WhyWearehappy复习课程Word文档下载推荐.docx

WhyWearehappy复习课程Word文档下载推荐.docx

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IfSocrateswasright,isn'

titreasonabletoassumethatadecentnationwill,atminimum,createtheconditionsinwhichitscitizenscanbestpursuehappiness?

IntheDeclarationofIndependence,theFoundersdidn'

ttreathappinessassomefuzzyconcept;

theybelievedthatpeoplewantedhappinessandhadtherighttopursueit.Alongwithlifeandliberty,happinesswastheconnectionbetweentheCreatorandournation'

sdestiny,andtheabilityofitscitizenstopursueandachievehappinesswasameasureoftheeffectivenessandmoralityofthestate.

Whatmattersmostforhappinessisnothavingalotofthingsbuthavinghealthyvalues.

Buttoday'

sleadersandpolicymakersseemtohaveforgottenthis.Tohearpoliticianstalkaboutgrossdomesticproduct,health-carereform,andSocialSecurity,you'

dthinkthatthisnation'

sFoundingFathersheldasself-evidentthatweareendowedbyourCreatorwiththeabilitytopurchasenew,high-qualityconsumerdurableseachandeveryyear,ortoenjoyhealthyeconomicgrowthwithlowinflationandfullemployment.TheFoundersdidn'

ttalkaboutthesematters,notbecausethey'

reunimportant,butbecausetheybelievedhappinesswentdeeper.

Asaprofessorofbusinessandgovernmentpolicy,I'

velongbeeninterestedinthepursuitofhappinessasanationalconcept.Accordingtohundredsofreliablesurveysofthousandsofpeopleacrosstheland,happypeopleincreaseourprosperityandstrengthenourcommunities.Theymakebettercitizens--andbettercitizensarevitaltomakingournationhealthyandstrong.Happiness,inotherwords,isimportantforAmerica.SowhenIchancedupondataacoupleofyearsagosayingthatcertainAmericanswerelivinginamannerthatfacilitatedhappiness--whileotherswerenot--Ijumpedonit.

Iwantedtobeabletoarticulatewhichpersonallifestylesandpublicpolicieswouldmakeusthehappiestnationpossible.Ialsowantedtoknowwhichofmyownvalues,learnedduringmychildhoodinSeattleandpracticedduringmycareerasauniversityprofessor,werethemostconducivetohappiness.IhadalwaysthoughtthatmarchingtothebeatofmyowndrummerandmakingupmyownvaluesasIwentalongweretherightthingstodo,andthattraditionalvalues,toputitbluntly,wereforsuckers.

TurnsoutthatIwasinforsomesurprises.

First,justwhatishappiness?

Mostresearchersagreethatitinvolvesanassessmentofthegoodandbadinourlives.It'

stheemotionalbalancesheetwekeepthatallowsustosayhonestlywhetherwe'

relivingahappylife,inspiteofbadthingsnowandthen.

YoumightsuspectthatAmericansaregettinghappierallthetime.Afterall,many（thoughclearlynotall）aregettingricher,andthisshouldmakethembetterableandequippedtofollowtheirdreams.Ontheotherhand,there'

salotoftalkaboutthegoodolddays,whenkidscouldplayoutsidewithoutanyworryaboutbeingkidnapped.Andthere'

sagreatdealofstressinthiscountryrightnow,duetofinancialconcerns,negativeworkplaceenvironments,andchronichealthproblems,amongotherpressingissues.

ButaveragehappinesslevelsinAmericahavestayedlargelyconstantformanyyears.In1972,30percentofthepopulationsaidtheywereveryhappywiththeirlives,accordingtotheNationalOpinionResearchCenter'

sGeneralSocialSurvey.In1982,31percentsaidso,andin2006,31percentsaidsoaswell.Thepercentagesayingtheywerenottoohappywassimilarlyconstant,generallyhoveringaround13percent.

Thefactorsthatadduptoahappylifeformostpeoplearenotwhatwetypicallyhearabout.Thingslikewinningthelottery,gettingliposuction,andearningamaster'

sdegreedon'

tmakepeoplehappyoverthelonghaul.Rather,thekeytohappiness,andthedifferencebetweenhappyandunhappyAmericans,isalifethatreflectsvaluesandpracticeslikefaith,hardwork,marriage,charity,andfreedom.

HappinessPredictor1:

Faith

Roughly85percentofAmericansidentifywithareligion,andaboutathirdofAmericansattendahouseofworshipeveryweekormore.Thesestatisticshavechangedrelativelylittleoverthedecades.Byinternationalstandards,America'

slevelofreligiouspracticeisexceptionallyhigh.InHolland,forexample,just9percentofthepopulationattendschurchonaregularbasis;

inFrance,it'

s7percent;

inLatvia,3percent.

Ingeneral,religiousAmericans（thosewhoattendaplaceofworshipalmosteveryweekormore）arehappierthanthosewhorarelyorneverattend.In2004theGeneralSocialSurveyfoundthat43percentofreligiousfolkssaidtheywereveryhappywiththeirlives,comparedwith23percentofsecularists.Religiouspeoplewereathirdmorelikelythanseculariststosaythey'

reoptimisticaboutthefuture.Andsecularistswerenearlytwiceaslikelyasreligiouspeopletosay"

I'

minclinedtofeelI'

mafailure."

