Hierarchy of Happiness

Positive Psychological studies have demonstrated that certain experiences are more effective than others at creating happiness. From least effective to most effective these are:

  • Getting Things
    • Being given chocolate and coffee are examples that boost happiness, but only for a short while.
  • Having positive experiences
    • Positive experiences like taking trips create longer lasting happiness than getting things that we want.
  • Giving positive experiences to others
    • Providing positive experiences to others creates about the same amount of happiness as having a positive experience ourself, but it also creates a feedback loop because it improves our social relationships even if the recipients of our good deed don't know it was us who gave them the positive experience. This phenomena is unexplained.
  • Training in positive experiences
    • Training in positive experiences (meditation, resiliency etc.) is arguably the most effective method for creating happiness and the longest lasting.

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