If It Makes You Happy
The largest contributor to happiness is the genetically determined set point (or set range). According to KM Sheldon, Sonja Lyubomirsky and David Schkade (Pursuing Happiness, 2003),”The set point likely reflects immutable interpersonal, temperamental and affective personality traits, such as extraversion, arousability and negative affectivity, that are rooted in neurobiology,… are highly heritable… and change little over the lifespan.”
Current estimates suggest that this genetically determined set range accounts for around 50% of an individual’s happiness.
In general, married, well paid, secure, healthy and religious believers are more likely to report themselves as being happy.
Ed Diener and Shigehiro Oishi (Money and Happiness, 2000) surveyed 7167 students across 41 countries. Those who valued love more than money reported far higher life satisfaction scores than those who seemed to be money focused.
The correlations between such variables as money, job security, marriage, etc. and happiness are relatively small. Sheldon et al argue that in total all circumstances account for only around 10% of the variations in people’s happiness.
Schkade and Daniel Kahneman (”Does living in California make people happy?“) show that whilst “living in California” was an appealing idea for many Americans, it didn’t actually boost long run happiness. That is to say, people living in California were about as happy as other Americans on average. So whilst moving may provide a temporary increase in happiness, it is soon adapted into the perception of the “norm.”
David Blanchflower and Andrew Oswald (Money, Sex and Happiness, 2004) find that sexual activity enters strongly into happiness equations.
People are happiest when they achieve their aims, so set yourself goals which stretch you, but are achievable.