The science of happiness

Everyone wants to be happy. Some argue that the main reason people do the things they do is to become happier. Others argue that happiness is a basic human right. 【小题1】 What really makes people happy?

◆ Measuring happiness

Social scientists usually count happiness simply by asking how happy people are. 【小题2】 Ed Diener, an expert on happiness from the University of Illinois, says that this is an effective way of getting information about people’s happiness.

◆ 【小题3】

In one study, researchers asked people in different parts of a country “How satisfied are you with your life?” People in parts of the country with nicer weather said they were more satisfied with their lives. They said they lived better than people from a city with bad weather.

◆ Money and happiness

Researchers have examined the relationship between money and happiness for many years. They say that very poor people are less happy than rich people. 【小题4】 If you have a home, food and clothes, extra money doesn’t make you happier.

◆ What makes people happy?

According to researchers, there are three things that make people happy:

1. Having close relationships with people — family and friends. 【小题5】

2. Believing in something. This could be a spiritual (精神上的) view or a special philosophy (人生观) in life.

3. Having goals that you find enjoyable and interesting. This means that your life has a purpose.

Reading books can exercise your brain. Kids who started reading at an earlier age go on to perform better on certain intelligence tests. As one gets older, it might help slow down or even stop cognitive (认知的) decline. 【小题1】 Many Americans don’t read frequently. It’s time to change this trend to give your brain gray matter a good workout.

【小题2】 When you have some leisure time — you’re waiting for a friend, sleeping lightly on the way from or to work, or doing a task that doesn’t require your full attention—you can open your text instead of playing your favorite smartphone game. 【小题3】 While paper is still the clear winner in the court of public opinion, science hasn’t proven that physical books are better than digital ones.

Academic research has mostly focused on the ability to remember. A study took place in a laboratory setting: students all read the same text, but some looked at the words on paper and others viewed an on-screen PDF file. It turned out that no meaningful difference between the two media existed. As for audiobooks, they affected the brain gray matter somewhat differently. 【小题4】

Ultimately, if you hope to get a reading habit going, you shouldn’t dismiss (摒弃) paper, electronic, or audio books. 【小题5】 Don’t be afraid to change things depending on the occasion.

There is increasing evidence that, unless you are a wheelchair user, sitting down too much can be a risk to your health. The less sitting or lying down you do during the day, the better your chances for living a healthy life.

Sitting for long periods can lead to weakening and wasting away of the large leg and gluteal (臀肌) muscles. If these muscles are weak, you are more likely to injure yourself from falls.【小题1】 Sitting for long periods can also cause problems with your back, especially if you consistently sit with poor posture or don’t use an ergonomically designed chair.

【小题2】 This might be because people who spend a lot of time sitting are missing the positive mental effects of physical activity and fitness. If so, getting up and moving may help.

Humans are built to stand upright. Your heart and cardiovascular system work more effectively that way. Your bowel (肠) also functions more efficiently when you are upright.

When you sit, you use less energy than you do when you stand or move. 【小题3】 If you spend a lot of time sitting, digestion is not as efficient, so you retain those fats and sugars as fat in your body.

You may be thinking, “I exercise several times per week.” Unfortunately, you cannot undo 8 hours of continuous sitting with a workout. Don’t throw away all that hard work at the gym by hitting the couch for the rest of the day. 【小题4】

However, simple modifications to your routine can make a big difference. When you’re tidying up, put items away in small trips rather than taking them all together. Get off the bus one stop early and walk the rest of the way. If you work in an office, stand up while you read emails or reports. Sitting can’t be avoided completely. 【小题5】