Happiness Levels?????

I’m sure you all have noticed that I can be a bit like a dog with a bone.

I apologize for those of you that are sick of Hubby or Happiness posts. I am consumed by talking about how great Hubby is and by thoughts that have come up while reading The Happiness Project, by Gretchen Rubin

The title of this post shows that today it is once again a post about thoughts rolling in my head about happiness.

Are there set levels of Happiness?

This possibility was discussed early in the book and has been a thought running through my head and personal conversations ever since.

The concept (one of many presented in this book) is that a person is born with a set level of happiness, predetermined, like eye colour.

Note - I don’t have the book in front of me and am pulling together numbers for the sake of explaining my interpretation of this concept – it is not a direct quote and not based on any specific scientific study.

The basic idea is 50% of a person’s “happiness” is predetermined; some people are born happier than others. When factoring out circumstances, mindsets and effort certain people are just happier. The other 50% of a person’s happiness is subject to manipulation, positive thoughts, life changes, and glorious circumstances all improve an individual’s happiness.

So…… If a person is born with a particularly high predetermined happy rate and maxes out their 50% base level of happiness, theoretically with study, spirituality, and good circumstance they could reach a 100% happiness level.

On the other hand someone who is born with a low predetermined happy rate, let’s say a 10% base level, even with study, positive thoughts, spiritual growth, and perfect circumstances the best they can hope to achieve ever is a 60% happiness level. (10% base added to 50% manipulation)

Hummmmmmmmmmm……..

I don’t know what I think about this “theory”.

I presented it to numerous people and received numerous responses back.

First the word “happy” was questioned – “happy” feels 100% attached to circumstance and can change with the minutes. While “content” feels deeper, spiritual, an overall feeling about one’s life. “Joy” feels completely spiritual, joy from the Lord, a serendipitous feeling, a gift (fruit).

The best I can figure that this theory would be in regards to contentment – an overall feeling of one’s life.

Nailing down the definition did nothing to unite the various offered opinions. Some whole heartedly agreed that certain individuals are just born happier. People repeatedly brought up the different natures of their children, people raised in the same homes with basically the same circumstances yet one child always seemed happier.

A very good point and I have to agree some people just seem to be happier at a core level.

But………..

Others would insist that they believe if you change your thoughts, you change your life.

I have always believed this and have seen it play out many times in my own life – changing my thoughts about a particular situation completely changes my entire perspective.

Some theorized that it is easier for specific people to change their thoughts because they are inclined to be happier.

I have troubles buying this one.

In fact I believe that the very process of halting negative thoughts, flipping them to positive is so difficult that each and every time it happens it is a deep, spiritual miracle – we just don’t recognize it as such. I don’t believe it is easy for anyone’s sinful nature to pull out of a negative thought cycle.

For all my chats I still haven’t formed a solid opinion.

I don’t like the thought that some people can only ever be so happy, that they were just created to be less content and that is that. It doesn’t fit with how I see God.

Still all around me there does seem to be proof that yes some people are just naturally happier????

I would love to keep hearing thoughts and ideas on this, please share!!!