Happiness and People

Psychologists have not located assured causes that lead people to well-being. David G. Myers in his article “The Funds, Friends, and Faith of Happy People” published in the American Psychologist (2000) and Michael Wiederman in “Why It's So Hard to Be Happy” published in the Scientific American Mind (2007), discuss the reasons which lead people to be happy, and the factors which contribute to unhappiness. Both authors concur that two factors that might escort people to satisfaction are relationships and personality. Myers mentions that a correlation, such as need to belong, marriage, and a friend, lead people to happiness since humans share their feelings with each other even if it is negative feelings. As a result, they keep the stress out and don't suffer from loneliness because they facilitate each other to cope with any problem that might face them. Also, he claims that people who have a close relationship are not weak to get sick and to die early. He, in addition, says that married people are happier than those who are not married because they cope together with their spouse if they have a crisis. Moreover, social support assists them to deal with crisis as one group, so it becomes easier. However, people who don't have a relationship might be lonely, unhappy, and stressed, for they don't have the support that satisfied people have. According to Wiederman, personality also may lead to well-being. Psychologists have found that variations of happiness have a correlation with variations in genes. Therefore, everyone has unique genes which he inherits from his parents, and these genes influence happiness of people. If someone has positive personality traits, he will be a friendly, trusted, a person who feels he has control over his life. He, therefore, will have a strong relationship which makes him happy, and this point which correlates to well-being is supported by Myers. Both authors agree that flow is one of the aspects which predict to well-being. People