01 — Finding Happiness
Can we change our levels of happiness ?
Research by Lyubomirsky , Sheldon , and Schkade ( 2005 ) says that our happiness is impacted by three areas [ 2 ] :
• 50 % of our happiness is fixed by genetics ,
• 10 % by our circumstances , and
• 40 % by what we do
Based on this analysis 50 % of our level of happiness could be changed . This means that what we do can really impact our happiness — how we live matters and the intentional activities we undertake in our lives make a difference . Once we know that happiness isn ’ t set in stone , we can discover changes which help to produce greater happiness .
The Hedonic and Eudaimonic approaches to happiness .
There are two different approaches to finding happiness that we explore in 10:10 — Hedonic and Eudaimonic . Simply put , hedonic is about pleasure and enjoyment , whilst eudaimonic focuses on meaning and purpose ( or virtuous living ).
The Hedonic ( HD ) approach to happiness is an easier , and more familiar concept for us to embrace as it focuses on pursuits associated with pleasure and enjoyment . HD encourages the pursuit of things that maximise pleasure and seeks to avoid things that bring about discomfort and pain .
The effectiveness of the pursuit of HD activities alone as the way to find happiness has been challenged . This is due to a number of reasons , including how as humans we soon become used to what we are doing so the impact lessens . Neurons in the pleasure centre of the brain are wired to respond to novel events , and not to fire if the events do not provide new information or experiences .
Often we think that if we had more happy experiences we would be happier , but this isn ’ t the case . Studies have shown that filling our lives with pleasurable things does little to make us happy in the long run . This effect has been likened to a treadmill where we tend to return to the same level of happiness despite the various experiences we encounter , known as the ‘ hedonic treadmill ’. No matter how often we repeat the action we remain in the same place .
The Eudaimonic ( ED ) approach relates to living with meaning and purpose , and doing things that are good and in line with our values . It is about developing our well-being and doing things that make for a good life , which are good for us and for others . The ED approach to happiness suggests that rather than pursuing happiness in and of itself , we should pursue something else of purpose , in other words it should be attained in the right way and connected to higher values ( Belliotti ).
ED is a broad concept that is increasingly finding acceptance amongst psychologists across the world and is based on the question many people ask : Which choices , decisions , and actions do I need to make to increase my happiness , purpose , and fulfilment in life .
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