Последњих година видели смо експлозију научних истраживања која тачно откривају колико су позитивна осећања попут среће добра за нас. Знамо да нас мотивишу да тежимо важним циљевима и превазилазимо препреке, штите нас од неких ефеката стреса, блиско нас повезују са другим људима, па чак и спречавају физичке и менталне болести.
Ово је учинило срећу прилично трендовском. Наука о срећи направила је насловнице Тиме , Опрах , па чак и Тхе Ецономист-а , и изњедрила је малу индустрију мотивационих говорника, психотерапеута и истраживачких предузећа. Ова веб локација, Греатер Гоод , садржи отприлике 400 чланака о срећи , а њен родитељски блог је посебно посвећен подизању срећне деце .
Јасно је да је срећа популарна. Али да ли је срећа увек добра? Може ли се осећати превише добро икада бити лоше? Истраживачи тек почињу озбиљно да истражују ова питања, са добрим разлогом: препознајући потенцијалне замке среће, омогућавамо себи да је дубље разумемо и учимо да боље промовишемо здравије и уравнотеженије животе.
Заједно са мојим колегама Ирис Маусс и Маиом Тамир, прегледао сам нова научна истраживања о тамној страни среће, а ми смо спровели сопствено истраживање на ту тему. Ове студије су откриле четири начина на које би срећа могла бити лоша за нас.
1. Превише среће може да вас учини мање креативним—и мање безбедним.
Испоставило се да срећа има цену када се доживљава превише интензивно.
На пример, често нам се говори да срећа може отворити наше умове да негујемо креативније размишљање и да нам помогне да се ухватимо у коштац са проблемима или загонеткама. То је случај када доживљавамо умерене нивое среће. Али према мета-анализи односа између расположења и креативности Марка Алана Дејвиса из 2008. године, када људи искусе интензивне и можда огромне количине среће, више не доживљавају исти подстицај креативности. А у екстремним случајевима као што је манија, људи губе способност да користе и каналишу своје унутрашње креативне ресурсе. Штавише, психолог Барбара Фредриксон је открила да превише позитивних емоција — а премало негативних емоција — чини људе нефлексибилним пред новим изазовима.
Не само да претерана срећа понекад брише своје предности за нас – она заправо може довести до психичке штете. Зашто? Одговор можда лежи у сврси и функцији среће. Када доживимо срећу, наша пажња се окреће ка узбудљивим и позитивним стварима у нашим животима како бисмо одржали добар осећај. Када се осећамо срећно, такође имамо тенденцију да се осећамо мање инхибирано и већа је вероватноћа да ћемо истражити нове могућности и ризиковати.
Узмите ову функцију среће до крајности. Замислите некога ко има неодољиву жељу да се бави само позитивним стварима око себе и преузима ризике огромних размера. Можда имају тенденцију да превиде или занемаре знакове упозорења у свом окружењу, или да предузму смеле скокове и ризичне кораке чак и када спољашњи знаци сугеришу да је добитак мало вероватан.
Људи у овом повећаном режиму 'претеране среће' се баве ризичнијим понашањем и имају тенденцију да занемаре претње, укључујући прекомерну конзумацију алкохола, преједање, сексуални промискуитет и употребу дрога. У студији из 1993. психолог Хауард С. Фридман и његове колеге открили су да деца школског узраста која су родитељи и наставници оценили као „веома весела“ имају већи ризик од смртности када их прате у одраслом добу, можда зато што су се бавила ризичнијим понашањем.
Сви ови резултати упућују на један закључак: срећа је можда најбоља када се доживљава умерено – не премало, али ни превише.
2. Срећа не одговара свакој ситуацији.
Наше емоције нам помажу да се прилагодимо новим околностима, изазовима и приликама. Бес нас мобилише да превазиђемо препреке; страх нас упозорава на претње и укључује наш систем припреме за борбу или бекство; туга сигнализира губитак. Ове емоције нам омогућавају да задовољимо одређене потребе у специфичним контекстима.
Исто важи и за срећу—помаже нам да тежимо и постигнемо важне циљеве и подстиче нас да сарађујемо са другима. Али баш као што не бисмо желели да се осећамо љуто или тужно у сваком контексту, не би требало да желимо да доживимо срећу у сваком контексту.
