Happiness: It's In The Genes.
This article discusses how certain human beings are more genetically predisposed to happiness than others: http://content.health.msn.com/content/article/61/71452.htmI suppose this comes as no surprise. Various mental illnesses are linked to genes as are other types of human behavior. Still, in a way, it is discouraging that the rational mind has less control over something as integral as our state of happiness. As the article says, it isn't all in the hardwiring, but I'm still mildly bothered by this revelation. I'm even more bothered by the article's implication that we have a genetic limitation on how happy we can be. So does that mean, no matter what we do in our lives, we can only be *so* happy? That others can be a lot happier than us? Hrm.The article goes on to list four traits that can influence one's state of happiness,. I imagine that it isn't limited to those four, that happiness can be achieved through other methods as well. But the four are: Relationships, Aerobic Activity, Spirituality and "Acting Happy".Out of the four, I fail entirely with one: Spirituality. Its been so long since I've had any sense of spirituality. I think I left my religious inclinations at the wayside in my early teen years, despite the best efforts of the various Catholic schools I've attended.Hmm. Maybe I don't fail entirely with spirituality. For me, science is the closest thing I have to spirituality and I have to say, I'm entirely engrossed and completely in awe with most new scientific relevations or discoveries. It doesn't matter what facet of science is being discussed; I'm usually drawn in and listen/watch/read with an enthusiasm that might rival the joy a deeply spiritual individual gets when partaking of something important to their faith.Still, I think spirituality gives something to the believer/partaker that I probably don't get from science. Maybe a sense of connection to the world and to other human beings. Maybe a belief in an afterlife(for those whose spirituality/faith ties into an afterlife) that helps them through tough times. Probably a whole slew of things, actually, when I think about it.Relationships are a tricky thing for me. In the context of the article, it includes friendships and family. I'm not going to go into too much detail on this point right now; it's worthy of a lengthy entry of it's own. Still, I often feel alienated from others, apart from those around me and so I think I get only varied levels of "happiness" from this category. I do know for a fact that I'm scared to death of being in a long-term, serious relationship(read: marriage) and being unhappy with my partner. It's a powerfully influential factor in my actions in relationships.Aerobic Activity: I have to say, possibly one of the few times I know I'm definitely happy is when I'm dancing. I don't think I've ever been dancing and not enjoyed myself in some way or the other. Some nights are better than others, some nights I feel off...but I can't say I ever *dislike* dancing. Obviously, human interaction while dancing plays a part in this and while I have a love/hate relationship with human interaction, if the crowd is *good*, if I feel in tune with my surroundings, dancing is one of the things I enjoy most in life. I also know I'm not happy when I'm not physically active at all, when I'm a couch potato. But this might be just as much an issue of feeling out of shape, of feeling badly about my self-image than it might be about the actual act of physical activity. On the other hand, I think I read somewhere that physical activity causes the brain to release endorphins which in turns creates a "natural high" of sorts. Acting Happy: This one is a tricky one. Am I an introverted-extrovert? An extroverted-introvert? I am prone to surrounding myself with people and basking in their companionship and I'm just as prone to holing myself up and avoiding everyone. There is no doubt that I often feeling "happier" when I'm around people, especially when I'm engaged in a stimulating conversation. When I feel I've made a "connection"(though this may be linked to the above issue of "relationships).What I've also found interesting is that if I smile or grin, even if I'm down or bluesy, I still feel better. Just the physical act of doing either causes a shift in mood, even if I've got to force that smile or grin. Of course, it's a passing change in mood, but it's an interesting observation.I'll add to this list one of my own: Intellectual stimulation. This is one of my favorites. I'm often happy when I'm thinking, pondering over something. Whether it be reading, watching a thought-provoking movie, or having an engrossing conversation. Mmm. Or maybe I'm not always *happy* when I'm intellectually stimulated, but I'm often *passionate* when I'm intellectually stimulated. I suppose there is a difference.So what's this happiness deal? How many people are happy? It's not possible to be happy all the time. How about the majority of the time? I know I'm not happy most of the time, and I can't think or point to a time in my life that I have been. Then again, I'm usually not unhappy, either. I'm mostly just...mildly content or mildly discontent. So then is happiness an extreme in emotion, difficult to maintain for long periods of time? I'm not entirely sure. I've known old couples who have had amazing relationships with one another who often, as far as I can remember, seem happy. Is it a combined product of a long and fulfilling relationship as well as peace and understanding with the world and environment around them? Perhaps added to that is a sense of accomplishment through one's life?I can point to things that make me happy -- reading, dancing, kissing, eating a delicious meal...I can point to events in my life when I've been happy -- whenever I'm traveling overseas(sure, not the entire length of the trip, but a lot of the trip and the overall experience), winning competitions in school, my parents telling me they were proud of me...But overall? I think I'm often, at least in the last few years, left with the sense I'm missing something. A sense of yearning that has possibly interfered with having longer periods of unbroken happiness. Or maybe everyone's always got a sense of yearning for something more. Maybe that's part of what makes us human, which pushes us forward.Happiness is definitely not bought, I can say that much. Coming from a family of wealth, I know that. It does relieve stress though, so money certainly helps contribute to happiness. Not having to worry about whether financial obligations can be met is a stress reliever. On the other hand, I think wealth can bring its own set of unhappiness.Lack of money, I think, can bring unhappiness. It creates stress, for one thing. But beyond this, I also think it can cause envy. Looking to what others have that is out of your own range, but seems so enticing, can be a negative influence on happiness. Still, I don't think lack of money assures lack of happiness. In fact, I've known several people who have been through tough times financially who tackled the world with a sense of vigor that spoke of at least frequent periods of happiness in their life.At the end of the day, how much of a role does happiness play in our lives? Do we strive towards it? Is it something we try to achieve, want to have? Probably not as an "object" so to speak, but we probably take actions that we subconsciously think will make us happy.I've rambled enough. Not sure if this entry had a point to it, except a lot of musings. Maybe I'm just trying to figure out if I'll have more and longer periods of happiness in the future, and if so, what steps I need to take to insure that.