Good morning. We’re digging into the joy study – more on that below, along with Canada’s Olympic medal haul and the growing threat of wildfire-fueled super storms. But first:
Today’s headlines
- Global stocks fall as concerns grow that the US could be headed for a recession
- After Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation, protesters want Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus to lead Bangladesh
- Alberta Premier Danielle Smith asks Ottawa for support to help Jasper recover as evacuees return home
Illustration by Pete Ryan
Psychology
Cracking the code of happiness
People are willing to spend a lot of money in search of happiness. There are self-help books, wellness retreats, high-level workplace meetings, mindfulness apps, a deep pool of life coaches, an entire catalog of Goop products—all add up to a multibillion-dollar industry in America alone. of the North. But Canadian developmental psychologist Bruce Hood thinks we need to get back to basics. He argues that happiness can – and should – be taught in school, alongside science and mathematics.
In her new report, Globe and Mail writer Erin Anderssen explores the latest boom in the science of joy. She describes Hood and his Science of Happiness course at the University of Bristol in Britain, and reveals the kinds of happiness interventions that actually boost our mood. The feature kicks off a year-long plunge into happiness for Erin, who has reported extensively for The Globe on health policy, social issues and mental health. We talked about her findings so far—and how I can keep my sanity in check.
What is nature and nurture when it comes to happiness? How much room do we really have to play with here?
This is a topic of debate among positive psychology researchers, who study positive rather than negative emotions. Twin studies clearly suggest that there is a genetic component to our personalities and tendencies: some babies just seem naturally happy. But, of course, our environments, experiences, and life choices mix in there, too. Happiness levels also go up and down and back again, and researchers see this as evidence that we have control over at least some of our happiness. As Bruce Hood points out, a certain amount of intelligence is genetic, but we know that education can influence it. It’s the same, he says, with happiness.
I tend to fall on the more crabby side of the spectrum. How would Hood teach me to be a little more cheerful?
I’d say I fall on the pessimistic side too, prompting a few jokes from my partner when he heard I’d be reporting on happiness for the coming year. But Hood would remind us that happiness takes practice; we can’t just read a book and be done. He’d recommend all the usual interventions—practicing gratitude, walking in nature, mindfulness—but his top tip is to get out of our own heads and invest in the people and relationships that give us purpose and joy.
Bruce Hood at home in Bristol.Gareth Iwan Jones Photographer/The Globe and Mail
What does the science say about the success of these interventions?
There is limited research to show that these interventions create long-term happiness. Most research doesn’t follow people for long. And the boost you get even in the short term is not massive. But as Dunigan Folk, a doctoral candidate at the University of British Columbia who studies the effectiveness of interventions, says, an incentive is still positive. If we get better at practicing the things that give us that drive, don’t we experience more moments of happiness? The good thing is that the practices that really seem to increase people’s happiness are also quite healthy for our communities.
How do we actually measure happiness? Do we stick people in MRI machines? Ask them to pick a number on a scale? Something else entirely?
Scientists are using brain scans to study happiness, as well as psychological measures using scales that have good evidence behind them. Most happiness findings are self-reported, but then happiness is relative and subjective. Since happiness goes up and down, these tests also capture people’s moods at the particular time they are completed. But since our brains naturally have a negativity bias, measuring long-term happiness—even if we do it ourselves—can show that we’re actually happier than we thought. This can help us see more potential for happiness in the future.
Why did you want to face the beat of happiness?
To be honest, I was worried about the name of the beat, because happiness can seem like a fluffy term. But the pursuit of those positive emotions—joy, contentment, well-being, purpose, and connection—is what drives so many of our individual and collective decisions, with mixed results. I am particularly interested in how we can look at many different fields of science – ecology, urban planning, economics, anthropology, history – from the perspective of improving the quality of our lives, and especially our communities. It seems especially at times when the world is feeling quite angry. Also, even though I’m just getting started, it’s very hard to get mad talking to researchers, policy makers, and others every day. about what makes them happy.
What else would you like to see?
The list is already so long. Can we be happy without backyards? How can we be inspired by orphaned otters? Also: smiling, parking lots, politics, climate change, Taylor Swift. I hope to look at all these stories and see that they have explored a way of pursuing our individual happiness to improve the world around us.
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity. Also: Who is the happiest person you know? To nominate a family member, friend or colleague, please go here or send an email with a brief description of them to Erin Anderssen at eanderssen@globeandmail.com.
Paris 2024
“It’s definitely going to take me a while to figure out exactly what we’ve done.”
Canadian swimmers Josh Liendo and Summer McIntosh.Siegfried Modola/The Globe and Mail
Here’s a pretty remarkable statistic: Canada has won 12 gold medals in Olympic swimming since 1908, and Summer McIntosh is responsible for 25 percent of them. Josh Liendo grabbed silver in the 100m butterfly this long weekend, while Ilya Kharun took bronze. Ethan Katzberg has an impressive mustache and an even more impressive hammer throw – he hit it 84.12 meters to win the gold medal. (Camryn Rogers hopes to do the same in the women’s final today.) It’s good for the men to add to Canada’s hardware haul – 11 of the 17 medals so far have been won by women. Finally, the Canadian Olympic Committee has withdrawn the accreditation of Rana Reider, coach of Andre De Grasse, after receiving information about his “suitability”. For all our Olympics coverage, go to tgam.ca/olympics-ditore.
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What else are we following?
In home: In the wake of Jasper’s destruction, Parks Canada is trying to understand a growing threat in our warming climate – pyrocumulonimbus clouds, or pryoCbs, which are like thunderstorms but created by wildfires and erratic winds.
Abroad: Venezuela’s opposition leaders are calling on the country’s armed forces to drop their support for President Nicolas Maduro in light of credible evidence that he lost the election.
Outlaw Ocean: China is buying its way into other countries’ restricted fishing zones, threatening livelihoods and further depleting fish stocks.
Illegal engine: In a landmark case — and the first antitrust ruling of the modern Internet era — a US federal judge ruled that Google acted illegally to maintain its monopoly on Internet search.