The Relationship Between Happiness and Psychological Health

August 15, 1994

For I have learned to be content whatever the circumstance. Phil. 4:11

No one can be poor that has enough, or rich, that covets more than he has. Seneca

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As Americans we live in the wealthiest of nations, yet many of us are plagued by deep unhappiness and discontentment. Our physical needs are met, yet we are emotionally hungry. Mental health services are available as never before, yet many people report an acute sense of unhappiness.

I recently stumbled onto a book, The Pursuit of Happiness, by David G. Myers, Ph.D. A social psychologist by training, Dr. Myers, is a committed Christian scholar and is a professor of psychology at Hope College (a small Christian liberal arts college in Michigan). As I read Myers’ book I was provoked to review my understanding of happiness and contentment. Specifically, I was challenged to critically re-evaluate my assumptions concerning the relationship among happiness, mental health, and issues of faith.

Whatever the particulars might be, people who seek counseling come with one common concern—they are unhappy with some aspect of their lives. This experience of unhappiness prompts them to reflect upon their problem and get help. They may be unhappy at work or in their marriage. They may be unhappy as a parent or as a child. They may be unhappy because of a lifetime of pain or because of a sudden loss or trauma. Regardless of the precipitating events—people look for help when they’re unhappy.

Whatever the particulars might be, people who seek counseling come with one common concern—they are unhappy with their lives.

So this brings us to a number of practical questions, “What leads to, or accounts for, a sense of contentment and happiness?” How might the Bible speak to us regarding this question? What might the science of psychology have to add? Two related inquiries might also be posed: 1) Does spiritual commitment lead to happiness? 2) Are Christians and spiritually committed people any happier than the non-spiritually inclined? In this issue of the Counseling Newsletter I will address these questions.

WHERE DO WE LOOK FOR HAPPINESS?

We are often unhappy with life because we look for happiness where it cannot be found. As Dr. Larry Crabb suggests, “We long for what God designed us to enjoy…but we insist on maintaining control of finding our own satisfaction” (Inside-Out, p. 53-54).

The prophet Jeremiah described a similar condition. “My people have committed two sins: they have forsaken me, the Spring of Living Water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” (Jer. 2:13). It seems that we all thirst for happiness and satisfaction, but we run into difficulty when we attempt to satisfy this thirst outside of a relationship with God and His provision. When we seek to be happy outside of Him, we often turn to the “leaking cisterns” of financial success and physical health.

Financial Success

Most of us are not wealthy, but we are comfortable. Once we are comfortable, more money provides only diminishing returns. It seems that the second helping never tastes as good as the first. The second fifty-thousand dollars of income doesn’t mean as much as the first. Myers points out that “the correlation between income and happiness is modest, and in both the United States and Canada has dropped to near zero.” It may come as a surprise, but actual income doesn’t greatly influence happiness. Research repeatedly shows that self-reported happiness does not increase with higher paychecks.

In spite of this fact, much of our lifestyle and culture is built upon the notion that more income leads to greater happiness. In 1955 the average personal income was $7500 per year. In 1990 average personal income was $16,000. Compared to 40 years ago the average person has twice as much disposable income (these calculations control for inflation). We have twice as many cars as those living in 1955. We need only peek into our homes for signs of increased wealth—color TV’s, VCR’s, garage door openers, microwave ovens, telephone answering machines, and hot tubs. In 1955 we had two choices of athletic shoes: Converse shoes made of white canvas, or P.F. Flyers. By contrast, in 1990 the wide choice of name brand athletic shoes brought in twelve billion dollars in sales. We have much more money than forty years ago, but we are not happier.

It seems that there are two ways to be rich: to have great wealth or to have few wants. Happiness is fostered less by money and more by simple pleasures and purposes in life. Happiness depends less on having things than on our attitude toward the things we have. Affluence and increased income does not bring happiness. If we are content with our income, regardless of how much it is, we’re likely to say we’re happy. Financial success is a “broken cistern”—it cannot and will not bring emotional well-being.

If we’re content with our income, regardless of how much it is, we’re likely to say we’re happy.

Physical Health

In American culture the ability to foster and maintain physical health has become a virtue unto itself. We have begun to equate physical health and well-being with psychological and emotional health. Based upon what is tangible we make judgments about the intangible. This preoccupation with physical health has led us to “dig our own cisterns” as we look to physical health and fitness as an avenue to happiness and contentment. You might be surprised to know that in many cases physical health and happiness are quite unrelated.

In his book Dr. Myers cites a research study conducted at the University of Michigan (Wortman & Silver (1987), Coping with Irrevocable Loss) which points out that those who suffer great physical loss can continue with a sense of happiness and contentment. The subjects in the study were car accident victims who had suffered paralyzing spinal cord injuries. Three weeks following their accident they were assessed by psychologists, using respected psychological tests, and the results indicated that among these disabled patients the prevailing emotion was happiness.

In an analogous study conducted at the University of Illinois [(Chwalisz, Diener & Gallagher (1988), Quality of Life Survey Among A Severely Handicapped Population)] researchers compared the level of happiness experienced by able-bodied students compared to severely disabled students. To within one percentage point disabled student described their level of happiness as identical compared to able-bodied students.

In a paradoxical twist, research results also suggest that those who suffer a handicap report greater levels of happiness and thankfulness following their physical loss. It appears that following the loss of some physical function they came to see, in a deeper way, all that remained. This renewed perspective caused them to have a greater appreciation for the capacities they may have previously taken for granted.

