Main description:

Is happiness all down to luck? Do events in our life influence how happy we feel? Can too much of a good thing make us less happy?

The Psychology of Happiness introduces readers to the variety of factors that can affect how happy we are. From our personality and feelings of self-worth, to our physical health and employment status, happiness is a subjective experience which will change throughout our lives. Although feeling happy is linked with positive thinking and our sociability in daily life, the book also includes surprising facts about the limitations of our personal happiness.

We all want to feel happy in our lives, and The Psychology of Happiness shows us that achieving it can be both an accident of fortune and as a direct result of our own actions and influence.

Contents:

Preface

An initial look

Hedonic wellbeing: Feeling bad to feeling good

Flourishing wellbeing: Self-worth and a good life

Influences from the world around you: Nine principal features

Influences from within yourself

Some consequences of happiness-

What to do now?

References cited in the text

Notes about the text and some additional reading

Index to topics in the book