Mathematical Formula for Happiness
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Mathematical Formula for Happiness
The Happiness Hypothesis - Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom by Jonathan Haidt
Happiness Formula
H = S + C + V
H= Happiness
S= individual personality happiness Set Point
C= Conditions of your life
V=Voluntary activities you undertake
Set Point is likely a range so one's inputs can increase it slightly
External Conditions one can work to impact:
Noise
Community
Lack of Control
Shame
Relationships
Finding Flow
Voluntary Activities
Work on increasing pleasures (sensory/strong emotional components) and gratifications (engage fully, draw on your strengths, allow for loss of self-consciousness).
A most interesting review of happiness from a historical, philosophical, and scientific perspective.
Happiness Formula
H = S + C + V
H= Happiness
S= individual personality happiness Set Point
C= Conditions of your life
V=Voluntary activities you undertake
Set Point is likely a range so one's inputs can increase it slightly
External Conditions one can work to impact:
Noise
Community
Lack of Control
Shame
Relationships
Finding Flow
Voluntary Activities
Work on increasing pleasures (sensory/strong emotional components) and gratifications (engage fully, draw on your strengths, allow for loss of self-consciousness).
A most interesting review of happiness from a historical, philosophical, and scientific perspective.
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Join Date: May 2012
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I'm all over this! Right up my alley! Mathematical formula...I love it! I want a logical formula for my happiness, something I can make sense of. Isolate variables and do a test run.
Now translate this set point, because it sounds like a new programming language and I got bored by the time I was studying C++
I think my set point has changed over the years...now that that's a variable too, this is going to take some work.
Now translate this set point, because it sounds like a new programming language and I got bored by the time I was studying C++
I think my set point has changed over the years...now that that's a variable too, this is going to take some work.
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One edit on list of External Conditions was supposed to be commuting not community!
As for more science on the set point - from footnotes
Lykken, DT (1999) Happiness: What studies on twins show us about nature, nurture, & happiness set point. NY: Golden Books.
Marcus, G (2004) The Birth of the Mind. NY: Basic Books.
This book I am scanning is a summary and the original formula above is actually from Seligman, Sheldon, Schkade, and Lyubomirsky.
As for more science on the set point - from footnotes
Lykken, DT (1999) Happiness: What studies on twins show us about nature, nurture, & happiness set point. NY: Golden Books.
Marcus, G (2004) The Birth of the Mind. NY: Basic Books.
This book I am scanning is a summary and the original formula above is actually from Seligman, Sheldon, Schkade, and Lyubomirsky.
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Uggghhh!............leaves me totally cold!(no offense intended). I must disclose that I have had too much experience at the hands of cold and logical "types" during my life. I roll with the more sensitive and humanistic expressions.
dandylion
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I don't think logic has to be cold, dandylion...they aren't mutually exclusive...
sometimes others (like me) might give up on trusting emotion to lead the way, and conclude that we still have to put our trust in some method so we'll go with logic.
I wore out my emotions after a few years of misery. My emotions needed a break, a big break, quite simply. I turned my focus to logic to give myself some reprieve from the angst emotion was causing me.
sometimes others (like me) might give up on trusting emotion to lead the way, and conclude that we still have to put our trust in some method so we'll go with logic.
I wore out my emotions after a few years of misery. My emotions needed a break, a big break, quite simply. I turned my focus to logic to give myself some reprieve from the angst emotion was causing me.
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Originally Posted by lillamy 
I'm missing the most important component in that formula: The attitude you choose to have.
Agreed the formula is confusing without definitions explained in depth!
I love the IDEA of a formula for happiness. But honestly I believe it is so much more complex, given that part of happiness is discovery and surprise, like a kid catching their first butterfly.
I like the idea. I also think it's doomed LOL
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I think my thing is that we would all LIKE for there to be a formula, a set of rules, that if you do it right you are guaranteed a good outcome.
Life's just messier than that, in my experience.
Life's just messier than that, in my experience.
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I think my favorite thing about this formula is it helps one assess what you can systematically change. Haidt summarizes that the top 3 ways to raise your biological set point range is meditation, cognitive therapy and Prozac (which stands for all antidepressants).
Most of us land here with a pretty bad attitude bc we are worn out, full of resentments, and angry.
What do we tell codies? Focus on yourself. Change what you have control over. We have to break that incorrect focus on our qualifier (detachment - let go and let HP)because we will never make any changes there.
We tell them to go to Al Anon to help them build relationships with people who can empathize. We tell them to get a sponsor. We tell them to see a therapist often too. We tell them to work on their own recovery - the 12 steps - a more detailed list which falls completely into this equation.
Last year I impacted my equation with commute, my lack of control (kicking A out/changing job), counseling (individual, marital), al anon (relationships), medication, flow (job change/running), & running buddy (relationship). I also feel like all the reading I did on alcoholism, codependency SR and family program at rehab helped me re-evaluate my shame about qualifier's addiction to alcohol. AlAnon and step work journaling helped me too on this equation which is I guess a bit of unofficial cognitive therapy, education about shame in relation to alcoholism and relationships.
Step 4 is going to make me systematically assess these variables in an entirely different way. I like the simplicity of this equation. I need to add meditation to my plate I think in 2014.
Most of us land here with a pretty bad attitude bc we are worn out, full of resentments, and angry.
What do we tell codies? Focus on yourself. Change what you have control over. We have to break that incorrect focus on our qualifier (detachment - let go and let HP)because we will never make any changes there.
We tell them to go to Al Anon to help them build relationships with people who can empathize. We tell them to get a sponsor. We tell them to see a therapist often too. We tell them to work on their own recovery - the 12 steps - a more detailed list which falls completely into this equation.
Last year I impacted my equation with commute, my lack of control (kicking A out/changing job), counseling (individual, marital), al anon (relationships), medication, flow (job change/running), & running buddy (relationship). I also feel like all the reading I did on alcoholism, codependency SR and family program at rehab helped me re-evaluate my shame about qualifier's addiction to alcohol. AlAnon and step work journaling helped me too on this equation which is I guess a bit of unofficial cognitive therapy, education about shame in relation to alcoholism and relationships.
Step 4 is going to make me systematically assess these variables in an entirely different way. I like the simplicity of this equation. I need to add meditation to my plate I think in 2014.
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Hi Stung! Yes it also makes me see there is no surprise that my therapist is now focusing me on my marriage. I've worked on me quite a bit and maybe I am now strong enough to deal with that big relationship - or lack thereof.
What a bugger.
What a bugger.
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I'm beginning to think that this therapy stuff never ends. Mine is making me focus on old hurts, which is super uncomfortable for me and makes me bizarrely emotional. We haven't really talked about my RAH at all the last two sessions. But it sounds like you're progressing forward steadily if you're moving past just your own issues and onto what is going on in your marriage. Good for you, CodeJob!
Good for you, CodeJob!
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