February 27, 2011

Authentic Happiness = Increases Happiness?

Can a website improve someone's happiness? If so, what are its methods? According to Martin E.P Seligman, he introduces a website called "Authentic Happiness" to help evaluate one's daily moods. For instance, there are  many varieties of different surveys that pertain to one's mood and actions; otherwise known as well-being journaling. So how can taking daily surveys improve our happiness? Since participants take the well-being journal everyday, they are apparently deciding which mood and thoughts to choose from the given survey. According to Seligman, when thinking about the choices to select from, individuals are realizing how they think or act in the present, but also reminisce about their past actions. One example includes mood after purchasing a materialistic item. Later, the participants learned what held them back from "being happy." According to the statistic, "A large scale random assignment placebo controlled study of users of this website found that three interventions reliably increased positive emotion and decreased depressive symptoms with six month follow-up." If this is true, shouldn't everyone try this website?
       Since this website was such an interest to me, I decided to sign up on the website and participate in the different surveys that the website has to offer. Truth is, I am going to have to agree with Martin E.P. Seligman. After bubbling in the choices offered, it made me realize what I have been doing in my past, especially with the way I spent my money. Now, I have more closure with the actions I am permitting to. Also, while bubbling in the different choices for my current feelings,  it made me realize how I feel about accomplishing my daily routines; there were some mood words that I never thought about until seeing and having to think about. Since Martin's conclusion was about taking the surveys to better our happiness, I see no difference in mine. But at the end of each survey, each individual is placed on a chart with a percentage to compare how much happier we are from other people. For myself, I was among the higher percentage ranges; I listed 75%-90% happier amongst others that participated in the surveys. I guess comparing yourself with other can also increase your happiness because I was surprised with my results.Enough about contemplating if this website can increase happiness. Try it out for yourself at the link below.

 http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/default.aspx

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