Did you know that trying to make someone else happy may have exactly the opposite effect on you?
In four experiments conducted at Harvard and Stanford, researchers asked study subjects to determine which of two methods listed below made them feel happier:
- make someone happy
- make someone smile.
Participants assigned the goal to make someone smile reported a greater boost in happiness than did those whose goal was to make someone happy. Although the desire for personal happiness may be clear, the path to achieving this require more effort.
The smile is one of the most powerful assets any person has at his/her disposal.
So, why not make a simple gesture that comes from the heart and results in a smile? You will boost your own happiness!
