Why are we unhappy living in such a rich age?
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Editor’s note: How to get real happiness? Answer: Work hard. This is not to “lie to you” to kill your boss, because the principle of “working hard to get happiness” is rooted in our evolutionary process. Scientific research has found that the things that people get the most lasting and deepest happiness in life are often those that require effort. Therefore, things like shopping, entertainment, eating and drinking can only give you a short-term happiness, and work hard, although it can be painful when you die with difficult projects or tasks, but when you look back, Can produce long-lasting, great happiness. This article is translated from Medium, author Markham Heid, and the original title is “Hard Work Is the Key to True Happiness (aka, Your Parents Were Right)”, I hope to inspire you.
The 2004 University of Pennsylvania psychologist Martin Seligman tells the story of a lizard who doesn’t eat in his book “Authentic Happiness.” No matter what the lizard was offered—fruit, ground meat, dead flies—it would not eat. But one day, the owner threw a newspaper onto the ham sandwich. Then the lizard pounced on the newspaper, tore it to pieces, and ate the sandwich under the newspaper.
Seligeman wrote in his book: “Lizards have evolved to track, swoop, and shred prey before eating. These actions … are important to the life of a lizard until they participate in eating During the event, their appetite will be awakened. “
Seligman is one of the founders of the Positive Psychology movement, which seeks to understand behaviors or patterns of thought that promote happiness or other positive mental states. He wrote that anecdotes about lizards raise the question: Are there really shortcuts to happiness or contentment? For lizards, the answer is no. It requires effort on its own before it can enjoy something that is essentially pleasing like eating.
Researchers have found that the things that people get the most lasting and deepest happiness in life are often those that require effort.
Seligerman wrote that humans are “much more complicated” than lizards, but we want to bypass the effort and “snap” as much as simple and happy as possible, which may partly explain why people are so comfortable living Times are unhappy. He wrote: “After evolution, our happiness and desire have been linked to a series of actions.” Without these actions, pleasant rewards will have little effect on us.
In modern life, convenience and ease are more important than anything else, and people measure products or services based on these two points. Anything that requires effort is framed as “work” and work is terrible. But researchers have found that the things that give people the longest and deepest happiness in life often require effort.
Historically, these two types of happiness overlap, Frederickson said. Activities that produce a sense of enjoyment, such as sex, laughter, and eating, often complement activities that provide happiness, such as raising children, developing friendships, and getting food. “Pleasure is a springboard to happiness,” she said. But now, there is less and less overlap between the two. Things that can give people an instant, easy and pleasant feeling, such as food, entertainment, shopping and other activities, are no longer the source of happiness.
She said: “Not every happiness has meaning or purpose, such as mad watching Netflix or drink pumpkin flavored latte. But happiness is more important for growth and health.
It takes time and energy to get happiness. Leaf Van Boven, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of Colorado, said: “When we engage in activities that require effort, we do so because They reflect a deeper meaning or sense of mission, not a simple thing. “
Some of his studies examine the impact of spending money on material wealth and how different types of spending affect happiness. He and other researchers have found time and time again that spending money on experiences (especially those that involve others, or those that change or strengthen one’s perception of themselves) is more material than money. Makes people happy.
He said: “People tend to take shortcuts and spend time and money on less strenuous things. But after reflection, people realize that pursuing more life experiences, even if they require effort, they will let themselves Happier. “
This “reflection” process is important. A 2011 study in the Journal of Happiness Studies found that strenuous tasks or activities may reduce a person’s happiness at the time, but when people look back at their experiences, these tasks increase Happiness. Research has found that engaging in a job that people consider valuable or beneficial can lead to satisfaction and, in turn, happiness. Similarly, research from the University of Pennsylvania has found that a sense of accomplishment, perseverance, control, and the process of actively working for personal goals are all related to greater happiness. On the other hand, a 2009 study by Vanderbilt University found that people with depression are generally reluctant to strive for personal returns.
These studies are not meant to tell us that life should be filled with hard work or constant self-improvement. Everyone should have enough free time to pursue “hedonicity”, but we should also make time to do things that require hard work, especially those that make sense to you or allow youThe things that connect with others seem to be an important part of a happy life.
Translator: Jane
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