set point to happiness ?

[Kev]

http://www.psywww.com/intropsych/ch09_motivation/happiness.html

haha was trying to search for motivation via pain and pleasure but
stumbled on this instead :P
so here goes ! read it ! (the previous few pages prior to happiness is
also rather interesting...)

the point that struck me was the set point theory that each person may
have and always goes back there - like an equilibrium if you will .

also in the link is an article

Martin E. P. Selgiman of the University of Pennsylvania now
specializes in the study of what makes people happy. His book on the
subject became a bestseller, and Seligman himself was elected
president of the American Psychological Association in 1998. The
American Psychological Association devoted an issue of its flagship
journal American Psychologist to Seligman's new discipline of positive
psychology in 2000. An updated version of the article is on the web at
this address:
http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/images/apaarticle.pdf

[siuyuin]

Thanks so much for posting this Kevin! Three brownie points for
you!!!

Everyone, Seligman's research is a SEMINAL piece of work on the topic
of happiness.

(Seligman had been mentioned in passing in one of the earliest
postings, but has not taken centrestage.)

Much of the research points to a "set point" of happiness and also a
gradual return to this set point after external event causing
happiness (or unhappiness).
So, winning the lottery will increase your wealth (and taxes) but not
your happiness.

We are all set for life now. :)

-siu yuin