Happiness does not always mean smiling and experiencing only pleasant emotions. According to the research Journal of Experimental Psychology, a happy person is one whose emotions correspond to his values. If you can identify your preferred emotions, then you are already one step closer to happiness.
The authors of the magazine write that, according to traditional research, the more pleasant emotions we experience, the happier we feel. However, according to Aristotle, it depends on how often we feel the desired emotions.
The researchers decided to check the saying of the ancient Greek philosopher. They invited 2,324 people from eight countries to participate in the experiment; the United States, Brazil, China, Germany, Ghana, Israel, Poland, and Singapore.
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Constantly wanting to be happy or joyful is not very realistic. Never wanting to feel sad, angry, or fearful is also not realistic. If we can accept the emotions we feel, whether they are pleasant or not, we are more likely to be happier and more satisfied.
Maya Tamir, lead author of the study, director of the Laboratory for the Study of Emotions and Self-Regulation at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
First, the participants categorized the desired emotions and indicated how often they would like to experience them. They then played emotionally neutral word games for five minutes. They then reported how often they experienced these emotions using a 1-5 scale.
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It has been found that some people prefer pronounced pleasurable states, such as excitement or delight, while others prefer weaker emotions, such as calmness. For them, happiness is defined by the difference between passion and contentment.
Some people enjoy feeling the emotions of strength and success the most. Pride brings happiness to them, but also anger, hatred, and contempt.
Adapted and translated by The Cop Cart Staff
Sources: Life hacker
