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Have you ever wondered why some people tend to constantly look happier than others? Or if money makes us happy? We certainly have wondered at some point how others have better relationships with their parents, friends, or partners. Until recently, psychologists have largely ignored these kinds of questions. Throughout the years, psychology mainly dealt with depression and rarely with happiness. It was thought that studying happiness is unimportant, even trivial.
The first books on the psychology of happiness appeared in the 1980s. Then, a few professional journals appeared as well. The official founding date of positive psychology occurred in 1998 and Martin Seligman is known as the founder of modern positive psychology. The ideas underlying positive psychology trace back to humanistic psychologists such as Abraham Maslow, however the current field was officially established in the 20th century. Seligman and other positive psychologists believed that psychology in general focuses too much on disorders and deficits, rather than the strengths and factors that will allow people to lead a happy life and increase their well-being. Since 1998, this field has become very popular among psychologists and has gained much attention from the public.
Positive psychology studies factors and processes that lead to positive emotions, virtuous behavior, and optimal individual and group performance. Moreover, it aims to uncover what gives humans motivation and allows them to thrive. This field aims to provide ‘ingredients’ that anyone can add to their life to make it as fulfilling as possible. Positive psychologists argue that both the good and negative aspects of life exist in reality and that what is considered good instead of bad is the presence of wellbeing and meaning. The goal is to develop a greater knowledge of what enables people to thrive, not to ignore suffering. The five components that enable people to flourish are outlined in Martin Seligman’s theory of well-being. They are positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment. It can be beneficial for people to cultivate these five components in order to prosper.
Is happiness important?
Of course it is! Many studies conducted by the researchers on happiness provide findings that reveal that happier people tend to be healthier, have stronger immune systems, build healthier and stronger relationships and be more successful at work. Because they tend to be healthier, they also tend to live longer. Moreover, people usually find happier humans more attractive. It has also been mentioned that happier people make better decisions and are typically more creative.
There is some evidence on heritability of subjective well-being. Twin studies showed that people, as is the case with depression, inherit predisposition for happiness. However, the nature-nurture debate is also present in this topic, and it would be wrong to draw conclusions solely from the results provided by the studies on twins without considering the environmental factors. Very often we can see the headlines on the Internet such as ‘Happiest countries in the world’, or ‘Top 10 happiest countries for this year’ and, in fact, there is some evidence that certain individuals and societies are simply happier than others. It seems that two conditions are essential for national happiness: a rich, stable, and democratic society; and social norms and conventions that regulate the desirability of experiencing positive and avoiding negative emotions. Poverty, as well as great wealth, have more negative than positive influences on the subjective well-being of humans. One thing that all happy people have in common is that they have great true friends.
How to learn to be happy?
There are many simple things that people can do to increase their well-being and become happier. First, it is important not to confuse success with happiness. Moreover, to take control of their lives and schedule, appreciate smaller things in life and be more grateful for the good things in life. Jobs and activities that allow people to engage and use their knowledge and passion seem to be very beneficial.
Psychologists suggest following several practices that can help boost happiness:
- You can keep a gratitude journal for a balanced perspective;
- You can practice mindfulness for a sense of calm and appreciation of the present moment;
- You can catalogue acts of kindness and generosity;
- And you can cultivate an optimistic mindset by recognizing positivity and taking steps to reduce the fallout of negativity.
The aim of positive psychology is to shift the focus from studying personal weaknesses and attempts to correct them to studying our good sides and virtues. Leo Tolstoy said: ‘If you want to be happy – be happy!’, and it may not be as easy, but with professional help and positive psychology practices it might be slightly easier.
By Mila Toncic
mila.toncic01@icatt.it
Bibliography
Positive Psychology. (2023, May 1). Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/basics/happiness/positive-psychology
Furnham, A. (2014, July 31). 50 Psychology Ideas You Really Need to Know.
A.P.E. 
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