How can you decide what might make this year happier? We ran across an interesting article about happiness in the Wall Street Journal last week. [Getting Going, by Jonathan Clements, Dec.6, page D1] Researchers gave people free poster art. One group was told the choice was irrevocable – you choose, you keep. The others were told they could exchange theirs – if they wished.
Who was happier? It turns out the group that could not return the art was happiest. Options, they found, generate debate; when the options are closed, the heart generates satisfaction. “Having choices might seem like a good thing. But in fact, it can lead to unhappiness,” the article concluded.
The research director, Harvard’s Prof. Daniel Gilbert, applied the insight and proposed to his girl friend. He finds he’s happier now that he’s (irrevocably) married.
What would happen if the 65% of Santa Feans who call themselves Christians would resolve to really commit to Jesus and each other in 2007? We’d have a transformed and happier community in the City Different!
