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The Science of Happiness

Any topic related to science can be discussed here.
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DougS
Posts: 737
Joined: July 4th, 2007, 9:48 am

The Science of Happiness

#1 Post by DougS » August 4th, 2009, 10:12 am

It's a day late but you can still join in this experiment being conducted by Richard Wiseman.

http://www.scienceofhappiness.co.uk/

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getreal
Posts: 4354
Joined: November 20th, 2008, 5:40 pm

Re: The Science of Happiness

#2 Post by getreal » August 4th, 2009, 10:40 am

I am already insanely happy and don't feel I need anyone to help me be happier.

I also feel that the pursuit of happiness perhaps in itself brings discontent and therefore unhappiness.
"It's hard to put a leash on a dog once you've put a crown on his head"-Tyrion Lannister.

Maria Mac
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Joined: July 3rd, 2007, 10:34 pm

Re: The Science of Happiness

#3 Post by Maria Mac » August 4th, 2009, 4:32 pm

I got stuck on the first question.

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getreal
Posts: 4354
Joined: November 20th, 2008, 5:40 pm

Re: The Science of Happiness

#4 Post by getreal » August 4th, 2009, 4:46 pm

What "how old are you?" :laughter:

I decided to participate, but when it acme to the excersise I have to say that this "advice" is something I do all the time and many many times throughout the day.

Maybe that's why I am so annoyingly happy all the time!
"It's hard to put a leash on a dog once you've put a crown on his head"-Tyrion Lannister.

Maria Mac
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Joined: July 3rd, 2007, 10:34 pm

Re: The Science of Happiness

#5 Post by Maria Mac » August 5th, 2009, 10:17 am

LOL - no. The question about thinking of something that made me feel good the previous day. I usually feel grumpy as hell in the mornings and no amount of positive thinking makes me feel better. I just get better as the day progresses and around midnight I'm feeling great and ready to party.

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Hestia
Posts: 135
Joined: June 8th, 2009, 11:54 pm

Re: The Science of Happiness

#6 Post by Hestia » August 6th, 2009, 3:30 am

I think I'll stick to Prozac for happiness. It seems to be working okay for me so far. :D

Maria Mac
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Joined: July 3rd, 2007, 10:34 pm

Re: The Science of Happiness

#7 Post by Maria Mac » August 29th, 2009, 1:30 am

Results:
...as promised, today we announce the initial results of the happiness experiment. Over 26,000 people took part, which was amazing.

In one part of the project we asked people to carry out one of four happiness boosting exercises and compared the subsequent levels of reported happiness with those using a control technique (simply thinking about the day before). The result show that spending just a few moments thinking about one thing that went well yesterday is a surprisingly effectively way of boosting happiness. Compared to those in the control group, this procedure resulted in a 15% boost in reported happiness. Lots more details here.

Obviously, these are just initial findings and we will be submitting a full report to an academic journal soon.

In the meantime, here is a short video of my good self describing the technique. Take a few seconds to do it and then feel free to describe your memory, and/or whether you feel happier, in the comments section. Let’s see if we can make this the happiest blog on the web today!

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getreal
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Re: The Science of Happiness

#8 Post by getreal » August 29th, 2009, 10:51 am

Isn't the "pursuit of happiness" a luxury only enjoyed by the affluent, developed world?
"It's hard to put a leash on a dog once you've put a crown on his head"-Tyrion Lannister.

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