The cover of the pre-previous issue of Harvard Business Review was a giant smiley. The theme was “happiness”. Harvard Business Review is always a popular magazine at Brilliant, but this time was extreme. Everyone wanted to read it.
I think this cover related to what we all want: to be happy. Most of us have stopped believing the path to happiness goes by eating Toffifee or drinking Coca-Cola. By the way, what is the connection between brown sugary substances and happiness?
The smiley issue did not disappoint. Loads of thorough research on what makes us happy. Harvard psychology professor Daniel Gilberts started the issue of with a response to the question “can happiness be measured?”
It is no stranger than when the eye doctor fits you for a new set of glasses, Gilbert said. She will ask how well you see the letters on the board. This is your subjective judgement, of course, but it is stable enough for the optician to slide another class in front of your eyes and ask the same question again. Eventually you leave with a set of perfect glasses. All based on you subjective judgement of how well you see the letters.
In the same way, we ask people “how do you feel today” and “how satisfied are you with your life?”. Swedish philosophy and happiness scholar Bengt Brülde has used that to show that us full time workers are happier than half timers. Half timers are happier than unemployed, of course. But the people working extra time are the happiest ones of all!
Less isn’t always more. More is more.