Why do some people seem to be happier than others? Researchers interviewed thousands of people to try to find the answer. They discovered that what makes us happy is often not what we expect. One important factor is people’s outlook toward life. Many people seem to be happy with their lives even when they don’t seem to have very much to be happy about. People with a positive attitude may still be happy even after bad events. On the other hand, many people who seem to have all the good things in life are still unhappy. For example, one study found that lottery winners don’t end up any happier than other people.
Another factor is the activities we do. Happy people spend most of their time doing satisfying activities such as work or hobbies they enjoy and feel they are good at. This doesn’t mean people have to be very successful by society’s standards. For example, a successful company director may not be happy. She might secretly wish she could just work on her garden all day. Unhappy people are more likely to compare themselves with other people. In contrast, happy people set their own goals. They decide what they think is important in life.
A further factor is the time we spend with other people. Happy people are sociable people and live a busy and full social life. They spend time with people at work, in school, with their friends and family members. In contrast, people who spend a lot of time alone are more likely to be unhappy.
Many of us are looking for happiness somewhere out there. However, it lies closer to home – in our own thoughts and behavior, our friends and family, and our everyday activities.
According to the researchers, someone who has a negative outlook toward life … .