Just Work Hard

Academics at Gothenburg University in Sweden spent three years trying to discover what puts a smile on peoples’ faces.

They concluded that working hard to reach a goal often brings more self-satisfaction than then goal itself.

Research leader Dr Bengt Bruelde claims money, love and success bring only temporary joy. “You get used to it then the happiness is over,” he said.

“Striving to achieve something by work gives a purpose to life and this is the meaning of true happiness. Sitting in the sun with nothing to do is not a sure-fire recipe for a contented life”.

Dr Bruelde, 46, admitted: “I know this may not sound very convincing when million of people are just getting back to work after the Christmas and Happy New Year Holy day.”

“Of course, a pay rise or a holyday in the sun is pleasant experiences, but the problem is the ‘habituation effect’ which usually occurs after a few weeks. You get used to the new situation and then the joy is over.”

He added: “To be a happy is possible if one understands the mechanism which causes the feeling. Working hard to reach the goal is often a course for more self-satisfaction and joy than actually reaching the winning post itself.”

Dr Bruelde, who is writing a book called pain And Happiness, attacks the tourist industry for selling holidays as happiness. He said: “Tourist firms have made consumers believe that it is wonderful to sit in the sun, laze a bout and do nothing. But it is not a sure-fire recipe for being happy and any way few people really enjoy their holiday as it’s often not so perfect as they imagine.”

Dr Buelde’s research suggests many holidaymakers are happier working for their break than when they are actually fighting off the flies on a hot beach. - Daily Mail, London