… doing things that make other people happy…

Pursuing happiness is one of the major drivers of our behavior. However, an article written by Adam Grant, a Management professor at the University of Pennsylvania, which was recent  posted on Linkedin.com suggests that our “…quest for happiness might be a recipe for misery.” The reason for this is: “Happiness is an individual state, so when we look for it, it’s only natural to focus on ourselves. Yet a wealth of evidence consistently shows that self-focused attention undermines happiness and causes depression.” Professor Grant believes that happiness can only be successfully pursued indirectly. So, instead of pursuing happiness directly for its own sake, he suggests that we focus our energy on activities and relationships that bring us happiness as a byproduct. For example, doing things that make other people happy makes us happy in return. I think this is excellent advice. If you would like to read Professor Grant’s entire article, here’s the link:  LinkedIn.com