There is probably no universal definition of happiness.
In general, we can say that this is “the state of a person that corresponds to the greatest internal satisfaction with the conditions of his being, the fullness and meaningfulness of life, the fulfillment of his human purpose” (TSB).
However, are there any patterns in which happy people are similar to each other? Psychologists, philosophers, anthropologists and even economists all over the world are looking for answers to these and other questions.
Do age, gender and intelligence affect the level of happiness?
During the last 30-40 years experimental studies conducted by psychologists, allowed us to draw a number of conclusions about what affects the state of happiness. In particular, it was found that a large part of the stereotypes about which people are happier than others were not confirmed.
So, it turned out that happiness has no direct connection with a person's age. In youth, both negative and positive emotions are perceived more acutely, while in old age these emotions are not so intense. However, the ratio between positive and negative emotions generally remains the same.
The researchers also confirmed the hypothesis that the level of happiness does not depend on gender in any way: women, being usually more emotional, experience more positive and negative emotions, but it cannot be argued that they are happier than men.
The common myth that people with high intelligence generally more unhappy than all other people.
How do the external conditions of life affect happiness?
Since happiness is a very subjective state that depends largely on a person’s inner sense of self, scientists also wondered how difficult life events and difficulties affect the level of happiness.
So, it turned out that, despite the difficult living conditions, people often feel happy, despite the absence of obvious reasons for this.
American psychologists Sonya Lubomirsky and Ken Sheldon created a model of happiness, called the "pie model". It consists of three parts that include various factors that influence how people rate their life satisfaction or happiness.
They are divided into:
1) external factors which we are unable to change (place of birth, climate, social environment, material well-being, etc.);
2) internal qualities and personality traits, the degree of emotional stability and ability to cope with stress;
3) what a person creates on his own. Our behavior, goals, plans, achievements, relationships with other people.
Thus, according to researchers, external factors account for only 10-12% of total number Not as much as we used to think.
Happiness and material well-being
The level of income, of course, affects the level of happiness, but even here everything is not as obvious as it seems at first glance. The results of surveys conducted since the 1990s on large samples of people show that for poor countries and disadvantaged sections of the population, material security is, of course, an important component of happiness.
This is due to the satisfaction of the so-called basic needs: to feel safe, to have a roof over your head, the ability to take care of your health, eat well, etc.
However, after a certain level of well-being, when basic needs are satisfied, money ceases to play a decisive role in whether a person feels happy. The relationship between the level of income and the degree of happiness grows very slowly or, conversely, is declining.
Signs of a happy person
How are happy people similar to each other?
1. They don't care about how they are judged by others.
Happy people tend to be more passionate about their lives than what others think of them. They have a certain inner freedom that allows them to act in accordance with what their mind and heart tell them, even if these actions go against generally accepted ideas and stereotypes. They can carefully listen to the opinion of another person, but they remain autonomous from other people's assessments, making decisions regarding their lives.
All this helps them devote their time to what is truly important to them.
2. Live in the present
Such people tend to be able to immerse themselves in the moment, whether they are eating lunch, shopping, spending time with friends, or devoting themselves to creativity.
They strive to fully to feel the moment they are in: to enjoy the little things, to be open to the emotions that they experience, to be included in what is happening around, and this allows them to live a richer and deeper life.
3. Able to look at the situation from the outside
Another ability of happy people is the ability to look at their experience and life situations at different angles. This allows them to be flexible in different situations find the positives even in difficult situations and maintain a more positive and open outlook on the world and other people.
4. Not afraid to take risks and change something in your life
Of course, this does not mean craving for thrills or extreme sports. It's about a different kind of risk - to decide to try to do something for the first time, even if it's scary. Try to learn what you have always wanted to. Move away from the usual pattern of actions and behavior, lifestyle, routine and try to change something.
5. Get a variety of impressions and experiences
Happy people strive to bring a sense of novelty into their lives and often experiment. Communicate with the most different people, visit new places, try themselves in the most different types activities and activities. All this allows them to maintain a natural curiosity and interest in relation to the world around them and other people.
6. Strive for self-realization and self-improvement
Happiness is often confused with hedonism, the pursuit of pleasure. While there is nothing wrong with hedonism, happiness is a more complex and all-encompassing state. It is based on the human desire for self-realization and development.
