What Makes People Happy?
For two decades a group of researchers worldwide have been pursuing a systematic study of happiness. Their findings? “Happiness does not appear to depend significantly on external circumstances,” reports the magazine Scientific American.
This scientific journal also stated: “Wealth is also a poor predictor of happiness. People have not become happier over time as their cultures have become more affluent. . . . In most nations the correlation between income and happiness is negligible.”
The studies indicate four traits that characterize happy people: They like themselves and have high self-respect, they feel that they have control over their personal lives, they are optimistic, and they are extroverts. In addition, good marriages and close personal relationships are factors in happy lives, and these tend to increase health and longevity.
It is of interest that Scientific American reported: “Religiously active people also report greater happiness. One Gallup survey found that highly religious people were twice as likely as those lowest in spiritual commitment to declare themselves very happy. Other surveys, including a 16-nation collaborative study of 166,000 people in 14 nations, have found that reported happiness and life satisfaction rise with strength of religious affiliation and frequency of attendance at worship services.”
Long ago the psalmist David revealed that personal happiness is closely connected with united worship of Jehovah God, writing: “I rejoiced when they were saying to me: ‘To the house of Jehovah let us go.’”—Psalm 122:1.
No wonder the apostle Paul urged fellow Christians: “Let us consider one another to incite to love and fine works, not forsaking the gathering of ourselves together”! (Hebrews 10:24, 25) Indeed, assembling to worship God with those of like precious faith is a joyful event for lovers of Bible truth. Millions of Jehovah’s Witnesses have found this to be true and invite you to experience this for yourself by joining them in worship at a Kingdom Hall near you.