Achieving True Happiness :: Happiness Essays

Happiness is an encouraging feeling, which is influenced by many factors. When Layard states from away(p) he means social identities, roles, cultures and groups pot belong to. When Layard states from within he is referring to a persons thinking and feelings. Richard Layard (2005) in an attempt to insure out what made people happy identified a itemisation of factors that contri notwithstandinged towards bliss, this included family, close relationships, satisfying work, in force(p) health and personal freedom. there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking bring ons it so (Shakespeare, Hamlet). This quote suggests that its the way people think that makes a bunk seem good or bad. For example people who have a glass half(prenominal) full or a glass half empty. They may well both be in the same situation, but the way they think about the circumstances means that one of them willing have a positive/ affirmative outlook while the new(prenominal) will have a negative/ pessimis tic outlook. Optimists are healthy than pessimists, as they generally worry less, recover quicker and are probably to live longer. This is highlighted by a study carried out by Toshihiko Maruta and colleagues (2002) in which they selected 839 patients who forty years previously had referred themselves for medical care. They submitted themselves for tests which included measuring their optimistic thinking. By the year 2000, 200 of these patients had a 19% greater conduct span than the pessimists. There are many reasons why people drive a pessimistic or optimistic outlook on biography one of the most apparent reasons being past experiences teaching people to expect very little or a lot from life. Martin Seligman (2005) is cognise as the psychologist who initiated positive psychology. He got a group of 577 people to save up about a time when they were at their best and then told them to bound on the personal strengths they displayed at the time. The group then had to review thi s in one case every day for a week, reflecting on their strengths. He found that the happiness levels of the group increased significantly and stayed increased even after vi months. Thus he shows making an attempt to look at the good things in life have a major impact on a persons happiness. In todays rescript the increased level of selection is surprisingly also a line of stress and unhappiness. For example people think they must always make the best decision every time they have a choice to make.