Session 12

The Science of Happiness, Session 12

Social Support, Strong Connections

This session has a lot in common with Relationships and Happiness

According to studies involving the happiest people, this is the most important element that they all share:

-          Strong Social Support!

-          Happiest men and women

-          Not money- the lottery winners study

So friends and family are of paramount importance, those we love and love us are extremely important in improving or ruining our happiness.

-          Thomas Mann short story

-          We also need the Golden Mean –

-          Theory is the desirable middle between two extremes, one of excess and the other of deficiency

In terms of perils:

-          The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

-          As identified by John Gottman

-          Criticism

-          Contempt

-          Defensiveness

-          Stonewalling

-          93.6 % accuracy rate

Men and women need to avoid them

This is where we need to work more on the details

We have a project that involves

-          Happiness in practice

-          On top of the series that will get into more details

-          An alternative with which you could improve

-          Your social support

-          Meeting people who share so much in common with you

-          Men and women that are interested in learning, personal development, just like you

You could travel to this land or at a destination to be established and where we would have our powwow on happiness.

The next is maybe too much in common with relationships, but on the other hand it could be

To repeat what we mention in Relationships:

At the other extreme, those without a social support, without family connections and friends to help when needed are in danger

-          Isolation kills

-          Twice as dangerous as smoking!

Another category that can experience PTSD on a daily basis:

-          Men and women in unhappy relationships

-          Car crash every day!