Dear Blowhards --

I've had a good time recently reading up on what scientists and behavioral economists have learned about happiness. I'm a mere fan of this work and so have got nothing to add to what the pros say -- nothing much beyond, "Hey, it's about time you people looked into this," anyway. But I hope some visitors will enjoy a bouquet of happiness facts, tips, and links.

Some of what happiness researchers now think they know:

• Everyone seems to have a pre-programmed "set point" for happiness -- a level of happiness they're genetically programmed for, and to which they'll always tend to return. There isn't much that can be done to change this set point.
  
• Genetics and inheritance seem to be responsible for as much as half your tendency towards happiness or unhappiness.
  
• Even huge positive changes in a person's life -- getting married, winning the lottery -- only affect happiness levels for about six months.
  
• The rich are certainly happier than the abject poor. But for most people, more money doesn't tend to lead to much additional happiness, at least once basic material needs have been met.
  
• Three of the hardest things to cope with emotionally are widowhood (or widowerhood), longterm unemployment, and caring for a sick loved one.
  
• The best way to deal with a case of severe, long-lasting unhappiness is to take a mood-boosting pill. In many cases, a six-month course of treatment will effectively jolt the depressed person out of his or her rut.
  
• Pursuing sex and status don't make people happy. They're things that we, being human, do -- but they don't necessarily lead to happiness.
  
• People who are forever chasing after happiness -- who crave blasts of euphoria -- tend to be much less happy than people who are willing to let life (and their moods) take their own course.

Some tips for being happy:

• If your job isn't especially rewarding, pursue a hobby you love, one that delivers experiences of "flow."
  
• Don't focus too much on making money and buying things.
  
• Maintain a wide variety of friendships, and don't spend too much time alone.
  
• Cultivate gratitude and forgiveness, including forgiveness towards yourself.
  
• Don't try to feel great all the time -- that's not the way life works.

Hey, why aren't these facts and tips better-known than they are? Geoffrey Miller has a hunch:

Popular culture is dominated by advertisements that offer the following promise: buy our good or service, and your subjective well-being will increase. The happiness research demonstrates that most such promises are empty ... Some journalists may have realized that the happiness research challenges the consumerist dream-world upon which their advertising revenues depend — their failure to report on the implications of the research for consumerism is probably no accident. They are in the business of selling readers to advertisers, not telling readers that advertising is irrelevant to their subjective well-being.

And a bunch of happiness links to explore:

• Here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here.

Best,

Michael

UPDATE: Thanks to Tyler Cowen, who has posted some thoughts here. Tyler also points out a Bryan Caplan happiness posting here, and a Will Wilkinson one here.