Theconnectionbetweenfaithandhappinessholdsregardlessofone'

sreligion.AllnonpartisansurveysonthesubjecthavefoundthatChristians（Protestants,Catholics,Mormons,andothers）andJews,aswellasmembersofmanyotherreligioustraditions,arefarmorelikelythanseculariststosaythey'

rehappy.Italsodoesn'

tmatterifwemeasurereligiouspracticeinwaysotherthanattendanceatworshipservices.In2004,36percentofpeoplewhoprayedeverydaysaidtheywereveryhappy,versus21percentofpeoplewhoneverprayed.

Ofcourse,noteveryreligiouspersonishappy;

neitheriseverysecularistunhappy.Nonetheless,it'

sclearthatfaithisacommonvalueamonghappyAmericans.

HappinessPredictor2:

Work

Ifyouhitthelotterytoday,wouldyouquityourjob?

Ifyou'

relikemostAmericans,youprobablywouldn'

t.Whenmorethan1,000peopleacrossthecountrywereaskedin2002,"

Ifyouweretogetenoughmoneytolivecomfortablyfortherestofyourlife,wouldyoustopworking?

fewerthanathirdoftherespondentsansweredyes.

Contrarytowidelyheldopinion,mostAmericanslikeorevenlovetheirwork.In2002anamazing89percentofworkerssaidtheywereverysatisfiedorsomewhatsatisfiedwiththeirjobs.Thisisn'

ttruejustforthosewithhigh-paying,highlyskilledjobsbutforallworkersacrosstheboard.Andthepercentageisalmostexactlythesameamongthosewithandwithoutcollegedegreesandamongthoseworkingforprivatecompanies,nonprofitorganizations,andthegovernment.

FormostAmericans,jobsatisfactionisnearlyequivalenttolifesatisfaction.Amongthosepeoplewhosaytheyareveryhappyintheirlives,95percentarealsosatisfiedwiththeirjobs.Furthermore,jobsatisfactionwouldseemtobecausingoverallhappiness,nottheotherwayaround.

Thebottomlinehere:

Ifwewanttobehappy,weneedtowork.Andthat'

sadviceworthsharingwithourkidsaswell.

HappinessPredictor3:

Marriage&

Family

Matrimonyhastakenalotofhitssincethe1960s.It'

sbeensaidtoholdmanypeople,especiallywomen,backfromtheirfullpotentialtobehappy.Don'

tbelieveit.

In2004,42percentofmarriedAmericanssaidtheywereveryhappy.Just23percentofnever-marriedpeoplesaidthis.Thehappinessnumberswereevenlowerforothergroups:

Only20percentofthosewhowerewidowed,17percentofthosewhoweredivorced,and11percentofthosewhowereseparatedbutnotdivorcedsaidtheywerehappy.Overall,marriedpeopleweresixtimesmorelikelytosaythattheywereveryhappythantoreportthattheywerenottoohappy.Andgenerallyspeaking,marriedwomensaythey'

rehappymoreoftenthanmarriedmen.

Marriageisn'

tjustassociatedwithhappiness--itbringshappiness,atleastforalotofus.One2003studythatfollowed24,000peopleformorethanadecadedocumentedasignificantincreaseinhappinessafterpeoplemarried.Forsome,thehappinessincreaseworeoffinafewyears,andtheyendedupbackattheirpremarriagehappinesslevels.Butforothers,itlastedaslongasalifetime.

Whatabouthavingkids?

Whilechildren,ontheirown,don'

tappeartoraisethehappinesslevel（theyactuallytendtoslightlylowerthehappinessofamarriage）,studiessuggestthatchildrenarealmostalwayspartofanoveralllifestyleofhappiness,whichislikelytoincludesuchthingsasmarriageandreligion.Considerthis:

While50percentofmarriedpeopleoffaithwhohavechildrenconsiderthemselvestobeveryhappy,only17percentofnonreligious,unmarriedpeoplewithoutkidsfeelthesameway.

We'

veallheardthatmoneydoesn'

tbuyhappiness,andthat'

scertainlytrue.Butthereisonewaytogetit:

Givemoneyaway.

Theevidenceisclearthatgiftstocharitableorganizationsandotherworthycausesbringsubstantiallifesatisfactiontothegivers.Ifyouwant$50inauthentichappinesstoday,justdonateittoafavoritecharity.

Peoplewhogivemoneytocharityare43percentmorelikelythannongiverstosaythey'

reveryhappy.Volunteersare42percentmorelikelytobeveryhappythannonvolunteers.Itdoesn'

tmatterwhetherthegiftsofmoneygotochurchesorsymphonyorchestras;

religiousgivingandseculargivingleavepeopleequallyhappy,andfarhappierthanpeoplewhodon'

tgive.Evendonatingblood,anespeciallypersonalkindofgiving,improvesourattitude.

Inessence,themorepeoplegive,thehappiertheyget.

HappinessPredictor4:

Freedom

TheFounderslistedlibertyrightuptherewiththepursuitofhappinessasanobjectivethatmeritedastruggleforournationalindependence.Infact,freedomandhappinessareintimatelyrelated:

Peoplew