4 Myths About Happiness

Everyone wants to be happy, and everyone has their own ideas about the best way to achieve that happiness. The thing is, though, that some of those ideas are simply wrong. What are the most common misconceptions about happiness? Find out, and you might just be one step closer to actually finding the secret to a happy and fulfilled life.

Your Happiness Is Predetermined by Genetics

Some people are just naturally happy and outgoing. They have social personalities, always seem to be in a good mood and just have an overall positive outlook on life. Then you have their counterparts... the grumpy people who are almost always in a bad mood, rarely laugh, and have an overall negative demeanor. No matter what's going well for them, these people always find something to complain about.

They are pessimistic and tend to thrive on the negative, unable to put a positive spin on things. It’s easy to assume that these people were just born with very different personalities, but this is not always the case.

Happiness is not a one-size fits all concept, and those who are happy or unhappy were not necessarily born that way. Genetics certainly can play a significant role in personality, as we see in siblings who are born in the same house, but turn out to have completely different interests, likes and personalities. Genetics, however, is not the end-all-be-all in the world of happiness.

Those people who naturally start out with a lower overall level of happiness may not ever transform into the likes of those naturally happy, positive people; but they can slide the notch up a few rungs on their own personal happiness scale. As with any other life goals, finding happiness and learning how to have a more positive outlook and therefore a happier life, takes time, patience and practice.

Your Happiness Will Come From Reaching Your Goal

The road to happiness is everlasting. Many people who are in search of happiness mistakenly believe that they will find it when they hit certain milestones in their life.

Sure, finally purchasing that new home that you’ve been saving for will make you happy, but it’s only a small drop in the bucket. Looking at the entire lifespan, that event that seems so significant now, will quickly be overshadowed by other life events and day to day living. The happiness that is derived from these life events is temporary, and will eventually fade into the distance. Relying on accomplishments and milestones to bring about happiness is rarely successful. 

The Negative is Stronger Than Positive

Many people believe that when it comes down to the battle of emotions, negative thinking is a stronger force than positive thinking. There has been some research to back up these beliefs. For example, when an individual loses a small sum of money, they tend to have a stronger reaction than if they won that same small amount. However, in the grand scheme of things, negative thoughts can almost always be edged out by consistent positive thinking. Initially, negativity can take center stage, stealing the spotlight from any positive thinking. This is because negativity generally brings fear, uncertainty, guilt, or anger along with it. These are all powerful emotions that can overpower the feelings of happiness that are much calmer in comparison.

The more you push for those positive feelings, the quicker they will take back the spotlight, and the easier it will be to do so.

You Have to Be Selfish to Be Happy

For some people, happiness is about fulfilling their own desires. But this is not the case for everyone. Many people find happiness in helping others. You don’t have to take a hedonistic approach to life in order to find happiness. Pleasurable experiences can be part of a happy life, but they certainly do not have to be the main purpose in one’s life. In fact, true happiness often lies in having a purpose.