A countdown of the top ten factors
determining happiness.
(..the only notable omission being 'Sunshine'?)
10: A short memory
The ability to forgive & forget, & to go with the flow, is frequently cited by researchers of centenarians as being a key factor in their ability to live to their 100th birthday.9: Exacting fairness
People derive more happiness from scenarios that result in a perceived fairness for everyone involved, even when this fairness goes against self-interest or comes at some personal cost. Apparantly, the reward centers in the brain light up in situations where people are treated equally.8: Friendships
Extroverts are supposedly happier than introverts, also living longer. Having a wide social circle is a major factor when considering levels of happiness, & is an often-cited explanation as to how certain people live to a substantial age.7: Spirituality
Multinational studies show a strong correlation between religious affiliation & self-reported levels of life satisfaction. Increased involvement in a spiritual circle often means more friends, a wider support network & a larger degree of hopefulness.6: Thinking ahead
Happiness is strongly associated with the ability to accurately project what will make us happy in the future. Studies support the idea that we enjoy thinking ahead because it’s often a daydream in which we are at our most successful. Furthermore, because imagining the future & what actually happens in that future are often at odds, many people derive far more happiness from the anticipation of a future event than the actual event.5: Developing a skill
'Live it, don’t buy it'. This is especially relevant in the modern world, where instant gratification can be purchased, but only to a point. By devoting time & effort toward specific skills, we develop the rich experiences that make life meaningful.4: Personal control
To some extent, control equates to happiness. While we might find pleasure by happenstance, satisfaction arises through the conscious decision to do something.3: Defining success
Self-referential people see themselves as the marker. They care about their own performance, not how they measure up compared to that guy over there…. The only competitor is the self.2: 'Good' genes
According to studies of twins & adoptees, about 50% of happiness is determined from birth, based on a genetic 'set point'. Even if we were to win the lottery, within a year or so we would adapt to the change in circumstance & revert back to whatever our previous level of happiness.1: Liking yourself
Liking oneself is arguably the principal characteristic of happy people. They have good self-esteem, think highly of their own intelligence, they consider themselves to have firm ethical standards & to have far fewer prejudices than others. It’s been revealed in study after study: happy people like themselves.From mint.com
