Psychologists from St. Louis’ Washngton U and the University of Arizona wanted to know if there was much difference in the conversations of people who are generally happy, as opposed to those who generally unhappy.
They set up an experiment to discover what differences, if any, exist between the two groups by having volunteers wear an unobtrusive recording device called the Electronically Activated Recorder (EAR) for four days.
After analyzing the conversations from volunteers, researchers discovered that the happiest participantes spent more time talking than the unhappy participants. The happiest individuals also spent less time alone, and when they talked, their conversations had more depth.
Their conclusion: “Happy people tend to talk more than unhappy people, and when they do, it tends to be less small talk and more substance.”
The moral of this study seems to be if you want to be happier, you need to talk more, and have that talk be more thoughtful. This study brings up many questions.
What do you think? Do you think happier people talk more, or when people are in a situation that allows them to discuss what’s important to them, they feel happier?
July 1st, 2010
I really liked this post. So much I blogged and tweeted it. I believe negative talk is another form of clutter. Let’s make a habit of turning negative talk into happy talk at least once daily. If we all do that even once a day, think how much better our world will be. Way to go Virginia.
October 15th, 2010
Interesting idea. However, if a person is unhappy, it would be fake for them to engage in happy talk. And if he or she did, wouldn’t it sound fake?
I think it starts with attitude. Trying to find the good and stay positive in thought during adverse situations is how to speak more positively.
October 15th, 2010
Your comment is a good one, Gina. When we’re feeling down, if we focus on the good that is happening in our life, even if it’s just the the weather, it makes us feel better.
We know, for instance, that smiling produces healthier chemicals in our bodies than frowning, so the more we can do to get those positive thoughts flowing, the better.
Virginia