“Not everything that can be counted counts and not everything that counts can be counted”
– Albert Einstein
When studying happiness, researchers often use the term “subjective well-being” (SWB) instead of happiness. Subjective well-being, like the name suggests, is our opinion on how happy we are. The major components of SWB include positive and negative feelings and one’s satisfaction with his/her life over-all life and important life domains like family, friends, where you live, your health, the amountof fun in your life as well as your satisfaction with your financial situation and job. The more satisfied you are with your life over-all and each of the life domains, the happier you are.
So, just how happy are you? Please find below a satisfaction with life scale designed by Ed Diener, Roberts Emmons, Randy Larsen, and Sharon Griffin. After answering the five questions, simply add up your score and see how “happy” you are compared to the rest of us. And, don’t forget to read the interesting tidbits about happiness that appear at the end of this blog.
Below are five statements that you may agree or disagree with. Using the 1 – 7 scale below, indicate your agreement with each item by placing the appropriate number on the line preceding that item. Please be open and honest in your responding.
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| ____ In most ways my life is close to my ideal.
____ The conditions of my life are excellent. ____ I am satisfied with my life. ____ So far I have gotten the important things I want in life. ____ If I could live my life over, I would change almost HOW HAPPY ARE YOU? Simply add up your answers to the previous five questions and see how you rate!
Did you know? * Genetics play an important role in your happiness (oh-oh) * Religious people are happier – God is good! * More money has not made us happier * Happy people are more likely to pray * As we age, we stay happy * Age, sex, education, and ethnicity have little to do with * Happy people interpret neutral events as more positive, * Happy people are healthier, live longer, see the “bright |
HAPPILY scored a 31! Is it fair to say that your college years are the best years of your life? Learning, growing, and meeting new people are all natual elements that contribute to happiness….ofcourse money has not made us happier 😀
Have a happy day!
31 – I’m jealous! College days are a great time but just wait, even greater pleasures lie ahead. Pick your spouse carefully and work in an area that you are passionate about. We spend so much time working that our jobs play a big role in our happiness. long commutes are a major factor in an average person’s happiness. keep up the good work and thanks for the comment.
33! I have to say I absolutely agree with the genetics side of happiness! My parents have always been positive “glass half full” kind of people and it has absolutely rubbed off on me.
You have been blessed. And, you can be even happier by operating at the high end of your “happiness Zone”. Savor life’s joys, be grateful for what you have, and be optimistic about what the future has in store for you. Happy travels.
I am “happy” to say I scored a 31! It is very interesting to look at families and see how positive or negative attitudes do seem to be genetic. I have one family in mind in which every member is so positive, both parents included. I guess the children received a double dose of the happy gene!
I scored a 32! I think happiness is determined by your viewpoint. If you tend to have a “glass half full” mentality you look at like more positively and bad situations dont seem so bad. I think that God plays a huge role in our happiness as well. This was a fun quiz to take!
I’m not surprised at all to hear that as people age they stay happy. My dad works with senior adults and they are some of the happiest and most fun people I’ve ever met. There’s never a dull moment in that group for sure!
30! Pretty Interesting concept and scale!
This is so true! My parents are very happy people, so I definitely think that and my faith are why I’m so fulfilled with my life. It also helps that I have great friends and LOVE being at Baylor. As for college being the best years of our lives, I do think they’re very important years, but I’ve read studies that show the mid 40’s and early 50’s are the best! So I still have a lot to look forward to. :]
It’s always hard for me to answer these easy questions about myself…I overthink it, but I would definitely answer all of them in the upper numbers. I think the last two points of the “did you know?” can tell us a lot about our happiness–how do we deal with those situations?