Take a minute to stop and think for once in your life. Put down your pen, your textbooks and highlighter. Are you currently in a relationship? Have you been in a relationship in the past? What characteristics do you look for when selecting someone to date? What characteristics serve as "turn offs?" Maybe you're not in a relationship right now because you know exactly what you're looking for, but just haven't been able to find 'that person' yet. What would that person be like? Would they share the same interests as you? Maybe they're quite your opposite. Specifically think about what it is that makes you happy in life when interacting with others in the world.
Psychologists have spent much time researching what makes individuals happy. They have shown us that many commonly believed myths are not correlated to happiness; money "can't buy long-term happiness," although it is "a bit related happiness." Psychology research also disproves the myth of happiness declining with old age. Not only does research show us what does not relate to our levels of happiness, but it has also found a few variables which are shown to be correlated to happiness:
1. Marriage
2. Friendships
3. College
4. Religion
5. Political Affiliation
6. Exercise
7. Gratitude
8. Flow
Watch the following video and see if you can pick up on any of the above mentioned eight variables.
"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8jTH61aoXI&feature=relmfu"
First impressions? The bride-to-be in this clip is clearly happy. She is about to be married (first variable) and surrounds herself with her many friends (second variable) when selecting her dress. She doesn't spend much time elaborating on exactly why she has decided to marry Chad Gaudin, a Yankee pitcher. Perhaps one of the major reasons is due to Chad's personal level of happiness. Being a professional baseball player, Chad obviously spends quite a bit of his time exercising; according to psychology, people who "exercise regularly tend to be happier and less depressed than people who don't."
Although this bride does not mention it in her interview, many brides on the hit TV series Say Yes to The Dress often speak of how they are about to marry their best friend. They elaborate on memories which their significant other in which the two display a close friendship, expressing a great deal of gratitude (variable seven). Another important variable is often key to a happy relationship: similar religious upbringing (variable four). Many brides-to-be mention falling in love with not only the person, but also the person's beliefs and morals.
So ladies, when it comes time to having to either pass or 'say yes to the dress,' remember this: you not only say yes to the dress, but also to the individual you will marry and your prospective level of happiness in your future years.
Great design to this blog as it really does make someone think about every single aspect of marriage. I think the study of happiness would be one of the harder ones as happiness can be altered so much between different individuals. In the list of some of the highest correlated values of happiness, what if someone was a very sheltered individual who wanted to live alone his/her whole life? Obviously then things such as marriage and friends would no make this person happy at all!