In the Pursuit of Happiness
Chasing the elusive prize.
As a species, we spend a lot of time chasing happiness. Some of us do so to escape negative emotions or difficulties in our life, others because they think that something “better” must be out there if they just try hard enough to find it. Many people think that financial success will make them happy. and that’s not entirely wrong. Financial security offers relief from many of life’s stresses, but is that really happiness?
The definition of happiness: an emotional state characterized by feelings of joy, satisfaction, contentment, and fulfillment.
It seems that one of the keys to being happy, ironically, is to stop trying to be happy. When searching for happiness is the ultimate goal, it can actually produce a different kind of stress. We may feel more anxious and depressed because we are setting unrealistic expectations of what might be achievable. Turns out the pursuit of happiness can actually make you unhappy.
Enter the Blue Zones of Happiness. Did you know there are scientists whose research focuses on the happiest places in the world, the so-called blue zones where people tend to live the longest and report the highest levels of happiness?
Dan Buettner is such a researcher and the author of the book The Blue Zones of Happiness: Lessons from the World’s Happiest People. Buettner talks about “the 3 P’s of happiness”: Pleasure, Purpose, Pride, as the fundamental sources of happiness. He uses the examples of three people from Costa Rica, Denmark, and Singapore, each of them exemplifying one of the three strands. While at first glance the three strands seem quite different from one another, they are often braided together in the lives of the world’s happiest people.
Costa Ricans in particular seem to have figured out the pleasure strand. They don’t overwork, spend a lot of time socializing with family, friends, and neighbors, tend to have a nutrient-dense plant-forward diet, and have a healthcare system that prioritizes preventative care. They are good at creating happy moments every day without needing special occasions.
While the Danish pay high taxes, what they get in return is invaluable: excellent healthcare, free education, one of the world’s lowest disparities between rich and poor, great senior care, just to name a few. All of these factors cut down on the stresses we all might feel in our everyday lives. They prefer riding bikes over cars, are good at carving out time for family, socializing, and doing the things they enjoy. 19 out of 20 Danes are members of clubs or associations, and 30% regularly volunteer in their communities. And of course, they live the concept of “hygge”, which means creating cozy environments. They live with a sense of purpose.
Singapore happens to have the highest health-adjusted life expectancy in the world. They have the world’s lowest rate of cardiovascular mortality and the best healthcare system. As a group Singaporeans are highly successful, community-minded, principled, gracious, and sociable. In just over half a century, tiny Singapore has transformed from essentially a fishing village to one of the cleanest, healthiest, longest-lived, wealthiest, least corrupt, and happiest countries in Asia. It is a system that aspires to meritocracy, where a good education and a good job are available to all. The vast majority of Singaporeans report feeling safe, trust one another, and brag about having the best food in Southeast Asia (29 Michelin star restaurants and food stands). Singaporeans are proud of their country and their lifestyle.
So, what’s the takeaway?
According to Buettner, happiness pretty much boils down to four things a person needs:
1. Something to do.
2. Someone to love.
3. Something to give.
4. Something to look forward to.
If we can have each one of these things on a daily basis, it makes for a pretty productive and fulfilling day. And isn’t that a happy thought?
Sources: wellsanfrancisco.com, The Blue Zones of Happiness