Dec 20 2009
The Mundane Secrets to Happiness
What makes people happy? First, having their basic biological and psycho-social needs met: enough food to eat, a safe and comfortable place to live, limited stress, a number of supportive relationships, meaningful work (paid or unpaid)….
Second . . . um, here is where it gets complicated. More money? Nope. A more prestigious job? Nope.
So what makes some people happier than others once their basic needs are met? From the science on the topic I am aware of two things. 1) Personality. Some people simply have the genes and neuroanatomy that makes breaking into a smile easier. They generally feel better, whatever the ups and downs of life bring them. Doesn’t matter how their parents raised them; doesn’t matter if they have a god in their lives, etc. In terms of the fine structure of their brain and their balance of hormones and neurotransmitters, it seems they simply have “the right stuff.”
A new nation-wide statistical study on the average happiness levels in US has additionally found this: maybe the “littler things” can add up to a significant degree.
[T]hey found a very close correlation between people’s subjective life-satisfaction scores and objectively estimated quality of life. [source]
Andrew Oswald, of the University of Warwick, and Stephen Wu, of Hamilton College, identified lifestyle factors such as the following as playing a role in the happiness (as measured by a subjective life-satisfaction questionnaire):
precipitation; temperature; wind speed; sunshine; coastal land; inland water; public land; National Parks; hazardous waste sites; environmental ‘greenness’; commuting time; violent crime; air quality; student-teacher ratio; local taxes; local spending on education and highways; cost of living.
It seems that with other things being equal (basic needs met, individual personality), the rainfall your area gets, and a whole bunch of other factors, can influence well-being.
When I first moved to Florida I noticed this about my new area: store clerks and other service providers seemed so much nicer. Sunnier in disposition. Now I know why that may be so. While it is not “something in the water,” it could be a bunch of things in the wider environment that lend themselves to more satisfying life experiences. And so the greater number of genuine smiles and warm words.
But wait, if too many people move to Florida (as is happening) that quality of life could substantially decline. So for the sake of my own future happiness, let me go on record as saying Florida sucks!
