The 10 Proven Habits of the Happiest People In The World

(原文資料來源 Lifehack/ 翻譯：林舒婷)

Martin Seligman, the father of positive psychology, theorizes that 60 percent of happiness is determined by our genetics and environment and the remaining 40 percent is how we choose to respond.

In his TED talk, he summarized fulfillment and happiness as “consisting of knowing what your highest strengths are and using them to belong to, and in the service of, something larger than you are.”

There are dozens of researchers like Seligman who have studied the art and science of happiness. I’ve dived into the most interesting habits of the happiest people in the world and decided to share them with you here.

1. They enjoy the moment

It turns out that taking the time to “smell the roses” truly does enhance happiness in life. When you enjoy the small moments- good or bad- you’re more aware of what’s happening around you.

The happiest people focus on what they can control and it’s possible to choose happiness in the moment, no matter the struggles you may be going through.

2. They have a growth mindset

In the book Mindset, Carol Dweck explains that the most successful and happy peoplehave what she calls a “growth mindset” compared to a “fixed mindset.” A fixed mindset seeks success as affirmation of intelligence or worth; a growth mindset thrives on challenge and sees failure not as evidence of unintelligence or unworthiness but as a catalyst for growth and stretching beyond existing abilities.

After twenty years of research, Dweck concluded that those with a growth mindset had happier relationships, achieved more success in the classroom, and were much more persistent through challenges.

3. They surround themselves with other happy people

As Jim Rohn once said, “You are the average of the five people around you.”

Who we surround ourselves with has a huge impact on how we think, feel, and what direction we head in life. It may sound harsh, but cutting out the negative people in your life is necessary if you want to be happier.

You won’t have to confront them personally about this; it could just mean spending less time with them gradually so you can focus on improving yourself.

4. They have a dream

Without a future to look towards, the past is the only thing we can look back on.

Whether your dream is to travel the world, start your own business, or learn a new language, having a dream is one of the most important things in remaining optimistic when things get tough.

This concept of having a purpose is especially prevalent in Eastern Asia. In Japan, there’s an actual term called ‘ikigai’, which is translated as “the reason you wake up in the morning.” When some of the happiest and longest-living 5. They can wait

The bigger the dream you have, the more patience you have to practice.

Happy people are willing to wait for the rewards and focus on the journey, how far they’ve come, and what’s ahead for them.

They understand that the best things in life come to those who are patient and can stick it out for the long run, whether that’s a job promotion, relationship, or a new skill they’re learning

people were studied, they all had such a reason.

6. They schedule “me” time into their day

Saying “yes” to everything puts you on the fast track to being miserable.

Giving is important, but if that means taking up “your” time to relax, wind down, and learn new things, then you’ll have nothing to give over time.

You can’t always be agreeable; that’s how people take advantage of you. You have to set clear boundaries.

7. They spend money on experiences- not material things

That car that you just bought diminished in value the moment you drove it off the lot, but experiences are memories that will stay with you for the rest of your life.

The happiest people would rather go on a backpacking trip around Asia instead of buying a flat-screen TV that they’ll seldom use. According to Marc and Angel:

“Experiential purchases tend to make us happier for two key reasons: 1. Great experiences improve over time when we reminisce about them. 2. Experiences are often social events that get us out of our house and interacting with people we care about.”

8. They give more than they take

Since happy people live in a world of abundance where there’s always more opportunities to be had, more money to be made, and more love to share, they’re always giving when they can.

From raising money for a charity they care about, offering a dollar to a talented artist playing in the subway, to giving their precious time to mentor a mentee, they’re always giving.

As ironic as it may sound, happy people understand that this will actually make them happier in the end.

9. They embrace discomfort

According to psychologist Peter Kramer, resilience is the opposite of depression. Happy people know how to bounce back from failure. Resilience is a padding for the inevitable hardship human beings are bound to face. As the Japanese proverb goes, “Fall seven times and stand up eight.”

Struggle is the evidence of progress, and happy people live by this. Why? The rewards of becoming great at a skill far outweigh the pain they have to endure in the process.

10. They are always learning

Despite his ASL, Stephen Hawking has made prominent scientific discoveries. What is more, he has found the words to tell the world about his findings.

Like Hawking, the happiest people all have one thing in common. They are lifelong learners, constantly reading new books, exploring other cultures, learning new languages, etc. It is an ongoing process because without growth there’s no life.

