What Makes Us "Happy"?

by WiredBerries Editors — October 23, 2007

Harvard psychologist Dan Gilbert and renowned author of Stumbling on Happiness says that contrary to popular belief, getting what we want in life isn't a necessary ingredient for happiness. In fact, happiness may be simpler to attain than most of us are making it out to be. We tend to think that accomplishing worthwhile things, taking a trip around the world, or obtaining desirable material possessions will make us happy. But Gilbert says studies simply don't support that conclusion.

So, if getting what we want doesn't make us happy, then does having lots of choices make us happy? Not really, says Gilbert. Based on research, those who have multiple choices actually tend to be less happy than those who have limited choices!

Here's an example of how that works. During a particular experiment conducted in Gilbert's Harvard lab, he offered a photography course. Students were told to take pictures on campus of anything that they wanted to preserve as a memory. Afterwards, students had to select the very best two shots, which were then printed out and into large, high-quality prints. Once these two favorites were selected, the group was divided into two control groups. One group was allowed to select only one of the two pics with an option of being able to exchange this with the other picture within a 4-day "grace period." The other study group was given only one choice; take your best picture, but you don't get to exchange it no matter what.

Out of the participants, the group that had no exchange option were happy with their final choice and believed they had chosen the best picture. However, the group with the freedom to exchange were unhappy with their choices. Why?

Dan Gilbert surmises that having too many choices inadvertently creates discontent. Whereas having to settle for something and having no further choices in the matter actually seems to be a better recipe for happiness. Based on many studies, Gilbert has found that happiness for normally functioning individuals really is a case of "mind over matter." So how does it work? It's simple, advises Gilbert; we make ourselves happy by "imagining" that we are happy! It's what's in your head, he says, not what's in your bank account, that largely determines your happiness in life.