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Category: Happiness
Forget Optimism: The Personality Trait That Actually Leads To Happiness
Around 80 percent of people are thought to be optimists, but does that make you happier?
Around 80 percent of people are thought to be optimists, but does that make you happier?
Realists are significantly happier than both pessimists and optimists in the long-run.
Pessimism and optimism are personality traits that lie at opposite ends of a spectrum.
Realists, meanwhile, sit halfway in between, occupying the middle ground.
Optimists may suffer in the long-term because they are often disappointed.
The regular disappointment can end up being a stronger emotion than the pleasure gained from anticipating positive outcomes.
The most optimistic people are 13.5 percent less happy than realists, the study found.
Around 80 percent of people are thought to be optimists.
The problem for pessimists is perhaps more obvious: they are constantly dreading the worst.
This dread can overtake any benefits gained from things turning out better than expected.
The most pessimistic people are 21.8 percent less happy than realists, the study also found.
Both optimists and pessimists make decisions based on biased false beliefs.
Dr Chris Dawson, study co-author, said:
“Plans based on inaccurate beliefs make for poor decisions and are bound to deliver worse outcomes than would rational, realistic beliefs, leading to lower well-being for both optimists and pessimists.
Particularly prone to this are decisions on employment, savings and any choice involving risk and uncertainty.
I think for many people, research that shows you don’t have to spend your days striving to think positively might come as a relief.
We see that being realistic about your future and making sound decisions based on evidence can bring a sense of well-being, without having to immerse yourself in relentless positivity.”
The study included 1,601 people who were tracked for over 18 years.
They reported their life satisfaction and any psychological distress each year.
People were also asked about their finances and their tendency to over- or under-estimate them.
The results showed that realists were most satisfied with their lives (life satisfaction is a measure of overall happiness, in contrast to momentary pleasure).
The study was published in the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin (de Meza & Dawson, 2020).
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The Personality Trait That Boosts Happiness — Even When You Fake It
Acting out this personality trait makes people feel happier.
Acting out this personality trait makes people feel happier.
Acting like an extravert makes people feel happier — even natural introverts.
Both extraverts and introverts report greater well-being after a week spent being more talkative, assertive and spontaneous.
It is the first study to report the benefits of acting like an extravert over such an extended period.
The study also demonstrates that people who are naturally introverted can enjoy this exercise as much as extraverts.
‘Faux’ extraverts (people who are really introverts) reported no problems acting as extraverts.
Professor Sonja Lyubomirsky, the study’s first author, said:
“The findings suggest that changing one’s social behavior is a realizable goal for many people, and that behaving in an extraverted way improves well-being.”
For the study, 123 people were asked to act like extraverts for one week and introverts for another week.
During the extravert week, participants were told to be talkative, assertive and spontaneous.
During the introvert week, they were told to be more deliberate, quiet and reserved.
People were informed that acting like an introvert and like an extravert is beneficial.
This was to try and dampen the effects of participants’ expectations.
The results showed that people felt better after a week acting as an extravert and worse after the week as an introvert.
The positive effect on well-being is the largest known among happiness interventions.
Surprisingly, acting like an extravert seems to cause people’s personality to shift in that direction.
Professor Lyubomirsky said:
“It showed that a manipulation to increase extraverted behavior substantially improved well-being.
Manipulating personality-relevant behavior over as long as a week may be easier than previously thought, and the effects can be surprisingly powerful.”
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The study was published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General (Margolis & Lyubomirsky, 2019).
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Why Hedonism Is So Important For Your Happiness
Some people know how to enjoy themselves.
Some people know how to enjoy themselves.
Indulging in short-term pleasures is just as important for happiness as self-control.
While self-control is often recommended as the best route to happiness, enjoying yourself in the moment leads to long-term happiness, as well as reducing the chance of depression and anxiety.
Goals like learning a foreign language or getting fit can be rewarding, but sometimes we need to have fun.
People who find it hard to enjoy hedonistic pleasures because they are thinking about what they should be doing instead are missing out.
The study comes in response to a focus in psychology on self-control.
Higher self-control has been linked to all sorts of positive outcomes, along with happiness.
Dr Katharina Bernecker, the study’s first author, said:
“It’s time for a rethink.
Of course self-control is important, but research on self-regulation should pay just as much attention to hedonism, or short-term pleasure.”
For the study, researchers developed a questionnaire designed to test people’s capacity for hedonism.
People who are good at enjoying themselves in the moment tend to agree with statements like:
- “I often do what I feel like doing.”
- “I can follow my desires in the here and now.”
People poor at enjoying themselves agree with statements like:
- “Thoughts about my work sometimes prevent me from enjoying pleasant activities and moments.”
- “I often think about my duties even while I am enjoying a good moment.”
People poor at enjoying the moment tend to get distracted by intrusive thoughts about what they should be doing instead.
Dr Daniela Becker, study co-author, said:
“For example, when lying on the couch you might keep thinking of the sport you are not doing.
Those thoughts about conflicting long-term goals undermine the immediate need to relax.”
The results showed that some people find it hard to indulge in short-term pleasures.
They are also more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety.
None of which is to say that hedonism should be the sole aim of life, said Dr Bernecker:
“The pursuit of hedonic and long-term goals needn’t be in conflict with one another.
Our research shows that both are important and can complement each other in achieving well-being and good health.
It is important to find the right balance in everyday life.”
It can be hard work, though, enjoying yourself, Dr Bernecker said:
“It was always thought that hedonism, as opposed to self-control, was the easier option.
But really enjoying one’s hedonic choice isn’t actually that simple for everybody because of those distracting thoughts.”
One solution for those who find it hard to enjoy themselves is to to set aside specific times for enjoyment.
That way enjoyment is the sole aim of that period of time, hopefully reducing intrusive thoughts about other, more worthy, activities.
The study was published in the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin (Bernecker & Becker, 2020).
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