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Are We Trading Our Happiness for Modern Comforts?

Five takeaways:

  1. Here Brooks points out that while average household income risen over time, average happiness has fallen. Why?
  2. The General Social Survey has been measuring social trends among Americans since 1972, and shows a rise in unhappiness from 1988 to the present– despite many metrics showing an increase in quality of life.
  3. Brooks reminds us that although material comforts can provide a thrill or sense of security, they do not inject life with meaning.
  4. The rise of technology, similarly, promised a utopian vision of a happy and thrilling future; it has not delivered on that promise at all- in fact making us less happy and more socially isolated.
  5. Brooks offers three principles for warding off a life of empty consumption: 1. Don’t make frivolous, short-sighted purchases 2. Be skeptical of government or big tech companies whose sustenance involves taking your attention, winning your vote, and separating you from your money. 3. Don’t trade love for anything: love is the leading indicator of happiness known to man. It is never to be taken for granted and completely irreplaceable.

From Arthur C. Brooks at The Atlantic:
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Note: At the time of this posting The Atlantic offers five free article views per month.

This site may contain links to articles or other information that may be contained on a third-party website. Advisory Services Network, LLC and MAP Strategic Wealth Advisors are not responsible for and do not control, adopt, or endorse any content contained on any third party website. The information and material contained in linked articles is of a general nature and is intended for educational purposes only. Links to articles do not constitute a recommendation or a solicitation or offer of the purchase or sale of securities.

Exercise Officially Makes You Happier Than Money, According to Yale and Oxford Research

Five takeaways:

  1. This article concerns a recent study of the physical behavior and mental mood of over 1.2 million Americans that showed conclusively that exercise makes a person happier and mentally at peace.
  2. They asked Americans of different exercise frequencies, activities, and income levels, “How many times have you felt mentally unwell in the past 30 days, due to stress, depression, or emotional problems?”
  3. The scientists found that, while those who exercised regularly tended to feel bad for around 35 days a year, non-active participants felt bad for 18 days more on average.
  4. Scientists also found that physically active people feel just as good as those who don’t do sports, but who earn around $25,000 more a year.
  5. The scientists also found, however, that too much exercise can be detrimental to your health. More than 3-5 sessions of 30-60 minutes per week was determined to be ideal.

From Ruqayyah Moynihan at Entrepreneur:
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This site may contain links to articles or other information that may be contained on a third-party website. Advisory Services Network, LLC and MAP Strategic Wealth Advisors are not responsible for and do not control, adopt, or endorse any content contained on any third party website. The information and material contained in linked articles is of a general nature and is intended for educational purposes only. Links to articles do not constitute a recommendation or a solicitation or offer of the purchase or sale of securities.

What Kind of Happiness Do People Value Most?

Five takeaways:

  1. This article asks us to ask ourselves: What kind of happiness do we want? “Experienced Happiness,” or “Remembered Happiness”?
  2. Happiness has different versions. Experienced happiness (where you experience happiness on a moment-to-moment basis) is far different from “remembered happiness” (where afterwards you will reflect back and feel happy)
  3. A recent survey of 1,145 Americans in the Journal of Positive Psychology found that 79% of respondents chose experienced happiness over remembered happiness for the rest of their lives.
  4. When asked about what type of happiness they would desire to experience the following day, most respondents chose remembered happiness, indicating a desire for an immediate feeling of pride and purpose.
  5. We are all busy, the article concludes, but spending too much time on pursuits associated with success and work-based pride might result in a person turning down far too many opportunities to feel happy in the moment.

From Cassie Mogilner Holmes at Harvard Business Review:
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Note: At the time of this posting Harvard Business Review offers two free article views per month. Four if you register for a free account.

This site may contain links to articles or other information that may be contained on a third-party website. Advisory Services Network, LLC and MAP Strategic Wealth Advisors are not responsible for and do not control, adopt, or endorse any content contained on any third party website. The information and material contained in linked articles is of a general nature and is intended for educational purposes only. Links to articles do not constitute a recommendation or a solicitation or offer of the purchase or sale of securities.

Enjoying a Cup of Coffee? You should Thank the Birds and the Bees, Study Finds

Five takeaways:

  1. A University of Vermont study shows that coffee beans are much larger and more plentiful when birds and bees collaborate to protect and pollinate coffee plants.
  2. Study authors estimate that without nature’s helpers, coffee farmers would see a 25 percent decline in crop yields. That represents a loss of about $1,066 per hectare of coffee.
  3. These findings hold major implications for everyone involved in the $26 billion global coffee industry– from farmers to major corporations to latte drinkers across the world.
  4. This is the first research project ever to show, via real-world experiments conducted at 30 coffee farms, that birds and bees are much more beneficial for coffee yields when they work in unison; birds simultaneously perform pest control duty while bees pollinate.
  5. The research showed that in harvesting situations in which birds and bees’ were present, there were greater results in fruit set, fruit weight, and fruit uniformity. All of these factors are major indicators of both coffee quality and price.

From John Anderer at Study Finds:
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This site may contain links to articles or other information that may be contained on a third-party website. Advisory Services Network, LLC and MAP Strategic Wealth Advisors are not responsible for and do not control, adopt, or endorse any content contained on any third party website. The information and material contained in linked articles is of a general nature and is intended for educational purposes only. Links to articles do not constitute a recommendation or a solicitation or offer of the purchase or sale of securities.
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