According to researchers from the University of Toronto, many people today are in a constant search for happiness, trying to emulate the images of famous and happy people around them, especially online. It's known that such attempts often backfire: they begin to feel less happy. This phenomenon is called the "happiness paradox."
Several years ago, scientists discovered that people who want to be happy often feel a lack of time, and this feeling makes them unhappy.
To clarify the reasons for this paradox, scientists conducted several experiments and found that in the pursuit of happiness, people lose self-control and willpower.
"The point is that the pursuit of happiness requires mental resources. Instead of simply living, people try to force themselves to feel differently," commented study co-author Sam Maglio. In the first experiment, the scientists found that the more effort people put into pursuing happiness, the less self-control they had in their lives. In the second experiment, participants were offered chocolate, a popular source of "instant happiness."
It turned out that those with greater self-control in life ate less chocolate, and vice versa. Notably, those who had seen the word "happiness" in an ad shown beforehand ate the largest portions.
Finally, in the third experiment, some participants were asked to choose from among objects that would make them happier, while others were allowed to choose based on their personal preferences. Everyone then had to complete a task assessing self-control. Those in the second group gave up faster, indicating a lack of resources after searching for the best object.
The findings demonstrate that constant pursuit of happiness can lead to chronic resource depletion and, consequently, daily breakdowns in self-regulation.
"Ultimately, as we see, self-control is a critical component in the cycle of increasing personal happiness and well-being. You can grab a handful of sand and try to control it, but the tighter you grip, the more cramping your hand gets," Maglio concluded.
Another study on happiness found that one spouse's happiness reduced the other's stress levels. Positive emotions in one person were found to help the other cope with stress without any additional effort.
