Why positive emotions are not necessary for happiness
A Life / / December 19, 2019
according to a studyThe Secret to Happiness: Feeling Good or Feeling Right? "Journal of Experimental Psychology," a happy man - is the one whose emotions are consistent with its values. If you are able to determine the most advantageous for themselves emotions, then you are already one step closer to happiness.
Journal authors write that, according to traditional research, the more pleasant emotions we experience, the happier feel. Nevertheless, According to AristotleIt depends on how often we feel welcome emotions.
The researchers decided to test the adage of the ancient Greek philosopher and invited to participate in Experiment 2 324 people from eight different countries: USA, Brazil, China, Germany, Ghana, Israel, Poland and Singapore.
Maya Tamir (Maya Tamir), lead author of the study, director of the Laboratory for the study of emotions and self-regulation of the Hebrew University in JerusalemConstantly want to be happy or joyful - it's not very realistic. I do not want to feel sadness, anger or fear, too, is not realistic. If we can take the emotions that we feel, regardless of whether they are pleasant or not, we will be happy and more satisfied are more likely.
First, participants were classified desired emotions and indicated I would like to experience them. Then, within five minutes they played in the neutral emotionally games with words. After that, they pointed out how often experienced these emotions, using a scale from 1 to 5 points.
It turned out that some people prefer pronounced like the pleasant state of excitement or enthusiasm, others prefer the weaker emotions - such as peace of mind. For them, happiness is determined by the difference between passion and contentment.
Some most like to feel the emotions of power and success. Them happiness brings pride, but also - anger, Hatred and contempt.