Such people, as a rule, learn something throughout their lives, striving to learn new things and move forward, try to realize their abilities and talents, and the feeling of satisfaction from the work done on themselves and the achievements along this path is in itself very valuable and meaningful.
7. Pay a lot of attention to relationships with other people.
Research shows that having close, sincere, and deep relationships is directly related to how happy a person feels. This is a very important part of our life, and it is the feeling of deep connection with other people - family, friends, colleagues that makes us happy.
8. Don't make happiness an end in itself
Happiness is the moment when the desired coincides with the actual. And therefore - this state is a natural consequence of the fact that we are going to meet our interests and needs. This means that it cannot last very long, since this is a state of equilibrium, a stop, which is inevitably replaced by movement. Happy people don't aspire to be that way; their happiness is the result of what they do.
If someone came up to you on the street today and asked if you were happy, what would you say?
A lot of different things affect our mood: crap at work, crap at personal life, and as a result of this, several times a day we can turn from a happy and happy dude into an unhappy and forgotten dude and back. It would seem that nothing depends on us, but this is all garbage: scientists say that in a sense, happiness is a personal choice for everyone.
In fact, we, than it seems to us, simply do not see the signals. Of course, interview stress, conflict, and depression cannot be avoided, but not everything depends on this. To be happier, you just need to look at the pleasant side of things. There are even signs that will help you understand that you are actually happy.
you tell people good words, do them a favor: when you are happy yourself, you want others to be happy too. When you share happiness with someone, it strengthens and prolongs the bright streak.
Little things don't bother you
Missed the tram? Spilled coffee? Yes, to hell with it. If you don't make tragedy out of little things that don't need attention, it's good sign: Looks like you're doing everything right. Who does not get hung up on annoying little things, he is more than happy with everything. The lucky ones, of course, do not deny that there are ups and downs in life - but it is better to concentrate on what is good, and not on what has failed.
You appreciate the little things
It's so nice when your favorite tune plays on the stream on Spotify, and the icy road finally melts! Little things in life are like spices in food: the overall impression depends on them. If you have something to be happy about, that's a good sign.
Are you proud of other people's successes?
A happy person not only does not dwell on his own successes, but also cheers for others. When you celebrate someone else's victory, it strengthens the bond between you and that person. The day will come and they will congratulate you on something you have achieved.
You care about this moment
Let's say you're sitting on a bench in the park, it's warm and pleasant there, birds, a pond, there's some kind of duck in the pond - after all, it's beautiful! What does a happy dude do? Urgently begins to enjoy the situation and in every possible way look at the landscape and breathe in the air. What does the poor dude do? He does not notice anything and continues to think about how he should have answered the rude man in the subway.
You have good relations with everyone
Perhaps relationships with other people are the most important thing in our lives. If everything is fine with you, it’s easy to understand this by imagining that everything is bad: eternal quarrels with a girlfriend, misunderstanding with your parents, only assholes at work. What do you feel at this thought? Nice relief that this isn't happening to you? In this case, you can rejoice, because many are less fortunate in this regard.
Can you calm yourself down
Stress is a killer of everyone and everything. A psychotic person is an unhealthy, annoying and miserable person. That is why it is necessary to be able to distinguish the first signs of tension in oneself and then elegantly, with a slight movement of the hand, return oneself to normal. How? Everyone has their own ways: take a break, get distracted, stretch, walk. If you know yours, then you happy man!
You're not particularly interested in things
Money is not yet the equivalent of happiness. Many people buy cool and numerous things for themselves, just so as not to feel unhappy, this does not help them, and they buy again - and so on ad infinitum. If you are not looking for the latest model of some gadget in the store, but are looking for a good relationship, plus you.
Your glass is half full
Optimists are not the kind of dudes who build castles in the air in an attempt to escape reality. These are dudes who see everything as it is, but prefer to focus on the good.
It's easy for you to make new friends
People like to surround themselves with dudes they feel good around, so people are drawn to you. Everyone likes happy faces, because next to them things seem to start to go better.
