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happiness Discussions

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The most popular tags used with happiness articles. Use this to zero in on a subtopic. For a list of all tags, see our index.
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happiness213
positive psychology85
research48
depression31
aging30
self-help30
baby boomers26
women26
middle age25
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happiness

Start Here: Our Key Articles About happiness

Women and Midlife Depression: Is Everything You 'Know' Wrong?

Greg's picture

Empty nests. Menopause. Midlife crisis. Those are some of the reasons midlife is supposed to cause depression in women.

But as with so much information about midlife, that is at best only part of the story. »more»

What makes people happy? Why the rich so poor at allocating time for things that make them happy

Wesley's picture

Why are we reading so much about happiness of late?

Fortunately for those of us who want to maximize our personal happiness, happiness has become an increasingly important topic of research. »more»

Experts: Middle Age is Depressing

Wesley's picture

According to a comprehensive study of data from 80 countries, researchers at Britain's Warwick University and America's Dartmouth College have confirmed what people in their forties have known for years, middle age is indeed truly miserable. Researchers discovered that "for both men and women the probability of depression peaks around 44 years of age. »more»

Harvard's Most Popular Course: How To Be Happy

Greg's picture

Harvard's most popular course isn't freshman econ, it's ... happiness. The Boston Globe tells us about Positive Psychology, with 855 students: »more»

Interview with Dr. Dan Mroczek on neuroticism, happiness and longevity

Wesley's picture

Most people want to live happy and live long. Can you have it all?

The good news: happiness and longevity seem to be positively correlated -- in other words, longer-lived people tend to be happier, and happier people tend to be long-lived. »more»

How to Trump Being Dumped

Dating Goddess's picture

To trump: outshine, outclass, upstage, eclipse, surpass, outdo, outperform; beat, better, top, cap; be a cut above, be head and shoulders above, leave standing.

A friend told me he’d been dumped by his last sweetheart, and was still stinging from it many months later.

Me: What was the reason for the breakup? »more»

Can You Organize Your Way To Happiness (And Health Too)?

Greg's picture

Happiness for some may mean a bike ride at dawn, or spending time kicking a soccer ball with the kids. But for a part of humanity -- maybe even you -- happiness is checking items off a to-do list or contemplating an empty email inbox.

Odd? Certainly to some. But what they would consider borderline obsessive-compulsive behavior may also make the productivity-obsessed happier and healthier. »more»

Oldest Boomers Say Health, Money Are Biggest Problems

Greg's picture

If traditional "middle age" is from 40 to 60, then the first baby boomers are moving on. But a survey of 800 people born in 1946 shows that many aren't ready to be "old." Although generally satisfied with their lives, virtually all plan to continue to improve their lives. »more»

Study: If You Want To Be Happy, Get Off The Sofa

Greg's picture

A while back we wrote about Harvard's most popular class, Positive Psychology, in which students learn how to make themselves happy.

Should they load up on pre-law courses instead? Would making a lot of money make them happier? »more»

How To Be Happy: Information and Resources

Greg's picture

This page lists many ways you can learn more about improving your short- and long-term happiness. »more»

If you haven't read our "Happiness Week" features, that's a good place to start. It's a week's worth of articles that use Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar's book "Happier" as a guide and toolkit for improving your happiness every day.

Our Most Recent Articles About happiness

The Post-Divorce Custody Battle for Mutual Friends

ctomshaw's picture

There are basically three types of friends in this world. Let’s say you fall of a bridge into the raging river. The first type of friend would jump right in to save you. The second type would look around for rope or anything else that could be used to pull you to safety. And the third type….oh, the third type….they will rush right out and sign you up for swimming lessons. »more»

Women In MLC: The Dorothy Syndrome Forum

shepherdess's picture

What the heck is the Dorothy Syndrome and what does it have to do with mid-life crisis? Well, it has everything to do with MLC! The Dorothy Syndrome is a phrase that I coined and is the premise for my upcoming book titled "The Dorothy Syndrome: Mid-life on the Yellow Brick Road". While coaching at another web site forum, I started using the metaphors used in one of my favorite stories and movies..."The Wizard of OZ". I was astonished at how easily I could use the dialog from the movie or premise of the story to describe the transitions, emotions, the typical experiences that occur during an MLC, whether it be for the woman or the man. »more»

