Kyla Miller: A Writing Portfolio

A Little Bit of Both?

 

We’re Confused: More is Better Theory

 

Why is it that happiness has such conflicting views and results? People just can’t quite seem to figure this out. Well, Easterlin believes he’s found a way to explain happiness in his study. After first reviewing existing research, he comes to the conclusion that the set point model is questionable because marriage, divorce, and serious disability can have a lasting effect on happiness and don’t just deflect the normal person above or below their set point (much like Dr. Lucas suggested). He then goes on to a study that analyzed survey data that tested the set point hypothesis as well as the “more is better” theory from economists. He argues that the more things we have at our disposal (money, etc), the more we increase our hedonic adaptation and social comparison. People, he argues, underestimate the affect that these can have on our happiness, so they chase goals that give us more “things”, which make us feel like we should be comparing ourselves. This leaves less time for nonpecuniary ends like family life and health. The reduction in these things then leads to a reduction in happiness. Essentially, he argues that we don’t know what we need to be happy, and by chasing what we THINK will make us happy is actually making us LESS happy (Easterlin, 2003).

 

So, wait, he’s saying that money and fame can’t buy us happiness? YES! And this is why most people don’t reach their true potential for happiness…we’re chasing the wrong things. What we really should be doing is trying to increase the quality of our relationships with others and finding our own inner peace. It’s only then that we will be able to reach our true happiness potential.

 

So what can be done to increase our own happiness? Two researchers put it all together to come to a conclusion that’s somewhere right in the middle. They say that happiness is a combination of a lot of things, genetic and within our own lives. But the best way that we can increase our happiness is through our daily actions. Let’s take a look at these two studies that do a great job of digging through the research and coming to a balanced conclusion based off relevant studies and previous research.

 

The first study we’ll look at analyzes the proportion that genetics, circumstances, and actions take in our overall happiness. This study by Lyubomirsky, Sehldon & Schkade aims to identify how chronic happiness is maintained over time. They first identify each of the three categories of happiness, then they look into how adapting certain practices can increase happiness relative to other categories (namely, genetics and circumstances). They were able to find that using dynamic processes and happiness-specific actions can offer the best opportunity for sustainably increasing happiness. They conclude that, although there’s no way to guarantee complete happiness, people can make positive changes in their life and become happier people despite their genetics and life circumstances (Lyumbomirsky, Sheldon, & Schkade, 2005).

 

Snowballing off that theory is another that focuses on similar dynamics, nature vs. nurture. Nature would be referring to your genetically predetermined “set point” of happiness, while nurture would be your life circumstances and your daily actions that you take that either increase or decrease your happiness. Dr. Lykken argues that although people are reasonably happy most of the time, people can still determine their own happiness within a relatively wide limit. The difficult part is that people are so misguided about what will truly make them happy (much like the “more is better” theory previously discussed). This study found that the things that make us truly happy are the most simple and easily accessible to the majority of individuals. The things that we think will make us happy, which really have no bearing on our long term happiness, are illusory. The study showed that people with high IQs are not happier than the rest of the population, and neither are those who are rich and famous. He then discusses how major life events will create peaks in happiness, but only for a month or two. After that period, people will return to their previous level of happiness, within a very wide range. His suggestion is for individuals to become an “epicure of experience” by learning to think about and savor each moment (nurture), despite what nature has given you (Lykken, 1999).

 

Well, there you have it. It’s a little bit of nature, a little bit of nurture, and maybe even a little bit of chance. But one thing that is certain is that taking positive life actions is the best shot to increasing happiness. So, let’s take a look at the ways in which society has caught on to this trend of self-improvement.