Као што је психолог Чарлс Карвер тврдио, позитивне емоције попут среће сигнализирају нам да су наши циљеви испуњени, што нам омогућава да успоримо, одступимо и ментално се зауставимо. Зато нас срећа заправо може повредити у такмичењу. Истраживања које је спровела Маја Тамир открила су да су људи који су срећни имали лошије резултате од људи који су љути када су играли такмичарску компјутерску игрицу.
У мојој сопственој лабораторији открили смо да су појединци који доживљавају срећу у неприкладним контекстима – као што је гледање филма о малом детету како плаче или оне сцене из Трејнспотинга када Јуан Мекгрегор копа по одвратном тоалету прекривеном изметом – били у већем ризику од развоја емоционалног поремећаја маније.
Џош Госфилд/Корбис Срећа има своје време и место — није прикладна за сваку ситуацију!
3. Нису све врсте среће добре за вас.
„Срећа“ је један термин, али се односи на дугу различитих укуса емоција: неке нас чине енергичнијима, неке нас успоравају; неки чине да се осећамо ближе другим људима, неки нас чине великодушнијим.
Али да ли све врсте среће промовишу ове предности? Изгледа да није. У ствари, нијансиранија анализа различитих врста среће сугерише да неки облици заправо могу бити извор дисфункције.
Један пример је понос, пријатан осећај повезан са постигнућем и повишеним друштвеним рангом или статусом. Као такав, често се посматра као врста позитивне емоције која нас тера да се више фокусирамо на себе. Понос може бити добар у одређеним контекстима и облицима, као што је освајање тешке награде или добијање унапређења на послу.
Међутим, моје истраживање са Схери Јохнсон и Дацхер Келтнер открива да када доживимо превише поноса или поноса без истинских заслуга, то може довести до негативних друштвених исхода, као што су агресивност према другима, антисоцијално понашање, па чак и повећан ризик од поремећаја расположења као што је манија. Рад који је у току у мојој лабораторији, коју води дипломирани студент Хилари Девлин, подржава примамљиву идеју да позитивне емоције усредсређене на себе, попут поноса, заправо могу да ометају нашу способност да саосећамо или да заузмемо перспективу друге особе током тешких емоционалних времена.
Закључак: Одређене врсте среће понекад могу ометати нашу способност да се повежемо са онима око нас.
4. Трагање за срећом може вас заправо учинити несрећним.
Није изненађујуће што већина људи жели да буде срећна. Чини се да смо тврдоглави да трагамо за срећом, а то је посебно тачно за Американце—то је чак укорењено у нашој Декларацији о независности.
Ипак, да ли је трагање за срећом здраво? Револуционарни рад Ирис Маусс недавно је подржао контраинтуитивну идеју да тежња за срећом заправо може проузроковати више штете него користи. У ствари, понекад, што више људи тражи срећу, чини се да су мање способни да је стекну. Маусс показује да што више људи теже срећи, већа је вероватноћа да ће поставити високе стандарде за срећу - а затим бити разочарани када тај стандард није испуњен. Ово је посебно тачно када су људи били у позитивном контексту, као што је слушање оптимистичне песме или гледање позитивног филмског клипа. Као да што се више труди да доживи срећу, то је теже да се заиста осећа срећним, чак и у иначе пријатним ситуацијама.
Моје колеге и ја градимо ово истраживање, које сугерише да је потрага за срећом повезана и са озбиљним проблемима менталног здравља, као што су депресија и биполарни поремећај. Може бити да тежња за срећом неке од нас заправо излуђује.
Како пронаћи здраву срећу?
Али како тачно можемо постићи здраву дозу среће? Ово је питање од милион долара.
Прво, важно је доживети срећу у правој количини. Премало среће је једнако проблематично као и превише. Друго, срећа има своје време и место, и човек мора да води рачуна о контексту или ситуацији у којој доживљава срећу. Треће, важно је успоставити емоционалну равнотежу. Човек не може доживети срећу по цену или на рачун негативних емоција, као што су туга или бес или кривица. Све су то део сложеног рецепта за емоционално здравље и помажу нам да постигнемо утемељенију перспективу. Емоционална равнотежа је кључна.
