”Psychological wealth,” they write, ”is more than simple fleeting joy, and more than an absence of depression and anxiety. Psychological wealth is the experience that our life is excellent - that we are living in a rewarding, engaged, meaningful and enjoyable way.”

On the issue of whether money can buy happiness, the authors report some interesting findings. Contrary to a popular belief that rich people tend to be greedy or to engage in excessive pursuits that make them miserable, the data suggest that increased income correlates with increased psychological wealth. Those living in countries with higher per capita income, for example, report a higher level of well-being.

The authors also ask: How happy is happy enough? They explore whether the unbridled pursuit of happiness can have negative consequences.

They report on a recent study, conducted by Diener and his colleagues at the University of Virginia and Michigan State University, which suggests that moderate happiness may actually be preferable to full-fledged elation.

The study challenged the assumption that all measures of well-being go up as happiness increases. While many indicators of success and well-being do correspond to higher levels of happiness, the researchers reported, those at the top of the happiness scale (people who report that they are 10s on a 10-point life-satisfaction score) are in some measures worse off than their slightly less-elated counterparts.

”The highest levels of income, education and political participation were reported not by the most satisfied individuals (10 on the 10-point scale),” the authors of the study wrote, ”but by moderately satisfied individuals (eight or nine on the 10-point scale).”

The 10s earned significantly less money than the eights and nines. Their educational achievements and political engagement were also significantly lower than their moderately happy and happy-but-not-blissful counterparts.

”While positive emotions are beneficial, a few negative emotions can help us to be more fully functioning individuals,” Diener and Biswas-Diener write.

Informative article.

Pl continue like this.

It is science or the arts ? The important aspect is one must learn to live a happy life.