Chapter 6 Happiness Amber Gilewski Tompkins Cortland Community College

What is Happiness?  Means different things to different people  According to Merriam-Webster, happiness is “A state of well-being and contentment, joy, or a pleasurable or satisfying experience.”  We seek things we think will make us happy THE HAPPINESS EQUATION

Characteristics of Happy People  Are healthier and live longer lives  Are more productive at work & earn more money  Are more open-minded, creative, and decisive  Choose more challenging goals  Are persistent and perform better in lab tasks  Show more empathy  Have more close friendships & better marriages

Who is Happy?  Both genders are equally happy  People of all ages show similar levels of happiness  Intelligence, education level, and ethnicity are not significant predictors of happiness  Married people report greater happiness than single people  Actively religious people report greater levels of life satisfaction and health  Once our basic needs are met, income makes little difference in happiness levels

Pursuing Happiness  Don’t confuse well-being with being well-off  Make wise comparisons  Keep a gratitude journal  Discover your flow  Finish what you start & wholly experience it along the way  Find a hobby  Cultivate family ties  Know your neighbors  Volunteer  Practice spirituality