Balanced Life -- 10 Common Myths About Happiness

Every Wednesday is Tip Day (or List Day, or Quiz Day).

This Wednesday: 10 common myths about happiness.

Lately, I've found myself frequently discussing several of ten common myths about happiness, so I decided to post the complete list here.

No. 1: Happy people are annoying and stupid. This is an automatic assumption that many people make.

No. 2: Nothing changes a person's happiness level much.

No. 3: Venting anger relieves it.

No. 4: You'll be happier if you insist on "the best."

No. 5: A "treat" will cheer you up.

No. 6: Money can't buy happiness.

No. 7: Doing "random acts of kindness" brings happiness. The emphasis here is on the word "random."

No. 8: You'll be happy as soon as you... Falling into the "arrival fallacy" is something that many people (including me) recognize in themselves.

No. 9: Spending some time alone will make you feel better.

No. 10: The biggest myth: It's selfish to try to be happier.

Agree? Disagree? Am I missing an important myth?

* Via HeadButler, I read the moving eulogy for writer Robert B. Parker, written by his son.

* It's Word-of-Mouth Day, when I gently encourage (or, you might think, pester) you to spread the word about the Happiness Project. You might:
-- Forward the link to someone you think would be interested
-- Link to a post on Twitter (follow me @gretchenrubin)
-- Sign up for my free monthly newsletter (about 39,000 people get it)
-- Buy the book
-- Join the 2010 Happiness Challenge to make 2010 a happier year
-- Put a link to the blog in your Facebook status update
-- Watch the one-minute book video
Thanks! I really appreciate any help. Word of mouth is the BEST.

 

 

 

Follow Gretchen Rubin on Twitter: www.twitter.com/gretchenrubin

Comments

[Ellen Seidman]

01:17 PM on 03/03/2010

Hey, Gretchen. Excellent list, agree with it all. I have a happiness myth to add: Other people can make you happier. I'm thinking about kids, in particular. I love listening to mine, teaching them, learning from them, cuddling them, kissing them. But going through the trauma of my son's birth experience and its aftermath has taught me one important thing: Happiness has to start with me—I can't depend on the kids, or my husband (who tried so valiantly to cheer me up during that first year of my son's life) for it.

[seawolf77]

11:59 AM on 03/03/2010

Ghandi said happiness is when what you think,say, and do all match. Pithy. A little trite. I say the , just like just about everything in life, it is the opposite of the instructions we are given which makes me highly suspicious of our leaders. "Life liberty and the pursuit of happiness". The pursuit. The pursuit. The key to happiness is to stop pursuing it because she is an elusive and cunning prey, more than a match for any predator. When you stop pursuing she becomes annoyed and then pursues you.