This is a super interesting article from the Economist blog concerning what kind of happiness brings health. The premise of the experiment was what kind of pleasure brings health, is it basically selfish pleasure or selfless (giving to others) pleasure. Past experiements show that both bring roughly equal happiness to a person. And we know happiness generally affects ones health. So do both types of happiness generate the same health benefits?
Here is a simple quote,
“Dr Fredrickson, an expert on positive emotions, has long known that happiness benefits health and leads to longer lives. Similarly, she knows that both hedonic [for self] and eudaimonic [for others] pleasures generate feelings that people describe as “happiness”. A simple syllogism, therefore, suggests happiness does indeed bring health and longevity. But, because of the overlap between the happiness-generating properties of both hedonic and eudaimonic pleasures, she had until she conducted this study found it impossible to determine whether both are able improve physical health and longevity, or whether only one of them can.”
Psychosomatic medicine_ The right kind of happy _ The Economist
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