Chasing happiness is exhausting and destroys a person’s willpower.
Those are the findings of a new study into the “happiness paradox”, a phenomenon where trying to make yourself happier actually makes you less happy.
Study co-author Sam Maglio said the paradox had been documented for more than a decade, yet few have dug into what caused it.
Professor Magilo, from the University of Toronto, said according to their study trying to be happier was mentally exhausting in a way that drained a person’s ability to use self-control and willpower.
“As a result, we’re more susceptible to temptation, and to making the kind of self-destructive decisions that make us less happy,” he said.
“The pursuit of happiness is a bit like a snowball effect. You decide to try making yourself feel happier, but then that effort depletes your ability to do the kinds of things that make you happier.”
Professor Maglio said another recent study found people who tried to be happier tended to feel like they were short on time, the stress of which made them unhappier.
“The story here is that the pursuit of happiness costs mental resources. Instead of just going with the flow, you are trying to make yourself feel differently,” he said.
Read the full study: Happiness depletes me: Seeking happiness impairs limited resources and self-regulation.