Коначно, важно је тежити и искусити срећу из правих разлога. Превише усредсређености на тежњу ка срећи као самој себи може заправо бити самопоражавајуће. Уместо да ревносно пронађемо срећу, требало би да радимо на томе да прихватимо наше тренутно емоционално стање, какво год оно било. Чини се да права срећа долази од неговања љубазности према другима — и према себи.
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This is an interesting and controversial article. I love stuff like this. First of all I do believe that too much happiness can be unhealthy, in a sence that too much water is unhealthy. you can die from too much water but it has to be gallons at one time. I think that just like a relationship if you don't argue every once in a while then how are you going to know you truly love the person and care for them. As human beings we need different emotions, happy, sad, frustrated, infuriating; Without these emotions we can not love because we dont know what is good and what is bad. With the persuite of happeness i think the article pined the nail on the donkey with that one, as for everything else, i think they did not word it properly.
As I read comments that criticize the article, I generally agree: problems with definition of happiness, over-emphasis on mania, surprising and I think challengable link to excessive risk choices because "happiness" might block mindful self-care.
At least one comment mentions a general feeling of "contentment" as a description of what might be meant by "happiness", and this resonates with me. Others might add "feeling in harmony with oneself and relationship to larger world". Still others might add "feeling a general personal confidence about oneself in relationship to larger world."
One negative aspect of "happiness" I was surprised to *not* find is mentioned, but not developed. This is a link between an individual "happiness" and reduced ability to empathize. The possibility of such a link is worthy of thought.
The culture has been through a few decades of individuals pursuing personal development, with emphasis on "individual" and "personal" . In general, to my observation, this has been an excellent development. People have come to better understand themselves, have identified 'blocks', have repaired and healed with much good outcome.
As part of this self-discovery, self-help, movement, concepts of "happiness" and "positive thinking" have been emphasized and linked. "Happiness requires the practice of positive thinking." Both happiness and positive thinking have, to my observation, been treated without clear definition. Definitions are *assumed*, but unexamined. I'm going to focus on positive thinking as it may relate to reduced empathy.
To my observation - a *segment* of self-development enthusiasts practice "cultish devotion" to positive thinking. "Cult-type" emphasis includes advice such as "avoid exposure to negative thinkers or negative ideas" .
Those attached to what I characterize as cultish devotion, commonly believe that *any* life difficulty that has no immediate practical solution can be overcome by re-framing. Talk of possible causes of suffering that might be related to society's paradigms, institutions and policies lacks "bliss appeal".
Anyone offering socioeconomic political analysis may be "judged" as a negative thinker offering negative ideas. Descriptions of historical and current dynamics of power, wealth, racism, etc. are seen as unpleasant and toxic to personal well-being.
In relationship at a more personal level, cultish positive thinkers may claim they cannot "connect to" what they hear when an individual describes suffering and need. They may genuinely want to be helpful - but they can't imagine addressing human misery beyond a "make lemonade from lemons" solution.
My description of cultish devotion to positive thinking in pursuit of personal well-being (therefore a state of happiness), is incomplete. I've tried to briefly introduce "issues". The cultishness has been examined by social analysts - Barbara Ehrenreich's "Bright Sided - How Positive Thinking is Undermining America" grew from her experiences coping with cancer. She connects the dots - cancer is the experience from which she examines a wider trend. As an analyst and critic, of course, Ehrenreich can be dismissed as a "negative" thinker! http://www.barbaraehrenreic...
It seems I've "used" this article to sound off on an aside theme that I find important. The title of the article, after all, is "Four Ways Happiness Can Hurt You", not "How Pursuit of Happiness Can Reduce Empathic Capacity Within a Society". Hampered empathy is only briefly mentioned, but it caught my attention, and my study of human behavior has led me to believe lack of empathy from "happy" folk may be linked to cultish practice of "positive thinking".
I've been involved in "people watching and social criticism" for much of my life. My criticism springs from a powerful optimism about human potential! In fact, I believe conditions as we enter the 21stC "demand" that we apply valid ideas on personal happiness to community wellness, that we expand changes on behalf of personal well-being to include changes in dysfunctional institutions and policy. We learn of institutional and policy dysfunction through empathy (belief of another's struggle) and critical, analytical, examination of issues and power dynamics. Research and intuitive common sense both confirm that "felt" individual well-being depends on community context. Small personal communities always exist within larger socioeconomic political communities - of more complex dynamics. More on this can be found in the work of Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett, found at http://www.equalitytrust.or....
