Science vs Society

Perhaps what we've learned so far is wholly unremarkable. Deep down we may know that being a multi-millionaire does not necessarily make us happier or that exercise is a very powerful tool for lifting our mood; after all, we should have felt these effects ourselves or observed them in other people. However, I think these findings are extremely important.

For the first time ever, science has been able to shed light on happiness in a way like never before. Most of the material we've covered is based on science carried out only in the last few decades. For the previous 50 000 years, human beings just like you and I were relying on our upbringing and our environment for our understanding of happiness. And sometimes that's not good for us. For example, I live in London - famous for its rat-race culture. On one of my more cynical days, I would say that in London we are taught that happiness is linked to success, success is linked to money, money is linked to being extremely busy.

Science tells us that these ideas are false. That is why London "has the highest reported average anxiety of all the English regions and countries of the UK" [ONS, 2015].

Unconsciously, our environment teaches us ideas about happiness that are often incorrect. Because science approaches the subject of happiness from a biological perspective, it cuts through false ideologies and gets straight to the truth. By merely understanding and practising the basics, we can go a long way to living substantially happier lives.

That got me thinking. What else has my environment taught me about happiness and how does this stack up with the science? It felt like a good time for another exercise…