How Can We Become Happy? A recent study revealed that independence and life satisfaction are closely linked,
Happiness does not depend solely on money, pleasure, or positive emotions; it is also influenced by a person’s freedom to choose their own path and make their own decisions.
The study on “How Can We Become Happy?” psychologists Jason W. Payne and Ulrich Schimmack from the University of Toronto in Canada.
The results were published in the Journal of Positive Psychology.
The researchers focused on three basic psychological needs.
These needs include meaningful human relationships, a sense of competence, and autonomy.
Autonomy means that a person’s actions and decisions stem from their own will, free from pressure and external dictates.
The results showed that the three needs are associated with life satisfaction to varying degrees.
However, the impact of relationships and competence depended largely on the positive emotions they instilled in people.
In contrast, autonomy emerged as an independent and influential factor.
People who felt greater freedom in making their own decisions reported higher levels of satisfaction, even after accounting for feelings of happiness or sadness.
This may explain why some people choose a challenging job that gives them greater freedom, or move to a new place to start a different life.
Although these decisions do not always provide immediate pleasure, they reinforce a person’s sense that they are steering their life in the direction they have chosen.
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