TIME Magazine recently shared results from a current Harris Poll concerning the national mood of adult Americans. One third (33%) rated themselves as happy. As low as this, the score is up two points from a year ago.
Harris did not seek to peel back the reasons behind the numbers, instead focusing on net results. Triggers creating the two-point year-over-year upward bump are open to conjecture, since the past twelve months have seen us poured with boiling oil with such aggravations as “alternative facts,” Tweet storms and reactive vitriol, and the relentless encroachment of robotics into life and work. Reading that made me wonder if we are becoming numb to these negative or do other factors exist? I am interested in hearing your thoughts.
According to Harris, men seem happier than women and those with high school educations score higher than college graduates. Republicans are slightly happier than Democrats. The happiest group are seniors over age 65. Frustration abounds in areas of finance and career directions. Surprisingly, as volatile as the health care debates have been on Capitol Hill, 53 percent of adults said they do not worry about their health, up five points from a year ago.
John Gerzema, CEO of the Harris Poll, points to a strong 86 percent happiness rating on the topic of strong family relationships. “One hypothesis,” he said, “is that we are trying to control what we can. Maybe we are turning off cable news and turning back into our families and communities and faith.”
Gerzema’s comments on worry management strike a deep chord with me, as my book Managing the Worry Circle and seminars teaching better head management have been a passionate pursuit for the past two decades.
It is interesting to note that Americans tend to be a grumpy sort. In the nine years Gerzema’s company has measured happiness, we have never scored higher than 35 percent, a number that was reached during the recession years of 2008-2009. A surprising inhibitor may be the revelation that only two of five Americans engage in a hobby or pastime they enjoy, which is something we can control. Seventy-five percent, three out of every four adult Americans, feel totally disengaged from national decisions that affect their lives, which is uncontrollable.
Gerzema hypothesizes that unfulfilling tasks such as texting, multitasking, job, and commutes chew up too much time and suppress happiness. My most recent book, The Impact of Technology on Behavior & Happiness, explains those happiness detractors and many others in great detail, each examined for both cause and effect.
In a bit of surprise, and despite our collective grumpy nature, three out of four of us are optimistic about the future. Happy we are not. Optimistic we are.
Said Gerzema, “Optimism, but not necessarily happiness, seems to be part of the American psyche. Perhaps we wear it like a coat of arms.”
I have written extensively in the past about the pursuit of happiness in comparison with the pursuit of contentment. It is a myth that everyone wants to be happy. Some couldn’t care less, but nearly all of us want to be content. Contentment hinges on resilience, and resilience leans on things like gratitude and optimism.
We find in life what we look for, so when we look for the good we see the good. Look for the bad, see the bad. Each of us is empowered to pick which of the two we want. Filling the mind with positive things will make you happier than stuffing it full of negatives. Happiness is something I have always taught to be a bit of a math problem. When the pluses in your head outweigh the negatives, you will be happier than vice-versa.
This also holds true with companies, which are nothing more than collections of individuals ostensibly chasing a common goal. Organizations that proactively espouse and inspire happiness enablers will create more vibrant cultures than those that don’t. Generosity boosts happiness, too. Since workers tend to flee negative cultures and seek places more positive, happiness helps attract and retain talent. Since top talent referrals is the number one source of great hires, upbeat cultures gain a competitive advantage.
When asked about the secret to happiness the Dalai Lama said simply, “Do more, want less.” Doing more for others props us up, being grateful for what we have lessens the hunger for more.
Today’s homework assignment is simple: Give someone you know a boost. Both of you will benefit.
Best regards,
