From the very beginning of my Kagan proposal, I had a feeling that measuring the effect that architecture has on happiness would be difficult. I was right. As I stated in my last post, my main research objective is to travel to a selection of the happiest and saddest cities in the US and investigate any architectural correlations to these statistics. While preparing for my travels to the US, I am in the process of conducting miniature surveys here in London, particularly within the RTKL London office. I am hoping that this will give me some pointers in deciding what techniques to employ in America.
The Pursuit of Happiness – Part 2
London ranks pretty averagely on most happiness polls, therefore it must be dealt with in a slightly different way than the American cities that I identified. Trying to find out if and why someone is happy is not a straightforward task. Mappiness, a study at London School of Economics, used an iPhone app to ask people to rate their subjective level of happiness, in addition to a few control questions about their whereabouts and activities. I interviewed the creator of the app, Dr George McKerron and he explained that the main result that stands out is that people are generally happier when they are outdoors. It also provides interesting graphs of who you are happiest with and what you are happiest doing. My statistics showed that I was the happiest when eating. The problem is that this app does not attempt to map spatial qualities further than that, so my task still remains unsolved.
My survey of Londoners is still in the making, but I have asked people to draw simple sketches of their perception of a certain area or time in the city. I am working on the premise that London is not particularly happy. As a result, I am developing alternative methods to map out spaces where people want to be. I will also interview my subjects with a range of questions regarding local architecture and urban planning. By using similar questionnaires in England and America, I will perhaps discover a discrepancy in results between the two.
I had a lot of fun with this task and received many interesting responses. I have mapped out the trends on a floor plan of our office, which shows that most people clearly want a desk by the window where no one walks past to see your screen. The most popular cup colour was yellow. My personal favourite, lime green, came in second. The spaces where people felt comfortable sleeping proved to be more individual, with a range of strange places popping up. Without asking people directly about happiness, I found some indicators and common denominators of the spatial features that RTKL staff members find desirable.
I will be travelling across the US in September, and these studies in London and in the office will inform my research process there. While making as many preparations as possible, I am still looking forward to the many unpredictable parts that I will surely encounter during my travels.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
The unhappiness of not being happy. Does this constant pursuit of happiness make us unhappy?In Part 1, we learned how being happy has positive impacts on our health and longevity. One might translate that fact into thinking we should be in constant pursuit of happiness. Should we be focused on happiness all of the time? Can we buy more happiness or could we be doing more harm than good by endlessly trying to weave happiness into every ounce of our lives? We will investigate below. In future articles we will explore how our digitally connected mobile and media infused world has impacted our happiness level. Finally, we will conclude by discovering ways that individuals can cultivate character strengths and build traits that realistically align with their personality and lifestyle to help us attain a healthy dose of happiness and enrich our lives.
Should we be focused on happiness all of the time?As we explored in Part 1, being optimistic has benefits. Positive emotions encourage cooperation, stimulate action, and motivate us to reach our goals. However, staying focused only on the positive has negative consequences too. If we set unrealistic expectations that our life is meant to be an endless amount of bliss, we will be doomed to disappointment. It is not possible or healthy to experience happiness all of the time, for several reasons.
Balanced ReasonsStriving for excessive pleasure all of the time could influence you to engage in risky behaviors to achieve continued happiness. This selfish, egotistical focus on your happiness might make you inflexible in the face of a new challenge.3 Some situations require you to make sacrifices, adapt your mindset, and to contribute to the greater good.
Balanced ContextHappiness is not appropriate in every situation. Being ecstatic and skipping into the funeral of a beloved friend who just lost a battle with cancer is not a normal reaction. Being sad and mourning the loss would be more typical. Our emotional responses to life events are there for a reason and teach us something. The important lesson is to not fake happiness in the midst of pain, but to make the choice to be mindful and allow experiences to strengthen you.
Does a constant pursuit of happiness make us unhappy?Research has revealed the more you try to force happiness the more you push it away.7 Prioritizing positivity is worthwhile; however, an overzealous or obsessive pursuit of reaching an optimal emotional state can make happiness harder to reach.8 Those devoting their lives to what matters, as opposed to those on the unrealistic quest to be happy all of the time, have a greater chance of feeling joy and appreciating life events, the good and the bad.
Another angle to consider as we think about the quest of a happy life is what we are living for, a life that is satisfying vs. experiences that are satisfying. Understanding the difference between eudaimonic vs hedonic happiness might help. Eudaimonic happiness is feeling your life has meaning and purpose, and your experiences allow you to learn, grow, and reach your full potential. Hedonic happiness is pleasure or feeling good in the moment, reaching a goal, and feeling temporarily satisfied.9
Think about how people rearrange their lives in the pursuit of a larger salary. They uproot themselves from their comfortable, supportive community, endure long commutes, long working hours, and long distance relationships, even though research has shown these all actually deteriorate your happiness and health.16
Before discovering our own path to fulfillment, we will explore how our digitally connected world impacts our happiness and well-being. And in the last article in the series we will uncover skills and traits we can strengthen to achieve a happier state of mind. Finally, we will consider the shift from happiness to fulfillment to enhance our quality of life, as simply feeling good is not enough, people need meaning to thrive.
While Chris is trying to sell one of the scanners, he meets Jay Twistle, a lead manager and partner for Dean Witter Reynolds, and impresses him by solving a Rubik's Cube during a taxi ride. After Jay leaves, Chris lacks the money to pay the fare and chooses to run instead, causing the driver to angrily chase him into a BART station. Chris boards a train but loses one of his scanners in the process. His new relationship with Jay earns him the chance to become an intern stockbroker.
The day before the interview, Chris grudgingly agrees to paint his apartment to postpone being evicted due to his difficulty in paying the rent. While painting, Chris is greeted by two policemen at his doorstep, who take him to the station, stating he has to pay for the numerous parking tickets he has accumulated. As part of the sanction, Chris is ordered to spend the night in jail instead, complicating his schedule for the interview the following day. Chris arrives at Dean Witter's office on time, albeit still in his shabby clothes. Despite his appearance, he impresses the interviewers and lands a six-month unpaid internship. He would be amongst 20 interns competing for a paid position as a stockbroker.
As Chris concludes his last day of internship, he is summoned to a meeting with the partners. Mr. Frohm notes he is wearing a new shirt, to which Chris explains he thought it appropriate to dress for the occasion on his last day. Mr. Frohm smiles and says he should wear another one tomorrow, letting him know he has won the coveted full-time position and reimburses him for the previous cab ride. Fighting back tears, Chris shakes hands with the partners, then rushes to his son's daycare to embrace Christopher. They walk down a street, joking with each other (and are passed by the real Chris Gardner, in a business suit). 2ff7e9595c
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