Bias_2012 wrote on Sep 26
th, 2018 at 8:58pm:
More research ... covers quite a few relevant points
What Psychological
Science Knows About
Achieving Happiness
Entrenched in both ancient and modern cultural tradition, the pursuit
of happiness is a popular preoccupation around the world (Diener,
2000). Despite the centrality of this goal, the path to happiness is anything
but obvious, in part because people are notoriously inaccurate at knowing
what will make them lastingly happy (Wilson & Gilbert, 2005). This lapse
in self-knowledge can lead to poor choices, both in the short-term and in
the long-term. After years spent saving for a larger house, trying to achieve
a promotion, or finally being able to retire and move to the beach, individuals
may be frustrated and baffled to discover that lasting happiness
still manages to elude them. To demystify the determinants of happiness, people
seek insight and advice from a vast range of sources, which—
unfortunately—vary tremendously in credibility .......
http://www.sonjalyubomirsky.com/files/2012/09/Nelson-Kurtz-Lyubomirsky-in-press1... Thanks Bias. That is a big read, I will come back to it but i liked the conclusion.
In a relatively short time, psychological science has made great strides in understanding how people can achieve happiness. Using some of the most effective methodologies available, researchers have found that happiness can be attained via simple, cost-effective, nonstigmatizing, self-directed activities,
such as writing gratitude letters or keeping an optimism diary. Although research on happiness has come a long way in the last 2 decades, much more work remains. Future studies should continue to investigate how and why particular
positive activities work to increase happiness and should continue to implement randomized controlled trials to understand the causal role of potential mechanisms or factors. Unfortunately, limited self-knowledge and unwise decision making (e.g., Wilson & Gilbert, 2005), combined with the well-meaning but often misguided claims from the self-help industry, can make the goal of lasting happiness seem frustratingly unattainable. Even for those positive strategies that seem intuitive, such as expressing gratitude, when and how to best enact such strategies is far from obvious. Our research has generated compelling evidence that when implemented correctly, happiness–increasing activities are quite effective at promoting positive and lasting changes. Science shows that happiness is indeed within each person’s reach