Happiness is knowing what you have

A person who owns a luxury car is not necessarily happy. In contrast, another person only has a car car but always loves it, he will be happier.

(Photo: Corbis)

Some people think that happiness is not about having what you want, but wanting what you already have. This maxim sounds reasonable, but can it be verified? It turned out to be okay.

Psychologist Jeff Larsen from Texas Tech University and Amie McKibban from Wichita State University asked students if they owned 53 different items, such as a car, music orchestra or a bed. .

The results show that people can quickly become familiar with their stuff and therefore feel less happy from them.

However, according to experts, people can continue to want the items they already have, and those who do so will be happier.

"Simply having a pile of things is not the key to happiness," Larsen said. "Our data shows that you also need to appreciate the things you already have. And the important thing is to keep the desire for things you can't buy."

For students who own a car, researchers ask them to assess their needs with that car. If they don't have a car, they will be asked about the level of wanting it.

Larsen and McKibban then calculated the extent to which people wanted what they had and got what they wanted. The calculation shows that these two factors do not overlap.

Those who desire more than what they actually have are happier than those who desire less than what they actually own. However, the person who owns many of the things they once wanted is happier than the person who has the few items they desire.