Carol Graham is a Research Director and Professor at the Brookings Institution, University of Maryland. Graham spent time studying happiness everywhere in the world and has published her findings in a book called Happiness Around the World: the Paradox of Happy Peasants and Miserable Millionaires. Her research has brought her to rich countries as well as poor countries, from Chile to Afghanistan, Kenya and the United States.
Carol Graham found that in fact, essential factors determining happiness were very similar in all countries. First of all, she established a correlation between age and happiness. According to her data, it presents itself in a U shape, with the lowest level of happiness being found, in most countries, around 45 years old.
Work also plays a role in happiness. Everywhere she traveled, she found that the unemployed were much unhappier than the employed. Furthermore, in most countries, marriage increased the level of happiness (it wasn't the case in Afghanistan and Russia, which she attributes to the inequalities between men and women).
The fact that the level of happiness in all countries is similar seems very interesting. One would think that people in the Western world are substantially happier. However, because happiness is evaluated within your set of reality, whether you are poor or rich is of little importance. What matters the most is how you compare to others (i.e. what you have compared to your neighbor) and what you are used to.
Graham found that the level of happiness of people who lived in unsafe countries was not affected by that lack of security as much as it would be for people living in a safe place and suddenly finding themselves in a more dangerous location.
Graham found that the level of happiness of people who lived in unsafe countries was not affected by that lack of security as much as it would be for people living in a safe place and suddenly finding themselves in a more dangerous location.
What I find fascinating in this worldwide study is the fact that it really demonstrates the adaptability of human nature, by showing that someone living in Afghanistan, for instance, a country that has been at war for 30 years, can be as happy as someone living in Canada.
Since it is not possible to change your circumstances and your reality, I wonder how it would be possible to get to a state where you would be able to appreciate what you have as if you were not used to having it? Could it be possible to mentally and emotionally stop taking everything you have for granted and start looking at all the beauty around as if you were enjoying it for the first time?
It is undeniable that being grateful for all you have helps, but it doesn't resonate the same way it would if you had never had it in the first place.
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It is undeniable that being grateful for all you have helps, but it doesn't resonate the same way it would if you had never had it in the first place.
If you like this post, pass it along. To receive posts as they're being published, you can either send me an e-mail at alina500daystohappiness@hotmail.com or join the facebook group: 500daystohappiness
2 comments:
aahh..... thanks for that post... it looks like it only gets "happier" from here on in !!!!! (i'm 48)
My worst year is coming up...darn!
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