[Hide Full Comment]mr Stanford of today's daily was annoyed. ms Tippett, doesn't know even smallest provocation that made Standford behave such uncontrolled behavior. you know, I didn't do anything bad. So why frightening again. The saddest thing is that Ms can't guess why you write that but she can understand you are annoyed. Review the causes please instead using force or strangling an innocent miss. She doesn't know car accidents or anything bad happened to you but she understands that you felt pain which she didn't cause. if it is that small statements "woman spoke up"which she apologized, accept apologies. If you would like Ms completely truss in you, you have to talk where you believe she doesn't. It is simple and if you continue spinal things, you are forcing a Ms to become Mr. Ms really feels that you have some type of pain but she didn't cause-trust her.
@Jeanine, am listening please. thank you
Pursuing happiness is not "BEing happy".
You are doing a disservice to people by this article.
Emotions are a sense, like taste, touch, smell, hearing and seeing.
Emotions come in response to thoughts.
They also provide guidance from your "Higher Self".
Your Higher Self sends you a message that says "that is the right direction" when you think a thought that feels better than the last thought you thought.
When your new thought feels worse the message is "You're going the wrong way now. Turn around."
It is as simple as this and not listening to the guidance is never the right choice.
@travelmmn:disqus pursuing happiness doesn't cause the two. I posit there can be relations like my case where happiness is pursued in dread. What do you think, they need to pursue? Some are said need marriage, some doctors, some divine. What do you think, Travelmmn?
The assertion that research suggests that pursuit of happiness is associated with serious mental health problems, such as depression and bipolar disorder implies that pursuing happiness causes these disorders, but I would hope researchers would look into causality. I would posit that people with depression or bipolar disorder are more likely to pursue happiness, as they feel this is what they lack, which would lead to this association, not the other way around.
@3f80abfeff1e02b26cdef8954007e98c:disqus it was not wasted time. It was to knowledge and others might benefited it.
Thank you
As I was reading this, all I could think about was how wasteful is to spend so much time THINKING about why happiness is not good instead of just going out and living your life and stumbling onto little happy moments betwixt and between the others. And then remembering to appreciate them instead of stopping to ask yourself if this is a happy moment or is this a moment that's not really good for me. I think too much thinking about it sorta ruins the whole experience.
today's dailygood got me right. I remember operating a store of scientific research age 17. Mine wasn't nuclear but animals esp insects. My big problem was how I could keep people away from the store of the study. I was exactly like Taylor because the word "can't" I don't believe. Hazmat team and arrest isn't known and never liked. It is always good to make understandable because one might cleaned family's contaminated for may be another family.what is the other please?catastrophic result? that is scaring and is not known. well, Taylor is with you and feels sorry for your time. Well, Washington can't say 'get this very small to die or to live with it for being honesty and stupid awesome."
The story interested me I had forehead and eyes pain I thought Computer caused but didn't feel while I was reading today's daily.
Thank you
@Kayee, well, I give my definition to the website of last night. Didn't it publish? I wrote a lot of explanations. And happy people connect people around them. but if happy people are busy on things they don't. it is a meaningful question. @be276523f26ecbd80bf429fabaafa852:disqus , I followed the link but mbs ended anyway it was interesting how the guy talked. I will update unlimited internet. West striving materials, they are right because I one time tried a woman near her car. she was standing and I was practicing accent I just copied from a movie. So I wanted to greet her yet she saw me before. She just looked very innocent and changed the direction. I was really embarrassed because my intention wasn't to cause inconvenience. I then thought of how such issue could be addressed. I started a work. The work then threatened my well-being and sucked my savings. I then asked myself, do I deserve? I then continued not knowing realities because money lost in good is good. This story is not meant to provoke anyone because the story of the woman happened 2010 there was also another woman in swimming pool and another woman who worked in embassy they all seemed to not feel comfortable.
[Hide Full Comment]Thougha man who I met in consul was not displeased. He even joked. So the NGO work started this way- it is real.
