Happiness & Positive Psychology Research Summary

Happiness & Positive Psychology Research Summary

In a recent edition of the Journal of Positive Psychology, Martin Seligman (one of the leaders in this exciting science of happiness) along with Stephen Schueller (both from the University of Pennsylvania) published an article reinforcing what many of us have been thinking and feeling for quite some time now…that meaning and engagement in life are almost certainly more important for happiness and well-being than pleasure.

Now I won’t bore you with all of the statistical details but in brief, what they found is that although pleasure definitely has an important role to play what’s almost certainly more important, as it seems to be associated not just with overall happinesss and wellbeing but also with occupational and educational attainment and success, are the variables of meaning and engagement in life.

So go out and have fun, for sure, but make sure that you also devote time to pursue activities that are meaningful and purposeful, and also that you priortise the building of positive relationships above and beyond selfish, hedonistic activities. Then you will find “real” happiness… : )