You have reached the goal
And you still have somewhere to go. It will make anyone happy. Who sets himself high goals, he is more satisfied with life than an unpretentious fool. Logically, if you have something to work on, you feel more valuable to yourself.
you sleep well
You may not be happy, but if you are not tossing and turning in endless attempts to fall asleep, this is a sign of happiness. Whoever constantly experiences positive emotions, the easier it is to sleep at night.
Everyone has their own definition of happiness. Some find him in love and happy family life, others - in the work and accumulation of capital, the third need freedom and constant change of place, and the fourth - the support of friends and new hobbies. But problems and hardships prevent us from feeling the presence of happiness, and therefore, seeing on the street cheerful person, we begin to doubt its adequacy. In fact, by looking at a person or talking to him, it is easy to understand whether he is happy. Don't believe? Then take note of 12 signs of a happy person and be sure to check at your leisure.
1. Carefree smile
The first and most important sign of a happy person is a smile. A person smiles at a new day, every little thing touches him, starting from the first ray of the sun and ending with the chirping of birds outside the window. A happy person greets all acquaintances with a smile, and even just walking down the street, a serene happy smile wanders on his face. Of course, it is not known why others may take a smiling person for a lunatic, but does he really care about someone else's opinion?
2. Does not care about the opinions of others
Experiencing happiness and boundless satisfaction, a person is so dissolved in this gracious feeling that he completely ceases to pay attention to the opinions of the people around him. He does not care about gossip and weaving intrigues, he does not pay attention to sarcastic remarks and ridicule addressed to him. He is just happy and this feeling, like an impenetrable shield, protects him from the negativity around him. In response, such a person responds only with kindness.
3. Gives good
A cheerful person is easy to identify by his actions and even by the tone in which he communicates with others. It seems as if such a person wants to give a piece of happiness to everyone who meets him on the way. In a conversation with him, one feels his genuine interest, sympathy and an abundance of positive emotions, which, of course, infect everyone around him. He politely listens to the interlocutor, sincerely rejoices at his victories and is always ready to come to help both in word and deed. Moreover, he is ready to spend his time, money and his energy, if only those around him were as good as he was. Good deeds incredibly inspire him and bring great pleasure.
4. Ignores minor annoyances
A happy person is not upset by minor troubles, which for others become a real tragedy. Spilled coffee on your new pants? Missed the bus? Lost your house keys? There are many little things in life that spoil the mood, poison relationships and create problems from scratch. However, in reality, they are all completely unimportant and do not affect life in any way. These little things are not worth killing yourself over and upsetting your nervous system! And happy people understand this very well.
5. Finds the positive in everything
A distinctive feature of a happy person is his cheerfulness and endless faith in the best. A truly happy person not only does not notice unpleasant little things, he does not lose heart even in critical situations. Such a person can always find an explanation for what happened and learn a lesson even from the tragedy. Moreover, he knows for sure that the black streak in his life will definitely be replaced by a white one and will give him many pleasant moments. Happy people do not focus on failures and do not hang up their noses, they look confidently into the future, and life always rewards them for this.
6. Satisfied with their appearance
A truly happy person will never whine because of small stature or too wide hips. Even knowing that his figure is not perfect, he will not focus on minor flaws. Such people, looking in the mirror, like themselves, and therefore like others. This sign well visible to happy women who, knowing about their imperfection, behave like queens. They understand that the body is just a shell, and true happiness lies in the soul. If a happy person wants to correct his appearance, he has enough motivation to go to the gym and work on himself.
7. Doesn't envy anyone
A happy person simply does not know what envy is, he knows how to rejoice in the victories and unexpected happiness of other people. Moreover, he does this not feignedly, but quite sincerely, feeling satisfaction from the fact that someone felt good. This invariable quality of a happy person helps a lot in life, saving from nervous disorders and thereby prolonging life. Moreover, life shows that a non-envious person is always rewarded for his sincerity and disinterestedness.
8. Does not focus on material wealth
Wealth and material security today are often identified with the concept of happiness. However, in fact, the saying “money does not bring happiness” is one of the greatest truths that not everyone can understand. Wealth does not make a person happy. It satisfies human needs, and even then only for a short time. That is why a happy person does not seek to get all the wealth of the world and surround himself with an abundance of status things. Material wealth for him is only one of the many components of life, and much less important than friendships and the love of loved ones.
