In this respect, we may well ask the question, how much money does it take to feel happy? A study published in Nature Human Behavior gives an answer. It seems that it depends on which country you live in. However, in general, wealthy people need more money to be happy, while poorer people are happier with less.
Evidence exists to suggest that happiness is, indeed, contagious. Apparently, being around happy people increases your chance of feeling happy by 15 percent. This is in relation to friends. If it’s someone you don’t know, your happiness may increase by six percent. In any case, the point is that it never fails: happy people, by the mere fact of being happy, make others happier.
Another curious fact about happiness is that it relates to age. In fact, in general, people over 65 are happier than those in the 18-24 age range. This is easily explained by the fact that young adults must face many decisions and challenges in their life, unlike older people.
Finally, there are several studies that show that feeling happy is a factor that prolongs life. Indeed, people who define themselves as happy get sick less often, and they also seem to age more slowly. In addition, they tend to spontaneously choose healthy lifestyles. This fact alone should invite you to try and be happier every day.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Lipovetsky, G. (2007). La felicidad paradójica (p. 190). Barcelona: Anagrama.