Survey finds we are more in control of our happiness than we think

[NiveRoshni]

It was also found in the survey that gender does not influence control over happiness

It was found that 89 per cent of people think that happiness can be controlled, and that they are are 32 per cent happier than those who think otherwise. (Source: Getty/Thinkstock)

If we were to ask someone what they would want most in life, they would say happiness. That is the simplest answer and the simple quest that every human being is on. People are becoming increasingly aware that materialistic achievements are not really the end goal, and that happiness can depend on many factors, including their own state of mind and understanding.

A recent survey has pushed this idea further and revealed that people may actually have more control over their happiness than they would think. Conducted by Tracking Happiness — an online platform — the survey asked two specific questions to 1,155 respondents: Is happiness something that you can control? If you look back at the last year of your life, how would you rate your happiness on a scale from 1 to 10?

It was found that 89 per cent of people think that happiness can be controlled, and that they are are 32 per cent happier than those who do not think that happiness can be controlled. And while the average happiness rating of those who think happiness can be controlled is 7.39, the average happiness rating of people who think happiness is out of their control is 5.61.

"In a world where well-being is in short supply, it's great to see evidence that your individual happiness may be more controllable than you think. This research ties in with my own. It hints at the fact that the happiest people have learned and implemented strategies that give them a better chance of having a great day. In essence, these strategies inoculate happy people against whatever the world throws their way," Andy Cope, teacher, author and happiness expert at Art of Brilliance, was quoted in the survey.

It was also found in the survey that gender does not influence control over happiness, and both male and female respondents showed the same results. Also, how much you control happiness changes as you age. "The amount of control we have over our happiness decreases in our mid-life and increases as we grow older again," the survey states.

To break it up, in the 16-30 age bracket 91 per cent think happiness is controllable, 85 per cent in the 31-45 bracket, 86 per cent in the 45-60 bracket, and 89 per cent in the 60 plus age bracket.

Happiness also depends on education, with high school graduates generally having a harder time controlling happiness, when compared with a bachelors or masters graduate.