My belief is that joy is all of it ...the very fact that we can experience all the emotions and can be at choice as to how we respond is joyful empowerment. I like the whole notion of leading a happy, engaged and meaningful life...irrespective of current circumstances. My radio program presents a holistic and integrated approach to wellbing, tapping into the sugnature strengths, multiple intelligences and using the art of improv ( acting) to be in the moment. www.planetaudio.org.nz/radi...
The article completely misses the point about happiness. Happiness is never achieved by pursuing it. Achieving goals and material wealth gives a temporary feeling of well being but true happiness comes from within. The West seems obsessed with material gains and success believing when they have been achieved one will be happy but when one reaches the goal we change The goal Suggest listen to TED talk by Shawn Achor VERY FUNNY AND INFORMATIVE Check out this amazing TED Talk:
Shawn Achor: The happy secret to better work
http://www.ted.com/talks/sh...
I have never met a person who is constantly in a happiness mode. Most people that I had ever, met seem to have a range of emotions. This sounds like an article one had to write to get their name on something just to say they have something in print. What is the writer's definition of happiness? I would think contentment would be a very nice goal in life and would create a balanced life as well. This could also be described as happiness. Can a happy person really be hindered to connect with those around them, Really?
@facebook-100002669703787:disqus we always do many things but we have to balance them. No one can be 100% good. but what I know is that the more we try to be good the more we are.
I posted a comment to http://smartliving365.com/?...
about happiness am not sure if it waits published.
This article caught my eye because it follows the kind of "too much good is bad" scare tactic of a lot of healthy living articles.
I really relate with the part about the pursuit of happiness. I've always been the ambitious type, people-pleaser, cheerful host. Almost my whole life, I've poured my energy into APPEARING happy to make other people around me feel good, to make other people around me feel like I had everything under control and the world on my side.
Especially once I began Health Coaching as a career, I wanted people to see that I'd figured it all out and was living the dream life. Behind closed doors, though, I was super stressed, I was binge eating sweets at night, I was feeling like a failure and a fraud, and was deeply UNhappy.
It took a lot of work and opening to see how I needed to take time and energy to nourish myself, relax and feed my own soul. I was giving and working way too much - trying to be a happy success - and starving myself of the stuff a happy life is made out of in the process. I didn't need all the sugar I was craving - I needed more sweetness in my life! Ahhhh...
[Hide Full Comment]what else can i say. it is all a bulk of good writig and composite combination of intellectual make-up. just really likes it.
I believe it is better to BE happy than to PURSUIT happiness. Being happy means for me, being content with my life, appreciating what is around me and experience life every second as a great gift and chance. This also includes changing things that make me angry. Enjoy your lifes, everyone! It is the only one we've got.
I agree that the blind pursuit of happiness can be problematic--that's because we often have opposing definitions of what it really means. That's why I wrote a blog post that defines happiness in a way that makes it more sense of well-being than just a giddy emotion...if interested, here is a link to the article.... http://smartliving365.com/?...
great science. I was one of the people who were know excited all the times. I was and I like to be happy always. Well, I agree to be more happy can make one loose creativity and loose the idea of making development. As I said I overdrive happiness but if am to employ a worker I would prefer one who doesn't overdrive happiness. I understood mine 2005 I then decided to remain middle at schools and workplaces and when free or a lone I like to look what interests me or pleases me. I had 5 face books where I followed events different names. Most of my friends I meet personally and some of them I follow facebook and they don't know am following them. Because they comment and expect me to socialize with them and I can't. So I understood I might open facebook once in a month , they would think am not respecting them.
I try what I want to do and if I fail I feel like I need to be nowhere. That is why I decided to live earth as a famous person or a rich. Without the two I I can't say life is worth. If someone I had been saying good many years broke me one minute I finalized that people harm.
The person I blogged first than any other thing. I was helpless more than anyone else my tears told me. I also seen sadness and I can tell when people are sad esp anger caused is very bad. So happiness is best only few people can take my pleasure but no one can return because advice only helps me to be to know something. My feelings are only solved by me. this is why I can be very happy while I should not. I have some skills to remain happy but some people can take it easily because I don't have defensive enzymes if people know me.
I am very kind. And sometimes some woman cry but really you can learn it is a kind of advertisements and achievements affects people life.
