This research into the 3 different lives that lead to happiness answers a few questions that some of us have. Namely, how can people who do contrary to the Lord's gospel be happy? And how can people who do and sacrifice so much for the gospel still be happy? The principles and practices our LDS lifestyle matched up to the happy life ideas Seligman talks about might give a little insight. (MY thoughts are listed below in pink.)
Click on the title and it will take you to the talk
I believe there are three different... happy lives. - Martin Seligman
1 • THE PLEASANT LIFE
The first happy life is the pleasant life. This is a life in which you have as much positive emotion as you possibly can, and the skills to amplify it.... they're extremely social.... They don't spend time alone. Each of them is in a romantic relationship and each has a rich repertoire of friends.... when we teach people about the pleasant life, how to have more pleasure in your life, one of your assignments is to... design a beautiful day. Next Saturday, set a day aside, design yourself a beautiful day, and use savoring and mindfulness [Skills] to enhance those pleasures. And we can show in that way that the pleasant life is enhanced. - Martin Seligman | THE PLEASANT LDS LIFE... WARD SOCIALS PARTIES & DANCES MEETINGS REUNIONS CELEBRATIONS COMMEMORATIONS YOUTH PROGRAMS PRIMARY RELIEF SOCIETY FRIENDS RECREATION |
2 • THE ENGAGED LIFE
3 • THE MEANINGFUL LIFE
And third, the meaningful life. So I want to say a little bit about each of those lives and what we know about them. And the third path is meaning. This is the most venerable of the happinesses, traditionally. And meaning, in this view, consists of -- very parallel to eudaimonia -- it consists of knowing what your highest strengths are, and using them to belong to and in the service of something larger than you are.... Another [assignment] is a strength date, in which we get couples to identify their highest strengths on the strengths test, and then to design an evening in which they both use their strengths, and we find this is a strengthener of relationships.... [Another idea]When you do something philanthropic to help another person, it lasts and it lasts. - Martin Seligman | THE MEANINGFUL LDS LIFE... CALLINGS LEADERSHIP TITHES OFFERINGS DONATIONS PRIESTHOOD TEMPLES DATE NIGHTS SEALINGS PLAN OF SALVATION CHILDREN FORGIVENESS |
RESULTS
"... we ask the question as a function of the three different lives,
how much life satisfaction do you get?"
"... we ask the question as a function of the three different lives,
how much life satisfaction do you get?"
It turns out the pursuit of pleasure has almost no contribution to life satisfaction.... Where pleasure matters is if you have both engagement and you have meaning, then pleasure's the whipped cream and the cherry.
The pursuit of engagement is also very strong.
The pursuit of meaning is the strongest. - Martin Seligman
It was interesting to see which areas I spend my time doing and my relative happiness. So, really I shouldn't be weary in well-doing. So should the phrase be, 'don't weary, be happy'? Okay, I'll say it, "uhh No!" Looking at this, lives 2 & 3 are where I want to be most. But I do like a little whipped cream pleasure in my life.
What would you add to these lists?
What would you add to these lists?
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