正向心理學之父Martin Seligman 提出一項理論:百分之60％的幸福感取決於我們的基因和環境，而剩下的40％則取決我們如何應對。

在TED的演講內，他將滿足感與幸福概括為「了解自己最大的優勢，並利用它們使自己能屬於、並服務比自己更優秀的人事物。」I

世界上有許多像Seligman一樣致力於研究幸福的科學與藝術的研究者。我分析了世界上最快樂的人們皆擁有的有趣習慣，並決定在此向各位分享。

1.他們享受當下

事實證明，花時間「聞玫瑰花香」(原:停下腳步享受生活)確實能提升生活中的幸福感。當你享受每個微小時刻，無論好與壞，你將會更留心於身旁發生的事。

最快樂的人們專注於他們能掌握的事物。

無論你可能正經歷著多少困難，都可以在當下選擇快樂。

2. 他們擁有成長型思維

在思維這本書中，Carol Dweck 解釋:最成功以及快樂的人擁有「成長型思維」，而非「定型思維」。 擁有定型思維的人尋找成功以做為對自己聰明才智或價值的認定；而擁有成長型思維的人樂於挑戰，且不認為失敗表示自己不聰明或不具價值，相反地，他們將失敗看作使自己超越原有能力以及成功的催化劑。

經過20年的研究， Dweck 得出結論：那些擁有成長型思維的人擁有更幸福的情感關係、在課堂中有更高成就，並在挑戰中具有更佳的耐力。

3. 使自己周遭充滿快樂的人

如As Jim Rohn 曾說，「你的樣子就是你身邊五個人的平均」。

我們身邊圍繞怎樣的人將會大大影響我們的感受、思考，以及人生的方向。這也許聽起來有些殘酷，但如果你想要過得更快樂，遠離你生活中充滿負能量的人們是十分必要的。

你不需要和他們對抗，只需要花少一點時間和他們相處，讓自己能專注於增進自己。

4. 他們有夢想

如果沒有未來能往前看，我們便只能回首過去。

不論妳的夢想是環遊世界、開啟自己的事業，或是學習新的語言，擁有夢想能讓自己即使遇到困難時仍維持樂觀。

這項觀念尤其盛行於東亞。在日本，有個詞叫「ikigai」，表示「使你每天早上起床的原因」。研究發現，最快樂以及最長壽的人們都擁有夢想。

5. 他們可以等待

當你擁有越大的目標，就需要越多耐心來練習。快樂的人們願意等待回報並專注於過程、和目標的距離，以及前方還有哪些要件。

他們了解最好的事物降臨於有耐心、可以長期堅持的人。不管是工作升遷、感情，或是學習新技能上都是如此。

6. 他們規劃留給自己的時間

當一個每件事都say yes的人將會使自己非常悲慘。幫助別人固然重要，但如果這占用你休息、放鬆，學習新事物的時間，久而久之你也將沒有剩下的時間能給別人。設下明確的界線是非常重要的，永遠當好好先生只會讓自己不斷被別人利用。

7.把金錢花在累積經驗而非物質

你剛買的新車在開過幾次後就會貶值，但經驗和回憶將陪你一生。.

最快樂的人們會選擇到亞洲進行一趟背包旅行而不是買一台用不到幾次的平面電視。 Marc and Angel 曾說：

“獲取經驗帶給我們更大的快樂，原因有以下兩個: 1. 好的經驗將在我們追憶時便得更好 2. 經驗常常來自社交活動，讓我們離開房屋，和我們在意的人們互動。”

8. 他們付出的比得到的更多

由於快樂的人們通常生活在資源豐富的環境，能有更多機會、賺更多的錢，也有更多愛能與人分享，他們會在能力所及下盡量給予。無論是為慈善機構募款、給在地鐵旁演奏的藝術家投錢鼓勵，花時間指導別人，他們永遠都樂於付出。

9.他們擁抱不愉快

根據心理學家Peter Kramer ，復原是憂鬱的相反。快樂的人知道如何從失敗中恢復。就像日本有句諺語：「跌倒七次，就站起來八次吧」。

挫折是走向進步的証據，快樂的人為什麼能和挫折共處呢？因為獲取一項純熟技能所帶來的快樂遠勝了過程中須要忍受的痛苦。

10. 他們學無止境

儘管患有漸凍症，史蒂芬．霍金在科學上帶來許多重大發現。 此外，他更找到方法和大家分享自己的發現。如同霍金，所有快樂的人皆有一項共同點：他們終身學習，不斷閱讀新書、探索不同文化、學習新的語言……等等。這是項不間斷的過程，沒有成長，就沒有人生。