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Happiness hurts a person
Last reviewed: 30.06.2025
Scientists from Yale University in the US, the University of Denver in the US and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have found that happiness itself or the desire for it can lead to negative changes in the psyche and even to a reduction in life expectancy.
During the study, scientists confirmed that happiness is rather a negative factor for a person. In particular, the researchers found that people who were characterized as joyful and carefree in childhood live on average less than their more gloomy comrades.
In this experiment, scientists relied on data obtained from people whose childhoods took shape in the 1920s. It was found that those in whom teachers noted enthusiasm and cheerfulness lived shorter lives compared to students who did not display such complete happiness.
Researchers are sure that being overwhelmed by the feeling of happiness is a problem. "A high degree of this feeling makes people intoxicated - they become more carefree and prone to risk. Happiness literally intoxicates them. And risk, as we know, is followed by troubles that can affect a person's life expectancy," the authors of the study note.
The researchers also emphasize that one should not get carried away by literature that teaches how to become happy. "Readers gather information and begin the pursuit of happiness, in which, most likely, they will fail time after time, which will make them feel even worse than before reading these instructive books," the scientists say.
American experts also note that often the feeling of happiness is simply inappropriate in our world. "Let's say your friends are in trouble, and you won't beam with happiness in front of them. You'll have to suppress it. This means that a happy state can bring serious discomfort," the researchers say.
In addition, happiness sometimes means the ability to quickly forget negative emotions that carry negative experience. And if you forget it, it is possible that a person will again be able to face the same problem, which can lead to tragic consequences.
Researchers are sure that if a person is happy, then his ability to think creatively decreases. In connection with all this, scientists advise: stop worrying about the fact that you should be happy, this will ultimately bring you true happiness.
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