According to the podcast of Oprah Winfrey and Arthur Brooks (social scientist) on YouTube …
People are less happy nowadays and social media plays a role in this because it is a means to compare themselves to one another. Social media makes people lonely because it is the junk food of social life. You’ll binge and get lonelier.
Happiness is not a destination it is a direction.
There is no such thing as complete happiness. If you are completely happy you will be dead in a week, you need negative emotions to keep you alive and safe.
The 4 pillars that you think you need are Money, power, pleasure, fame… Mother Nature makes us think that we want these things to survive and she keeps us running. On the contrary if we get these things we will be happy. Faith, family, friends and work are the ones that serve. Sharing makes people happy.
1. Enjoyment
It is the source of pleasure you can get from people that you love, memories…
Addiction is a love to something that gets instant pleasure that doesn’t last … it is unhealthy. Usually we get addicted to things as a compensation for our negative feelings. Negative feelings are normal and should be treated as such… not as something to be cured from.
2. Satisfaction
We are made to make progress and satisfaction keeps as trying. It’s a moment of joy which doesn’t last. If you don’t struggle there is no satisfaction.
3. Purpose
It is the essence of your life. It answers the question why are you alive and for what are you willing to die today.
The power of metacognition
You are not your emotions, metacognition is thinking about thinking. It is putting a distance between your feelings and your reaction on purpose… it will make life different. Once you know this skill, you will know that emotions are just information and observe as if it is happening to somebody else. You can change your feelings by the way you respond to it. For example if a depressed person jokes and lightens the mood once in a while he will feel better. Our brain is adopted to magnify the negative experiences in life… we just should know how to respond to it.
Gratitude is the key to happiness. Being conscious of what you have is crucial… For a happier life you can write down things you are grateful for.
BY SENAIT G/HIWOT
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SATURDAY 25 NOVEMBER 2023
