Stumbling on Happiness

Totally saw this book at the Book Loft today, and regret not buying it! I initially heard about this book in class and so I've been keeping an eye out for it (but..with a reasonable price). 


One of the main points that Gilbert makes is that income does not increase our happiness after a certain point.  More specifically, once one reaches middle class, the relationship between happiness and income greatly diminishes.  However, we have discussed in class that those with really high incomes tend to be happier..but that is at the extreme end of the spectrum.


The main take-away is that more happiness will come from enjoying one's job (being engaged,  feeling psychologically safe, drawing meaning from the work) and having healthy social ties.  

The Secret to Happiness

Quirky psychologist Barry Schwartz reveals the paradox of choice and the secret to happiness.

What I look like when I shop: a hot mess.

The points made by Schwartz can easily be seen in my visits to Forever 21. I walk in, enjoy the atmosphere of potential new wardrobe pieces, then freeze. Why am I trying on so many things? Do I really need all of this? Yes..but in this color?! 


Another interesting and relevant point made in Positive Psychology class was the characteristics of Maximizers and Satisficers.  Maximizers are prone to the 21st century's emphasis on plentiful choices -- the more options, the more time they take to make the choice, thus leading to more regret about the choice. Satisficers will pick the "good-enough" choice, and take less time to pick that choice.  As a result, Maximizers take longer to find jobs and make more money, but are less satisfied with their job. Glad I accepted my first job offer.

New Science of Happiness

The New Science of Happiness

This is one of my first readings required for class and thought it was an extremely interesting introduction to the field. 


Though this was published in 2005, I can still say that here in 2012, the discipline of psychology seems to still focus on pushing an individual to a negative to a neutral state, rather than going beyond into a positive state.  Having taken almost a dozen college-level Psychology courses since Winter of 2009, with a few Honors-level ones mixed in as well, I hadn't heard anything about Positive Psychology until my Health Psychology course this past summer.  The brief mention of this field really caught my attention and thus here I am.


Some of the points that I find more interesting article revolve around the genetic influence of happiness (up to 50% is "genetically programmed") and every individual having a unique happiness set point, much like how we come to stay around a certain weight once we get older, no matter how much exercise or dieting is accomplished.

Positive Psychology

"Positive psychology is the study of the conditions and processes that contribute to the
flourishing or optimal functioning of people, groups, and institutions." - Gable and Haidt, 2005.

Hope you're as happy as this guy.

This blog is being used a helpful means of organization for my Positive Psychology class this quarter.  Having been assigned a few experiential activities that have been proven to make any given individual's life a little bit happier, I want to simply post my attempts and understand any effect on my quality of life. Here goes nothing!