The Science of Happiness

There are many college courses offered on-line for free these days from some of the most respected universities.  All you have to do is google MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses) and you will find plenty of offerings.  I recently enrolled in a course called, “The Science of Happiness” offered through the University of California – Berkeley.  If you would like to check out some of the courses offered, one site that I use is www.edx.org 

So I couldn’t resist taking a look at this course – who knew Happiness was a science?  The course zeroes in on this key finding:  true happiness is inextricably linked to having authentic, meaningful social ties, and contributing to something bigger than yourself – the greater good.  

Dr. Dacher Kiltner gives this explanation as a compelling argument to study happiness, “As we cultivate happiness, the benefits are multifaceted.  We’re more likely to live longer lives, to have healthier bodies, to be more innovative and creative, have stronger relationships, and even, as we’ll see at the end, have healthier cultures and communities.”

Stay tuned for more happiness tips, but for now, “Don’t worry – be happy!”  🙂

Dad (Jeff)