Randy Pausch, 1960-2008; "The Last Lecture"

Wesley's picture

Randy Pausch passed away yesterday of complications from pancreatic cancer. He was 47. Pausch was the terminally ill computer science professor whose poignant farewell lecture at Pittsburgh's Carnegie Mellon University became a viral video phenomenon and then a best-selling book (see link below). He symbolized living life to the fullest. »more»

We're all creatures of new habits

Ellen Besso's picture

You know the expression ‘we’re creatures of habit’? It’s believed that change is difficult, perhaps even impossible, as we keep on with our old ways of operating in the world. But it’s important for many good reasons (such as changing what makes us miserable and staying young) to do new things. »more»

Going to Our Center by Ellen Besso, Life Coach & Group Facilitator for MidLife Women

Ellen Besso's picture

Slowing down, going within, centering, getting in touch with ourselves…We hear this message often and are told this will improve our quality of life. It’s simple, yet profound. It’s tough to do because of the busyness of our lives and the busyness of our brains.

I invite you to take a deep, slow breath, sit back, and enjoy the stillness: »more»

The flow of the River of Life by Ellen Besso

Ellen Besso's picture

When we are simply being we are in the flow. When I was in group therapy in the 80’s in the Toronto area, the facilitator told us about different stages of development, including ‘being’ and ‘doing’. She said most people were in doing mode almost exclusively. She taught us how to simply be. »more»

The splendor of a cabbage & the grace of an eagle by Ellen Besso

Ellen Besso's picture

In the May 2008 issue of Oprah there was an article that asked many well-known individuals from all walks of life: What’s a Moment That Defined Spirituality for You?

Edward Espe Brown, author of The Tassajara Bread Book, was quoted as saying: »more»

Book Review: "The No Complaining Rule"

Wesley's picture

"The No Complaining Rule: Positive Ways to Deal with Negativity at Work" is Jon Gordon's fictional story about how to turn complaints into "solutions, innovations, and success." Though not based on an actual company, it was inspired by the successes one organization had eliminating rampant complaining. »more»

It's Not Urban Myth, It's Science: Midlife Really Is Unhappy

Greg's picture

People have long debated whether there's something about middle age that makes it a uniquely trying time, and now a pair of researchers say they can show that around the world, happiness bottoms out in midlife. »more»

How Money Can Buy Happiness

Wesley's picture

According to a newly published report, money can buy happiness but not in the way that you might think. Researchers at the University of British Columbia and Harvard Business School found that spending money on others makes people happier than if they spend it on themselves. »more»

Can Ducks Help You Find Love?

Dating Goddess's picture

When in Singapore in January, I learned about a Chinese legend that is supposed to help you attract love. It’s pretty simple.

In Chinatown, a friend pointed out two Mandarin duck figurines. She said if you put these little statues in your bedroom so they faced each other bill-to-bill, they would attract love to you.

Why? »more»

Reuters: 49% of Americans describe themselves as "thriving" and 4% as "truly miserable"

Wesley's picture

According to the researchers at Gallup, almost half of Americans describe themselves as "thriving" (that is few health or money worries), another 47% say they are "struggling" (mostly reporting money issues), and about 4% report themselves as "suffering" through life. The results were based on a 70 question well-being survey of more than 100,000 people. »more»

How fairness affects our brains and our happiness; More important than money

Wesley's picture

UCLA researchers using brain imaging techniques have found that the parts of the brain associated with happiness are the same ones that get stimulated when subjects feel that they are being treated in a fair manner. In other words, we are hard-wired to feel happy when we perceive that we are being treated equitably. »more»

My Dirty Little Secret

gypsynester's picture

David and I have one chick left in the nest. He graduates from high school on June 8, 2008. And I am marking the days. I keep a gigantic calendar and mark a red X each day. For my son's sake (and to avoid horrified looks from house guests), I keep the calendar between the mattresses of my bed. »more»

Is Happiness a Serious Problem?

40andNowWhat's picture

www.40andnowwhat.weebly.com

(Click on the link above and scroll to the bottom of the page and click play on the audio player to hear the "Happiness" talk)

Is Happiness a Serious Problem???? According to Dennis Prager it is. Not only is it a problem, but it is our moral obligation to our spouses, family and community to be happy. »more»