"It is a wonderful law of nature, that the three things we crave most - happiness, freedom, and peace of mind - are always attained by giving them to someone else." -Anonymous
It's no surprise that your cheerful state of mind, or that of others, has the power to elevate and spread happiness.
Karen Kaplan's front page article in the Los Angeles Times explores this idea through an enlightening Framingham Heart study published today in the British Medical Journal. The research examined relationships of nearly 5,000 people tracked for decades, basically affirming that good cheer spreads through social networks of nearby family, friends and neighbors.
The feel-good contagion effect shows that just knowing someone who is happy makes you 15.3% more likely to be happy yourself, and even a happy friend of a friend increases your odds of happiness by 9.8%. Happy people in close geographic proximity and larger network sizes also share positive vibes more effectively.
I believe in the power of social ties and smiles, because "you can't just treat individuals; you have to treat networks and communities." I am eternally grateful for the amazing and supportive people in my life who have helped me stay me, even through this especially turbulent year.
2 comments:
beautiful post! we must be on the same level here, cause i just posted the other day about happiness. i'm glad to hear that everything is going well for you, and to hear your cheer being resonated via the internet! :)
abraços,
i did think it was odd that they rated your happiness as dependent on your spouse much smaller than with a good friend. what does that say about folks who live together??hehheheh
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