太開心?

看Newsweek Extra一文章: Can You Be Too Happy? by Wray Herbert ~ A compelling new study finds that being a little less content may actually make you more successful.

即是, 為人過份大快活便不那麼容易成功了. 不過, 相信不少人都寧願活得開心多於成功吧.

研究中三位心理學家, 把研究對象分為Blissful及Contented兩類. 前者明顯較後者有更愉快及穩定的親密關係, 其實都是學者預期得到的結果: people who are less happy about their lives in general would be more motivated to shake things up, which could mean a roaming eye. People who are extremely happy, by contrast, may construct more positive illusions about their partners, which create and sustain enduring relationships, which in turn make people even happier.

不過在教育, 工作及經濟得益上卻有出乎意料之外的發現. 就是Contented的學生比Blissful的學生更少曠課, 成績更好. 而當他們出來社會做事, Contented都比Blissful的有更高學歷, 更成功, 且收入更豐: in one substudy, college freshmen with the most cheerful dispositions ended up 19 years later, at the age of 37, making about $8,000 less than their drearier counterparts.

或許就是那份少許的不滿令人對自己要求更高.

所以Contented的都比Blissful更多參與政治, 因為都對現況不滿嘛.

不過說到慈善, 卻是Blissful的更慷慨, 更無私.

筆者的blog: We're Only Human