It’s time once again for our favorite year-end ritual here at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center: Our annual list of the top scientific insights produced by the study of happiness, altruism, mindfulness, gratitude—what we call “the science of a meaningful life.” [...] With input from our staff, faculty, and some of the leading outside experts in our field, here are the 10 findings from 2014 that we anticipate will have an impact on both scientific research and on public debate for years to come. 1) Mindfulness can reduce racial prejudice—and possibly its effects on victims. 2) Gratitude makes us smarter in how we spend money. 3) It’s possible to teach gratitude to young children, with lasting effects. 4) Having more variety in our emotions—positive or negative—can make us happier and healthier. 5) Natural selection favors happy people, which is why there are so many of them. 6) Activities from positive psychology don’t just make happy people happier—they can also help alleviate suffering. 7) People with a “growth mindset” are more likely to overcome barriers to empathy. 8) To get people to take action against climate change, talk to them about birds. 9) Feelings of well-being might spur extraordinary acts of altruism. 10) Extreme altruism is motivated by intuition—our compassionate instincts. greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/the_top_ten_insights_from_the_science_of_a_meaningful_life_2014
Posted on: Tue, 13 Jan 2015 18:38:04 +0000
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