positive psychology

I took a course this year in positive psychology, a new and popular field. Positive psychology is the “scientific study of what makes life most worth living” or the study of happiness. One topic explored in the course was the myths of happiness. Happiness seems to be something everyone is constantly striving for, and yet seems almost unattainable.

One of the problems with seeking happiness constantly is our unrealistic expectations regarding how to be happy, as well as our definition of happiness. Many people equate happiness as the feeling as being on a high. This feeling is naturally and obviously meant to be as its name suggests, a high, a peak moment. As humans we naturally have an array of highs and lows and it is not natural to expect to constantly maintain a high. 

We explored different myths of what can cause happiness. Some of the myths I’m sure you’ve heard, like money being a cause for happiness. Many studies have proven that once a person makes a certain basic amount of money, having more money beyond that does not affect their happiness. Someone who wins the lottery will not be significantly happier a year later, after having won the lottery. They even might be in a worse state as sometimes having a lot of money can lead to more stress, strife and loneliness. 

What do you think the other myths to happiness are? I’d love to hear any comments