Our BetterMost Community > The Polling Place
Do you agree with Thoreau?
brokeplex:
Thoreau certainly led a life of desperation, and I agree with him on taxes.
Front-Ranger:
A new study of nearly 5,000 people finds those who are members of social networks, like BetterMost, are not only happier, but that happiness spreads from friend to friend, and to friends of friends!
Front-Ranger:
Reviving a 10-year-old poll because. . .well, the subject is evergreen, isn't it? I came across this upward spiral of happiness recently. I think it makes a lot of sense. And, surprisingly, it begins with. . .sleep!
"Upward Spiral of Happiness"
Everything is interconnected. Gratitude improves sleep. Sleep reduces pain. Reduced pain improves mood. Improved mood reduces anxiety, which improves focus and planning. Focus and planning help with decision making. Decision making further reduces anxiety and improves enjoyment. Enjoyment gives us more to be grateful for, which keeps this loop of Upward Spiral of Happiness going. (Enjoyment also makes it more likely that we exercise and be social which makes you happier.)
Front-Ranger:
“According to a study of 5,000 people by psychologists Matthew Killingsworth and Daniel Gilbert of Harvard University, adults spend only about 50% of their time in the present moment. In other words, we are mentally checked out half of the time. In addition to measuring when people’s minds were wandering, the scientists collected information on happiness levels. They found that when we are in the present moment, we are also at our happiest, no matter what we are doing. In other words, even if you are engaging in an activity you usually find unpleasant, you are happier when you are 100% consumed in that activity than when you are thinking about something else while doing so.
Why does the present makes us happy? Because we fully experience the things going on around us. Instead of getting caught up in a race to accomplish more things faster, we slow down and are actually with the people we are with, immersed in the ideas being discussed and fully engaged in our projects.
By being present, you will enter a state of flow that is highly productive and will become more charismatic, making people around you feel understood and supported. You will have good relationships, which are one of the biggest predictors of success and happiness.” "6 Secrets to a Happy Life" Time Magazine
CellarDweller:
I don't agree that "the mass of men" lead that type of life.
Sure everyone has their bad moments, but I don't believe that the majority is living a life of desperation.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version