Just as poor physical health and severe disability are not consistent indicators of unhappiness—physical fitness is not a sure pathway to happiness and contentment. For many the “cistern” of physical well-being has leaks and does not provide the sense of consistent happiness and contentment that we are longing to find.

HAPPINESS AND CIRCUMSTANCES

It seems that circumstances would be the most likely candidate to provide happiness—but circumstances ultimately fail us as well. I often hear clients wish, “If I could just get a new—(job, boss, or spouse), I’d be fine—I’d be happy then.” It seems we all buy into the myth that a positive change in our circumstances will bring happiness.

But both empirical research and personal experience tell us that happiness depends less on our circumstances than on our response to those circumstances. From a spiritual perspective, happiness is not found in the absence of suffering—but in the presence of God. Our searching for a painless existence only leads us to another broken cistern.

Happiness depends less on our circumstances than on our response to those circumstances.

This truth reminds me of the account in Deuteronomy 18. The nation of Israel was distressed as they wandered without food in the desert wilderness. God responded to their plea and supplied manna—His provision in the midst of hard times. He provided what they needed and it was enough. Shortly thereafter, the people became disgruntled by the lack of variety in their manna-dominated diet. They became discontent with God and his supply for their needs. The tragedy of this narrative is that Israel was unwilling to find their contentment in their Provider. True happiness and contentment are found in the person of the Provider and not in the thing provided. The core issue is not what you get, but the One who gives it to you.

HAPPINESS AND MENTAL HEALTH

The encompassing goal of mental health work is to help people live happier and more satisfied lives. In many ways the process of introspection, which is a component of nearly all models of psychotherapy, leads to a preoccupation with self. Sadly, clients may become overly focused on “my rights,” “my need to assert myself,” “my need to control my life and do what I want.” Ironically, this type of therapeutic selfishness is inversely related to happiness.

Research findings consistently indicate that self-reported happiness is most often associated with people who are not demanding nor consumed by their own situation. Rather, high levels of happiness are most often reported by those who are thankful, content, and grateful. This group is known by their tendency to consider what they have, rather than what they lack. A key component of happiness and contentment is the absence of a covetous attitude.

Happiness is elusive. It cannot be pursued and captured. Happiness and contentment are the by-products of our perspective on life. In a interesting way, happiness is much like steam. Steam is a by-product of the application of heat to water. Steam cannot be produced on its own—it is only found as a by-product of boiling water. In much the same way, happiness cannot be obtained by pursuing it. Happiness and contentment are the by-products of unselfish living.

W.K. Kirkpatrick, a Christian writer and psychologist writes, “Happiness belongs to a class of things that cannot be pursued directly. They come about as side effects of other pursuits. The more you try to go after them directly, the more they elude you. Happiness comes more frequently when attention is focused outside the self. If we are truly interested in the pursuit of happiness, we would want to be serious about almost anything else—about horse racing, or eating, or love—but not about ourselves” (Psychological Seduction: The Failure of Modern Psychology, pg. 62).

HAPPINESS AND FAITH

I suggest that one cannot be truly and deeply happy outside a relationship with God. We cannot be psychologically satisfied, in an ultimate sense, outside of His love. Although we may dig our own “cisterns” to satisfy our psychological and spiritual thirst—we will remain unsatisfied. By contrast, a life of faith can lead us to contentment and peace–even amidst difficult circumstances.

Yet, a life of faith and a relationship with God does not guarantee happiness and unchallenged psychological health. A review of the heroes and heroines of the faith remind us that many of these revered men and women experienced serious episodes of depression and emotional instability. God’s people suffer. Many times they received no special protection from the natural forces of life. But, people of faith have an eternal perspective which allows for a context of hope and contentment even when things are out of joint. The apostle Peter reminds his readers that suffering and hardship won’t have the last word (I Peter 5:10). Faith provides a sense of purpose and direction. Faith reminds us that there is something worth living and dying for.

Throughout this Newsletter I have used the words happiness and contentment interchangeably. Yet from a spiritual perspective these words hold distinct connotations. Most often happiness depends upon the specifics of my circumstances. When I am happy I am momentarily euphoric and excited. Being happy is an emotional and temporal state. A friend of mine commented that happy is a word that “skips.”

On the other hand, contentment depends upon how I make sense out of my circumstances. When I am content I am quiet and peaceful. Contentment is a word that moves calmly. Biblically speaking, contentment is an ongoing spiritual condition.

In our fast paced world we often do not take time to seriously reflect upon our station in life. We don’t grapple with our tendency to be discontent and dissatisfied with the details of life. We would do well to consider those who have experienced great pain and yet remained content and at peace. I am reminded of the hymn, “It is Well With My Soul” written by H.G. Spafford (1871). Spafford was working as an attorney in Chicago. Much of the city was destroyed in the famed Chicago fire and Spafford sent his wife and children to stay with relatives in Wales as their home and the city were rebuilt. While sailing to Wales, their ship struck another vessel and sank. The children died and only his wife survived. From a Wales hospital she sent a telegram which simply read, “Saved Alone.” Following the untimely death of his children, Spafford sailed to Wales to be with his grieved wife. As the ship sailed over the place where the children were reported to have been lost, he penned these words:

IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL

When peace like a river attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll,

Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,

It is well, it is well with my soul.