9. Has a purpose in life
A person cannot be happy while living his life aimlessly, and therefore a happy person must have life guidelines. Moreover, the goals can be very different: travel around the world, help the disadvantaged, create a cure for a deadly disease, become a world champion or build a house for your family. Those who set goals for themselves and strive to achieve them with all their might have much more reason to rejoice than those who limply go with the flow. Such people, of course, can be called happy.
10. Doing what he likes
You will never see a happy person complaining about their job. And do you know why? A happy person chooses for himself a business that he likes, which corresponds to his lifestyle and worldview, and in addition to material wealth brings spiritual satisfaction. Moreover, a happy person chooses a profession for himself, which provides an opportunity for development and self-realization. Only one who, even at work, feels all the charm of being, can be called a happy person.
11. Respects family values
Every happy person, of course, has a family. This is a home and loved ones (husband, wife, children, parents, brothers and sisters), which a happy person takes care of, in them he finds an outlet and comfort. Moreover, the family for him is a real strong rear, which means his beloved home, where he is always expected, close people who will always understand and support him in difficult times. Finally, a family for a happy person, these are his children - the most main value in life. Without creating a family or losing this value, a person can never be truly happy.
12. Knows how to enjoy moments of happiness
Finally, a happy person is distinguished by the ability to enjoy moments of happiness, notice them in the bustle of days and appreciate them. Moreover, the moment of happiness is not only a victory over oneself, the birth of a child or the defense of a PhD thesis. A moment of happiness is a friendly ray of light that meets you in the morning, a call from a close friend who decided to ask about your health, or a delicious dinner prepared by the caring hands of a loved one. There are many moments of true happiness in our life, but not all and not always we see them, and not everyone is able to appreciate them.
This article clearly shows that in fact, happiness is our attitude to life. This is a sincere concern for loved ones, our attitude towards others, money and emerging problems. Happiness does not fall in green bills from the sky and is not guessed in a beautiful appearance. After all, millions of rich and incredible beautiful people all over the world, in fact, turn out to be deeply unhappy! Happiness lies in sincere emotions, in love, in care, in understanding and mutual support.
By citing 12 signs of a happy person, we not only wanted to show all the facets of the character of such a person, but also to make it clear that everyone can become happy, you just need to change your attitude to life. And the sooner you realize this, the sooner you will become happy!
Incredible Facts
We all strive for happiness. So we need to remember two things: life is short, and misfortune makes life difficult for us.
Our habits largely influence how we life we live.
It has long been known that unhappy people get sick more often and live less. Unhappy people are more difficult to communicate and work with.
Sometimes we ourselves do not notice that we are unhappy, trying to put a good face on a bad game.
Do not deny the obvious, but it is better to talk with a close friend or ask for help.
unlucky man
1. Wait for developments.
The phrase "I will be happy when..." is one of the most common traps that unhappy people fall into. The end of the sentence can be anything: when I find Good work, I will receive a high salary, I will find a soul mate and so on.
With this attitude, we can live our whole lives chasing illusions.
All these events that we are waiting for give only a temporary feeling of happiness, but very quickly turn into ordinary ones, and we, as before, feel unhappy. Instead, learn to feel happy in the present, as no one guarantees the future.
2. Spend a lot of energy and effort on acquiring material things.
An interesting fact: people who lived in poverty experienced a noticeable increase in happiness when their financial situation improved. However, this feeling quickly disappeared after incomes reached a certain point.
Research confirms that material things do not bring happiness. When we dedicate our lives to chasing things, we very often become unhappy, because when we get them, we feel disappointed and realize that we gained them at the expense of real values, such as friends, family, and our hobbies.
3. Stay home all the time.
When we are unhappy, we try to avoid people. But at the same time, we make a big mistake, because communication, even if we don’t like it, has a positive effect on our mood.
We all have days when we don't feel like getting out of bed and talking to someone. But if this is repeated from time to time, such behavior begins to destroy our mental state.
Try to go out and at least occasionally communicate with people, and you will notice the difference.
4. Consider yourself a victim.
Unhappy people tend to live with the mindset that life is difficult and out of their control. The problem is that with this way of thinking, a person has a feeling of helplessness, and in such a situation, he is unlikely to take any action to correct the situation.
