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Talkback is a
regular feature in laterlife.com run by
journalist and author Helen Franks.
Welcome to talkback 76
Read Helen's views and ideas, then add
your own by emailing her on helen@laterlife.com.
Whatever your opinion on the subject under
discussion, Helen wants to hear it.
If you would like to suggest future
topics for talkback, please email Helen with
the details. And remember you can also start your own
forum discussion thread by visiting the laterlife cafe
The key to happiness
Which is more important for happiness – people who begin
with a happy disposition or people who are happy because of
their circumstances? Genetics researcher David Lykken looked at
4000 sets of identical twins and compared their levels of
contentment with fraternal twins. He concluded that 50% of
happiness is in the genes.
But you can cultivate your own happiness, it seems.
Enduring happiness is not what most people think it is. It is
not something that just happens, not something that can be
bought, and has little to do with prosperity and wealth (though,
as the saying goes, it’s better to be rich and unhappy…).
People who counted their blessings – you have to write
down three to five things for which you are thankful – had more
satisfaction in their lives than people who didn’t, according to
research from the University of California.
And then there are the five acts of kindness per week,
which also increase happiness. They can be anything from helping
someone get on the bus to seeing a neighbour regularly who is
housebound. Appreciating friends, cultivating tolerance and
learning to forgive are also important for happiness.
And exercise, walking in or looking at the countryside,
gardening, experiencing the smells of flowers are all aids to
happiness and they boost the immune system too.
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, who has devoted his life to
studying happiness, thinks that appropriate challenges are the
key at the various stages in your life.
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi thinks that the most obvious
component of happiness is intense concentration. Music, art,
literature, sport come into this category, whether you are
reading a poem or building a sand castle or singing out loud or
just listening and being involved. And of course, being
challenged. His book, Flow: The Classic Work On How To
Achieve Happiness, sums up these ideas.
Is positive thinking a fool’s game or does that negative
outlook really soften the blow if things turn out badly?
Researchers put these ideas to the test by surveying over 80
students about their outlook -- good or bad -- on life.
Afterwards, they were given computer-based puzzles to
complete, then asked how well they thought they would perform on
a second set of problems. Those who expected to do badly, and
did, felt far worse than those with a better attitude who
thought they would succeed, though they didn't in fact. Optimism
works.
Richard Layward, whose book, Happiness, Lessons from a New
Science, cites several components that make for – or
against – happiness. Divorce, unemployment, lack of social trust
are bad indicators. Belief in a higher deity and being a member
of a non-religious organization are good indicators.
He also says that comparisons are odious, spreading
discontent, if not misery, and wants to discourage the
Protestant work ethic (or at least, excessive working hours) by
increasing taxes.
So there you have it. Be thankful for your lot in life,
cherish friends and neighbours, concentrate on appropriate
challenges and count your blessings.
Previous Challenge Talkbacks
Reinventing retirement
How not to go doo-lally in later life
Doing Things for
Others
Time for Discovery
Raising money together
Thinking about the sixties
Helen would still like to hear your views
Don`t forget to take a look at Helen`s healthwise column
too
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