Happiness Expert Ed Diener
Everyone wants to be happier. Once we have food, shelter, and basic security, nearly everything we seek in life is driven by a search for greater happiness.
We seek great relationships because positive human relationships make us happier. We seek spiritual understanding because the faith and the promise of a positive after-life are comforting and we’re happier feeling comfortable. We work hard, study hard, and do our best to earn a comfortable income in order to have enough resources to purchase those things we hope will make us happier.
Aristotle summed it up very well over 2300 years ago saying, “Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.”
One of the world’s current foremost experts on human happiness isn’t Dr. Phil, it’s Ed Diener, a plain-speaking, unimposing psychologist who has studied happiness for over 25 years. Diener has authored over 300 publications and served in leadership positions in many prominent psychology organizations. He is a past president of IPPA, the International Positive Psychology Association. Diener’s latest book is Happiness: Unlocking the Mysteries of Psychological Wealth.
So it was with great interest and anticipation that I recently joined the International Positive Psychology Association’s Leadership Series conference featuring Ed Diener.
Why it Pays to be Happy
There’s a reason humans inherently strive for happiness once we’re fed, sheltered, and safe. Happiness is not only good for us, it’s good for those around us. Diener pointed out that on average (this is important) happy people are healthier, live longer, are more productive, have stronger relationships, and are more helpful to others.
Following are summaries of some of Ed Diener’s observations on the studies of happiness.
The Single Most Important Contributor to Happiness
Having a life of meaning and purpose is the most lasting and significant contributor to happiness. Some additional articles on finding life purpose in work and how to discover life purpose.
Marriage, Religion, and Happiness
Though, on average, married people tend to be happier than non-married people, there is a wide range, with (as we all know) some unhappy and some very happy married people. Perhaps happy people tend to get married and stay married (my comment).
The same observation regarding religion. On average, people who have faith are happier than those who profess no faith, but the range of happiness is wide.
On average, having children doesn’t bring greater happiness, but, as above, this is an average. Some people are much happier with children, others are less happy.
Money and Happiness
Demographics, such as levels of education, income, etc. don’t make a great difference in happiness. Though money doesn’t bring happiness, sufficient income for safety, and the basics of living do correlate with happiness. Beyond that, increases in income don’t bring proportionate increases in happiness. You’ve probably heard the statistics on lottery winners - after a year, they’re no happier than they were before winning their millions.
Societal factors are very important. Those who live in societies relatively free of widespread poverty, corruption, and war are happier, regardless of demographics, than those whose lives are impacted by these threats. The helpfulness of your society contributes to your happiness.
Happy people have stronger relationships and give more social support. In fact, a person’s health and longevity are predicted by whether other people can count on them in times of trouble. Being helpful not only feels good, but it’s healthy!
Work and Happiness
What about happiness at work? Several things contribute to a worker’s happiness. Money contributes somewhat, but stronger contributions come from having friends at work, being able to do what you love to do (using your strengths), learning new things, and working in a positive leadership environment.
I welcome your comments on happiness: what makes you happy, what blocks your happiness?
Jerry