While we all experience sadness from time to time, don't let it affect your outlook on life. You are not the only one who has bad luck, and you can control your future if you take action.
5. Pessimistic.
Nothing generates a sense of unhappiness more than a pessimistic outlook on life. Often negative attitude affects not only our mood, but can also turn into a fulfilled prophecy.
If we expect something bad, that bad thing may eventually come true. It is difficult to get rid of pessimistic thoughts until a person realizes how illogical they are. Look at the facts and you will understand that everything is not as bad as you think.
6. Complain often.
The complaint itself is problematic, as is the behavior that precedes it.
When we talk and think about the bad, we unwittingly confirm negative attitudes. Of course, it is important to talk about what worries us, but there is a fine line between productive complaints and those that create a feeling of unhappiness.
In addition to feeling unhappy, the habit of complaining often pushes people away from you.
Why is a person unhappy?
7. Making a big deal out of problems.
Bad things happen to everyone. The only difference is that happy people try to perceive them as temporary bad luck, while unhappy people see all failures as yet another confirmation that life is cruel to them.
If a happy person gets into a minor accident on the way to work, he will be upset, but will say: "It's good that something more serious did not happen." The unfortunate person will consider that this case is proof that the whole week, and maybe his whole life, did not work out.
8. Brush off problems.
Happy people are responsible for their actions. When they make mistakes, they admit them. Unhappy people are afraid of problems and mistakes and try to hide them.
But problems have one property: when we avoid them, they tend to snowball. The more you put off solving the problem without trying to do anything, the more you feel like a victim.
9. Don't try to be better.
Because unhappy people are often pessimistic and don't feel like they have control over their lives, they tend to sit back and wait for things to get better.
Instead of setting themselves goals, learning and improving themselves, they just stay in one place and wonder why nothing changes.
Our mood is so changeable! It is affected by a lot of different things: problems at work and at home, failures and losses, as a result of which we can despair and lose hope several times a day. It would seem how little depends on us! But in fact, the ability to be happy is a personal choice for everyone. And the main thing in this is to see the pleasant side of things.
There are several sure signs that make it easy to understand that you are actually happy.
You say good words to people, make them happy: when you are happy yourself, you want others to be happy too. When you share happiness with someone, it strengthens and prolongs the bright streak.
TYou ignore minor annoyances
Missed the bus? Spilled coffee? Well, okay. If you don't make tragedy out of small failures, that's a good sign that you're on the right track.
Are you proud of other people's successes?
A happy person not only does not dwell on his own successes, but also cheers for others. When you celebrate someone else's victory, it strengthens the bond between you and that person.
Tyou know how to enjoydatammomentohm
Let's say you are sitting on a bench in the park, you are warm and pleasant, the birds are chirping, a duck is splashing in the pond - beauty! A happy person enjoys the environment to the fullest. The unfortunate one does not notice anything and continues to painfully think how it was necessary to answer the rude man in the subway.
Can you calm yourself down
Stress is a terrible destroyer. Therefore, at the first signs of internal tension, you need to bring yourself back to normal. Here everyone has their own recipe: take a break, switch attention, take a walk, stretch. If this process is debugged for you, then you are a happy person!
You're not particularly interested in things
Money is not the equivalent of happiness. The abundance of expensive and status things has not yet helped anyone get rid of loneliness or despair. If the main thing for you is not cool new clothes, but good relationship for you, that's a big plus.
It's easy for youcommunicate andheadto walkfriends
People like to communicate with those with whom they feel good, so people are always drawn to the happy. Next to the lucky one and everything seems to start to go better.
Do you appreciatepleasantlittle things
It's so nice when a passerby just smiles at you, your favorite melody sounds on the radio, and the icy road finally melts! Little things in life are like spices in food: the overall impression often depends on them.
You have reached the goal
And you still have somewhere to go. It will make anyone happy. Those who set themselves big goals and strive for them have more reasons to rejoice than those who go with the flow.
you sleep well
Maybe you are dissatisfied with something, but if you do not toss and turn in endless attempts to fall asleep, this is a sign of happiness. Whoever constantly experiences positive emotions, the easier it is to sleep at night.
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