Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Living Well with the Carrie Connection

Would winning the lottery make you happy? Not likely.

According to David G. Myers, a happiness researcher, money does not buy happiness. Rich people are no more happy than people with average incomes. Older people are no less or more happy than young people. And men have no advantage over women.

So who is happy? Only about 10 to 15 percent of Americans identify themselves as truly happy. Certain inherited personality traits, such as extroversion, agreeableness and conscientiousness, are related to happiness. However, in the right situation anyone can be happy. Mikhaly Csikszentmihalyi has observed that people are most satisfied with life when their work and leisure life provide them opportunity to use their skills.

Somewhere between the anxiety of being overwhelmed and the apathy of being bored is the ideal mix called "flow." Happy people have flow. They are appropriately challenged in ways that they are able to personally contribute.

Happiness has also been linked to meaningful relationships. Individuals who are happy are supported by close relationships with family members, friends and fellow employees. Such relationships help fulfill our need to belong to something bigger than ourselves. The network of friends and family also provides an opportunity to help or be helped.

If we are to maintain the healthy balance in life known as flow, we will eventually need help from others. Perhaps this partly explains the finding that married individuals, male and female, are on average happier than single individuals.

Finally, happy people are more likely to be involved in a faith community. A Gallup survey found people who responded with the highest scores on spiritual commitment were twice as likely to declare they were very happy.

Other research has suggested those with deep religious faith are less vulnerable to depression and more resilient during times of crisis.

Meyers notes that religion is usually practiced communally, involving "the fellowship of kindred spirits" and "the bearing of one another's burdens."

So, if happiness is your goal, forget the lottery tickets. Instead, take a friend to lunch. Help a fellow worker or set your sights on a challenge and enjoy the experience. Look to your network of friends and family, and at home and work use your skills to make a difference.

Here are some references for additional information:

M. Csikszentmihalyi (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. New York: Harper & Row.

M. Csikszentmihalyi (1999). If we are so rich, why aren't we happy? American Psychologist 54, 821827.

D.G. Myers (2000). The funds, friends, and faith of happy people. American Psychologist 55, 54-67.