Happiness Sucks- Why joy is bad for you.

[underpants]

http://www.slate.com/id/2182930/?GT1=10837

A study suggests extreme happiness may be bad for you. Findings: 1) "The highest levels of income, education and political participation were reported not by the most satisfied individuals, but by moderately satisfied individuals." 2) Extremely happy people "earned significantly less money" and earned lower school grades than moderately happy people. 3) They "may not live as long," either. Theories: 1) Happiness makes you complacent and kills your drive. 2) It makes you slow to adapt. 3) It makes you too optimistic and insufficiently vigilant about your health. 4) It may overstimulate your cardiovascular system. Researchers' conclusions: 1) "Happiness may need to be moderated for success." 2) "Extremely high levels of happiness might not be a desirable goal." Human Nature's conclusions: 1) Success may need to be moderated for happiness. 2) Extremely high levels of success might not be a desirable goal.

[Xipe Totec]

1. This report should make us unhappy enough to live long miserable lives n/t

[seabeyond]

5. lol lol, wink. n/t

[walldude]

2. That is the stupidest thing I have ever read.

Really.

Written by someone who measures success by wealth and materialism. No wonder they aren't happy.

[silverweb]

6. My reaction exactly!

:rofl:

[BoneDaddy]

15. ditto

I agree.

[AZBlue]

21. Exactly!

"Written by someone who measures success by wealth and materialism. No wonder they aren't happy."

[KansDem]

3. I'm happy to read this...

WAIT!!! NO, I'M NOT HAPPY TO READ THIS! REALLY, I'M NOT! REALLY...!!!

[seabeyond]

4. ahhhh fuck. the ONE thing i was really good at was being happy, NOW

fuck me. i am going to start smoking again. i thought when i quit i was about perfect. rollin eyes.

[kineneb]

7. Depression sucks, too. So?

Buddha correct: take middle path.

[Lisa0825]

8. I guess that means the primaries are serving another purpose for me.

:silly:

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

9. Peace

is what is best, I think. At least that has been my experience.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

10. I'm happy to risk it.

I'm retired. Married to a woman I love. Surrounded by good books in a house on 3 acres of beauty and quiet. I have no ambitions to achieve "success".

I suppose I could get in the rat race again...but, I'll risk being happy.

[stillcool]

11. Figures...everything I like..

is bad for me.

[SoCalDem]

12. brought to you by the same people who push high interest credit cards?

or by the folks who offer health care no one can afford anymore??

[Blue_Tires]

13. so...right now i'm unhappy

that means i'm doing well in life?!?!:crazy: :wtf: :shrug: :freak:

[TwilightGardener]

14. You should be happy to be unhappy. It's better for you. Get with the program.

[Blue_Tires]

18. the logic of it all is so circular my brain freezes

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

16. This is like the less you eat, the longer you live

Researchers are trying to determine if a balanced diet that severely restricts caloric intake may stave off the effects of aging and increase longevity:

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070502143834.htm

Yes, you live longer but you are always near starvation. Wouldn't that make you miserable? Maybe it's the misery that keeps you alive, and not the diet...

[NorthernSpy]

17. thing is, ambition and achievement aren't always good...

Greater ambition and higher achievement might be worth the happiness trade-off if you're a trauma surgeon, or a scientist looking to solve America's energy shortage. Because those are praiseworthy endeavors.


But what if you're a dictator, a deviser of "exotic" mortgage products and a pusher of consumer debt, a bigshot in a cocaine cartel, a hitman, or a promoter of the Spice Girls?

In that case, your fierce ambitions and drive for achievement in your chosen field injure not only your happiness, but everyone else's happiness too.

So stop that.

[Sequoia]

19. Oh really? Well tell that to Charles M. Schulz

He was actually miserable all the time and died from cancer, rest his soul.

This is bunk. It's like those preachers and their, "Idle hands are the devil's workshop", and that Puritan myth of working yourself to death. Drive? What does that matter when there are no jobs to be driven too or even look for because they all moved to India or China?

[alarimer]

20. Whew! I really dodged a bullet there.

It's a good thing I'm miserable; I'll live forever. Not that it will be much fun.