The field of Positive Psychology pioneered by professor Martin Seligman is just over ten years old. Prior to his declaration that psychologists should study what works in life, including the factors that produce happiness and success, almost all research focused on mental illness and dysfunctional personalities.
Positive Psychology unleashed waves of useful scientific wisdom, including the conclusion that happier people tend to live longer, healthier lives, make more money, and do better at work. Thus, pursuing happiness is not simply self-indulgent pleasure seeking. It’s a good strategy for attaining a more meaningful and productive life.
A particularly interesting line of research proves what poets and philosophers have said for centuries: money can’t buy happiness. In fact, for most people even winning the lottery produces only temporary pleasure. After about a year, most lottery winners are no happier than they were before.
More surprising are studies that show that despondent and hopeless feelings caused by sudden tragedy also are short-lived. A study of adults permanently paralyzed by injury showed that after about a year, most regained the level of happiness they had before they were paralyzed.
What’s at work here is the capacity of the human psyche to adapt to pleasure and pain. Thus, playboys and party girls, thrill seekers and drug users all find that the intense enjoyment their activities once generated loses potency over time. In the same way, most people get used to disabilities and chronic pain. At least they become more manageable and free the mind to enjoy other things.
Tomorrow I’ll talk about what does produce real happiness.
This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.