08 January, 2008

Happiness, Bonding, and Geography

The Kruse Kronicle found an astounding article today, and not just because it affirms so many things I believe. I don't often quote the Christian Science Monitor, but when they're right, they're right (and especially when they have good data backing them up.)

Here's a couple of quotes:

Jean-Paul Sartre famously declared that "Hell is other people." Sartre got it wrong, or perhaps he was hanging out with the wrong people. The emerging science of happiness has found that the single biggest determinant of our happiness is the quantity and the quality of our relationships.

...

We can be anywhere, the apostles of a placeless future tell us, a message that dovetails nicely with the self-help movement's we-can-be-happy-anywhere mantra. Rumors of geography's demise, though, have been greatly exaggerated.

The article would have us travel to be happy. That's alright. With so much good thinking in there, I don't mind if they miss the conclusion. We need to start connecting in our own neighborhoods if we want to be happy, but one day they'll figure that out. No worries, though. We're ahead of that curve around here.

1 comment:

Patchouli said...

Well, I guess that means I'll have to start being nicer to the neighbors with the nocturnal barky dog--woo.

On second thought, traveling sounds so much better.