The Role of Relationships in Happiness and Well-Being

There was something interesting that I read over Shabbat while reading Positive Psychology by Bridget Grenville-Cleave.

According to longitudinal research published in the British Medical Journal, moods and behaviors are contagious and people’s happiness depends on the happiness of those with whom they are connected. It’s pretty interesting, because even a friend who lives within a mile and becomes happier increases the probability that you will also be happier by 25%.

In the 1980s, the UK psychologist Michael Argyle’s work suggested that relationships were one of the most influential factors for human well-being. More recent positive psychology models of human well-being continue to stress the significance of relationships to our happiness.

In a world filled with so many distractions, it’s easier than ever to miss out on true quality time.

Several years ago, I took a course on the psychology of happiness that was led by Harvard professor Tal Ben Shahar (an Israeli, which made me even more excited to take the course😅). 

In a recent interview, he said that, “the number one predictor of happiness is the time we spend with people we care about and care about us. The most important source of happiness may be the person sitting next to you. Appreciate them, and savor the time you spent together.”

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