Today is the International Day of Happiness, launched last year by the United Nations to promote subjective well-being as a legitimate goal of public policy and social progress.
That’s a goal we share at the UC Berkeley Greater Good Science Center, and through the years we’ve covered happiness research from every conceivable angle. Here are some highlights — the most interesting, provocative, or helpful pieces we’ve published on the science of happiness.
What is happiness anyway?
Many scientists use happiness interchangeably with “subjective well-being,” which they measure by simply asking people to report how satisfied they feel with their own lives and how much positive and negative emotion they’re experiencing. UC Riverside researcher Sonja Lyubomirsky describes happiness more precisely as “the experience of joy, contentment, or positive well-being, combined with a sense that one’s life is good, meaningful, and worthwhile.”
- What is Happiness? by Sonja Lyubomirsky (video)
- Is a Happy Life Different from a Meaningful One? by Jason Marsh and Jill Suttie
- Sonja Lyubomirsky on the Myths of Happiness (podcast)
- The Neuroscience of Happiness: A Q&A with Rick Hanson
What are the benefits of happiness?
In addition to making us feel good, studies have found that happiness actually improves other aspects of our lives, as well as the lives of the people around us.
- The Benefits of Happiness by Sonja Lyubomirsky (video)
- Is Happiness Good for Your Health? by Caroline Wilmuth
- Kindness Makes You Happy… and Happiness Makes You Kind, by Alex Dixon
- Need a Kidney? Go to a Happy State by Craig L Anderson
- Are Positive Emotions Good for Your Heart? by Adam Hoffman
Can you cultivate happiness?
Happiness doesn’t just happen. Based on her research, Lyubomirsky has concluded that roughly 50 percent of happiness is determined by our genes and 10 percent by our life circumstance, but 40 percent depends on our daily activities. Here are steps you can take to boost your happiness.
- The Hows of Happiness, by Jason Marsh
- How to be Happy: The Fine Print by Stacey Kennelly
- What are the Secrets to a Happy Life? by George E. Vaillant
- Happiness for a Lifetime, by Sonja Lyubomirsky
- How a Challenging Past Can Lead to a Happier Present by Linda Graham
- Where Can We Find Sustainable Happiness? by Sarah van Gelder
- A Scientific Reason to Stop and Smell the Roses, by Stacey Kennelly
- Why Lent Makes People Happy (and Netflix Doesn’t), by Jason Marsh and Robb Willer
Download our “6 Habits of Happiness” poster.
Fostering happiness at home and in the world
Can you help the people around you become happier? You bet! Here are some insights and ideas.
- Being Kind Makes Kids Happy by Delia Fuhrmann
- A Happy Marriage in 21 Minutes by Bernie Wong
- What Makes a Happy Parent? by Emily Nauman
- How to be a Happy Working Dad, by Jeremy Adam Smith
- Can We Find Happiness at Work? A Q&A with Srikumar Rao (podcast)
- Green Cities, Happy Cities by Heather Yundt
- Happiness is About Respect, Not Riches by Stacey Kennelly
- The Economics of Happiness by John Robbins
- What Movies Make You Happy? by Jeremy Adam Smith
What are the problems with happiness?
Happiness isn’t all flowers and sunshine. Research suggests that it’s possible to be too happy or to embrace false beliefs about what will make you happy. There are many forces that can undermine happiness, no matter what steps you take to cultivate it within yourself.
- Four Ways Happiness Can Hurt You by June Gruber
- The Genetics of Happiness by Stacey Kennelly
- Are Conservatives Really Happier Than Liberals? by Tom Jacobs
- Do Wives Bear More Responsibility for Marital Happiness? by Lian Bloch
- Does Mind-Wandering Make You Unhappy? by Matt Killingsworth
- Is Happiness Actually Important? by Christine Carter
- Why Happiness is the Wrong Pursuit by Christine Carter
- When Getting Angry Makes You Happy by Lauren Klein
- Is Happiness Selfish? by Rona Renner and Christine Carter (podcast)
- Does Inequality Make Us Unhappy? by Carmen Sobczak
- Does Money Bring Happiness? by Sonja Lyubomirsky (video)