Thank you
[Hide Full Comment]This is the first time I have ever seen an absolutely ridiculous article on one of my favorite sites (Daily Good). Just one of the many things in it that made no sense was "People in this heightened ‘happiness overdrive’ mode engage in riskier behaviors and tend to disregard threats, including excessive alcohol consumption, binge eating, sexual promiscuity, and drug use."
People who are happy do not engage in " excessive alcohol consumption, binge eating, sexual promiscuity, and drug use." That type of behavior is what people who are seeking a way to hide from their unhappiness engage in.
I drink no alcoholic beverages, eat a healthy vegetarian diet of 1200 - 1400 calories a day (I'm 4'8"), am celibate and use no recreational drugs. When I have a day that I am feeling down, I simply examine what I am feeling and what is going on in my life and use a variety of spiritual practices to rebalance myself, supplemented with a healthy dose of laughter yoga as needed. No, I am not running around giggling hysterically all day but my normal emotional state ranges between calm contentment to a sense of quiet joyfulness.
My impression of this article is that the studies were done on (if not by) very emotionally unhealthy people and are not at all representative of the type of happiness that is a normal part of the daily life of someone who lives a healthy lifestyle and engages in daily spiritual practices.
Please Daily Good, think twice before posting an article like this again. I think it does a disservice to your readers.
[Hide Full Comment]I found this article confusing and focusing more on 'mania' then anything else. Happiness is a personal thing and most times cannot be 'measured'. I find studies like this (in my personal opinion) to be a waste of time. Any study can be made to say whatever you wish it to say, depending on the outcome you are looking for.
I do agree that to feel 'too much' happiness takes one out of balance. I am more interested in balance, not just 'happiness'.
This is interesting...there is a Russian writer named Vadim Zeland who wrote the "Reality Transurfing" books in which he describes the downside of creating what he calls "excessive potentials" The book is eaoteric in every way, but so much of what he says makes sense and reading this article made me think of his books. At Manifesting Greatness we are always walking that fine line of wanting something but always from a place of knowing it is already there (otherwise we are putting out the vibration of lack, which then is matched by the outer factual world). It is so fascinating how this external outer world is constantly reflecting back to us our inner state of being, the question is are you working to manipulate the outer world by seeking happiness outside yourself, or is the quest one that starts from, and unfolds from, within. The only way "happiness" could possibly be bad for us is because we've forgotten its ultimate source
Thanks for the article, I found it really encouraging! It is good to be reminded that the acceptance of the whole of life is where we find balance. Also, I am reminded of a church seminar I attended a few years ago which was titled 'The Pursuit of Happiness?' The main lesson I got from that seminar was that happiness is not so much a goal, but more a side effect of a balanced and holistically healthy life, of which conciously treating other people as you would like to be treated (aka kindness!), is an integral part. I remember thinking as a child that if everybody looked out for everybody else then everybody would be looked after - I find it hard to argue with my ten year old logic, now I just have to remember to keep my end up in the grown up world, where not everyone plays by that rule!
instead "of pursuing happiness
itself"..i find that acknowledging that i am part of the greater whole of
life and at once and the same a unique being (i am) gives me the courage to believe in my self and my
reason to be “here.” This opens the path of seeking the "genie" the gift we are all born
with that we are wired to share with the world. This whole vision thinking
creates a happy that thrives on the risks taken in “true direction” and opens
our minds to new possibilities as we grow into our “beingness” As this
resonates with "knowing" - a thought
emotion convergence zone nestled physically in the core - you know it when you
feel it!! Getting past our cultural boundaries is the hardest part; the old
beliefs are always ready to pull one under. Acknowledge and look for solutions that are beyond the "down"
As you bring your gift forward, your strength and happiness expand, it is so worth it! Then be grateful…thank the universe for the dance!
Just experiment, see what unfolds.
[Hide Full Comment]Maybe I'm not seeing what the definition of happiness is in this article? I consider myself happy, most of the time. And I equate that with being content with my life. I trust people until I am proven wrong, I try to see good in everyone, and sometimes that is difficult. I also try not to judge and criticize, and sometimes that's pretty difficult too! But all in all, I like my life, and I think I'm pretty happy with it.
This article is poorly thought out and a real disappointment. If there are different kinds of happiness, why save that for point 3? It would make more sense to identify them at the outset and discuss how they may differ and create different challenges. Really, this reads like an off-the-cuff meandering across the topic, not something to be taken seriously.