Chapter 7: Happiness and Well-Being

Learning Outcomes Understand the psychological factors that help define happiness and well-being. Explain how consumer attitudes create barriers to happiness and well-being. Understand how personal relationships can enhance well-being. (continued)

Learning Outcomes (continued) Explain how happiness can be measured to promote a better economic system. Know how to improve emotional and social competencies to improve emotional and social health and well-being. Explain why empathy is contagious and can lead to greater connections to each other and to the natural world for improved overall well-being.

Determinants of Happiness and Well-Being Attitude Social relationships Perception of personal role in life Ability to improve oneself through religious or spiritual experiences Opportunity to learn and grow through educational studies and cultural experiences (continued)

Determinants of Happiness and Well-Being (continued) Attitude Ability to express oneself and enjoy leisure activities Materialistic values are a barrier to well-being Hyperindividualism – Thinking about oneself and ignoring community needs; decreased empathy (continued)

Determinants of Happiness and Well-Being (continued) Having a disability does not prevent this student from experiencing the great outdoors with friends who are happy to assist him as they enjoy a camping trip together. (continued)

Determinants of Happiness and Well-Being (continued) Challenges to understanding happiness and well-being Assumption that happiness comes from achieving something or gaining stuff Ability to achieve effective functioning in one’s life Need to understand the meaning of psychological wealth. Happiness is not based on money. (continued)

Determinants of Happiness and Well-Being (continued) Attitude and health Morbidity – Explains how attitude can ultimately influence our overall health Longevity – Life expectancy (continued)

Determinants of Happiness and Well-Being (continued) Health is measured in 3 ways: The likelihood a person will contract a specific illness How long a person lives after contracting an illness How long a person’s lifespan is likely to be (continued)

Determinants of Happiness and Well-Being (continued) Happier people live longer. Less anxiety, fear, and anger Less depression Long-term depression can lead to life-threatening illnesses and accidents. (continued)

Determinants of Happiness and Well-Being (continued) Need for personal and healthy relationships Need for wealth beyond money Psychological wealth is needed. Money does not necessarily equate with happiness. Financial security in the United States is around $75,000/year, above which people do not get greater feelings of well-being. (continued)

Determinants of Happiness and Well-Being (continued) Flow: a source of mental energy that helps focus attention and motivate action, especially when there is a specific goal.

Ranking Happiness and Well-Being World Database of Happiness (WDBH) In 2010, Costa Rica was found to be the happiest country. Utopia A community that has ideal sociopolitical and legal systems where citizens work cooperatively for the common good. Can you think of any communities that exhibit utopia? (continued)

Ranking Happiness and Well-Being (continued) Happy Planet Index (HPI) Measures what people use (natural resources) against what they get back (well-being and long, happy lives). Measures how efficient a country is in its efforts toward overall sustainability. High levels of well-being are achieved with reduced consumption. (continued)

Ranking Happiness and Well-Being (continued) Gross National Happiness Index (GNH) Measures national progress rather than the economic-only Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Example: Bhutan

Emotional Well-Being Three basic work orientations that relate to happiness in the workplace: 1. Work is not simply a job that pays the bills. 2. Work is more than just a career that is enjoyed some of the time. 3. Work is a vocation or a calling and provides intrinsic satisfaction. (continued)

Emotional Well-Being (continued) Happiness in the workplace Effective and constructive communication between workers and bosses creates happiness. It creates a sense of community. Tribal or social existence gave way to global individualism very rapidly, eroding well-being. (continued)

Emotional Well-Being (continued) A good work/home/community experience requires several emotional competencies: Self-awareness Recognize and acknowledge your emotions and how you react to situations and stresses. Acknowledge your strengths and limits. Have self-confidence. (continued)

Emotional Well-Being (continued) A good work/home/community experience requires several emotional competencies: Motivation Drive to get things done in your life Intrinsic versus extrinsic Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (continued)

Emotional Well-Being (continued) Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. (continued)

Emotional Well-Being (continued) A good work/home/community experience requires several emotional competencies: Self-regulation Managing one’s emotional impulses and connecting them to personal values Social competence How you handle personal relationships (continued)

Emotional Well-Being (continued) A good work/home/community experience requires several emotional competencies: Empathy Emotionally connecting to someone else’s perspectives and experiences Desire to want to help others in need Apathy and antipathy are barriers to community building (continued)

Emotional Well-Being (continued) A good work/home/community experience requires several emotional competencies: Coping with stress Positive relationships and sense of community reduce stress

Social Well-Being Altruism and compassion Altruism – To help and be of benefit to others even if no direct personal benefit exists. People are hardwired to be altruistic. (continued)

Social Well-Being (continued) Instinctive compassion and empathy Sociability is an evolutionary winning strategy for survival. New tribalism may be a strategy for the future. The social norm is toward empathy. (continued)

Social Well-Being (continued) Spirituality Identifying that you are part of the Earth as opposed to seeing the Earth as a commodity. It embraces a holistic ecocentric worldview. A renewed sense of spirituality is taking place in developed nations. Connecting with nature is used in healing and as preventive medicine. (continued)

Social Well-Being (continued) Ecological identity and sense of place Psychological place Social place Political or economic place Biophysical place Social evolution Sense of community and altruism needed to attain an ecologically sustainable society

Esperanza Why do you think the man that Espe is referring to in her story was mad? Why would the transition to a more sustainable society or community create feelings of anger or discontent? What feelings emerge when you think of a city or town near you that is similar or attempting to be similar to Espe’s? Why do those feelings exist?