Three Keys to Happiness

Psychologists, theologians, self-help experts and many others who have studied happiness often mention strong relationships, namely family and friends, as keys to living a happy life. 

Yale University Professor Paul Bloom points out three keys to sustainable happiness. Even though people may become happier from a kind word, a new car, or good news, they are less likely to stay happy. Within six months of either good news or bad news, ups or downs, people tend to return to their original level of happiness, he says. In most cases, in fact, fleeting happiness or instant pleasure rarely lasts more than a few moments or days. “Sustainable happiness, happiness that is more permanent, unchangeable from external events, comes from three things: good friends, good family, and long-term projects. Knowing this framework simplifies the thing every human wants most: happiness,” he says.⁷  

From Threes, Chapter Five, “Threes in Psychology and Sociology”