Don't worry, Be (moderately) Happy!

Just read this new report on how "moderate happiness" may be preferable to full-fledged elation. In sum, happiness is certainly preferable to un-happiness, and the state of being happy brings a whole host of benefits: health, success, and even more endorphin-rush-inducing-happiness and general well-being.

The authors wondered though, about just "how happy is happy enough". They created a 10-point life satisfaction scale, and asked people to score their "degree of happiness". They predicted that mildly happy people (those who classify themselves as eights and nines) may be more successful in some realms than those who consider themselves 10s. They reasoned that "profoundly happy people may be less inclined to alter their behavior or adjust to external changes even when such flexibility offers an advantage." A fair possibility, no doubt.

Interestingly, they found "the highest levels of income, education and political participation were reported not by the most satisfied individuals (10 on the 10-point scale) but by moderately satisfied individuals (8 or 9 on the 10-point scale).”

The 10s earned significantly less money than the eights and nines. Their educational achievements and political engagement were also significantly lower than their moderately happy and happy-but-not-blissful counterparts.

In the more social realms, however, the 10s were the most successful, engaging more often in volunteer activities and maintaining more stable relationships.

Truly, divine discontent is that which drives human progress. It is important to celebrate successes and recognize accomplishment but we should keep striving to try and learn new things, to continually challenge ourselves to grow. Stability would lead to stultification would lead to stagnation and death. Enjoy your grass but keep hungry, and stay foolish.