But thou hast suckled me with a bitter milk: my moon and my sun thou hast quenched for ever.
In recent years, we’ve seen an explosion of scientific research revealing precisely how positive feelings like happiness are good for us. We know that they motivate us to pursue important goals and overcome obstacles, protect us from some effects of stress, connect us closely with other people, and even stave off physical and mental ailments. […]
But is happiness always good? Can feeling too good ever be bad? Researchers are just starting to seriously explore these questions. […]
Too much happiness can make you less creative—and less safe.
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Happiness can hurt us in competition. Illuminating studies done by Maya Tamir found that people in a happy mood performed worse than people in an angry mood when playing a competitive computer game.
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A more nuanced analysis of different types of happiness suggests that some forms may actually be a source of dysfunction.
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Pursuing happiness may actually make you unhappy.
photo { Sebastian Reiser }
