Happiness - Not an evolutionary Goal but Everything else

Emotions - guidance system for people based on key evolutionary needs. We are wired for wants, but happiness is not a goal of Evolution as such, it does not directly help us survive. Needs can never be satisfied really, as we are decided to keep moving the goals. This is important for evolution and keeping us alive.

Happiness is not something you get and then own. Emotions are intended to move up and down and around. Like a compass that is set on North is not any good, emotions set on happy are not useful. We are therefore perhaps designed to seek happiness not get it, nessarcarily.

Stumbling toward happiness - Things that don't make you happy:

• Money (Happiness from Money comes very quickly - after basic needs are met)
• Children (People with Children are no happier than people without)
• Intelligence or Education (ditto above)
• Youth

Stumbling toward happiness - Things that Do make people happy:

• Community (Appears to be very important)
  
• Good food, sleep, exercise (Physical and Mental exercise are key -(Mental and physical states are very closely linked))
• Being happy - biofeed back - taking a moment to be happy and thankful for your life
  

Interestingly the unhappiness countries are Russia and other Ex soviet block people in these countries are even less happy than poorer countries. It is believed that this is due to breakdown of social activities and the mistrust that was created.

Some research (on Twins for example) suggests that people are naturally happy or grumpy - ie genes play a key part. Like physical fitness we can move inside the band through practice and exercise. Happiness exercise might be called cognitive behavioral therapy. We cannot however become olympic happiness runners unless we are genetically wired for that.

There is an area of the brain that is very active in happy people - it is the Left frontal cortex - People with active left frontal cortexes are engaged and enphusiastic. Buddish monks are highly active in this area.

How do we become happier? Exercise and Practice.