What does Science have to do with Happiness?
At first, these two terms can even look incompatible: Science is usually associated with measures, statistics, experiments and focuses on quantitative data as an unconditional approach to build objectivity, and Happiness is a subjective feeling. So, how can these two terms be reconciled…? Science is not limited to numbers or measurements. It also includes fields like the humanities and social sciences, often called “soft sciences,” which study human behavior and experience. In contrast, “hard science” refers to areas like physics, chemistry, and biology, where knowledge is built through measurable data, experiments, and clear evidence. But can happiness be understood in this same scientific way? Can we study what happiness is and how to achieve it using science? In this article, we will explore these questions by looking at scientific research on happiness.
Two Landmark Studies That Changed How We Understand Happiness
Yes, modern science can study happiness, and has actually been doing it for some time…In 1938, the longest longitudinal (focused on the same sample over a long period of time) scientific study on happiness was launched by the Harvard Study of Adult Development, and is still on-going almost ninety years later.
This study observed three generations to basically find what is the secret to a healthy and happy life, using tools such as questionnaires, brain scans, blood exams, \videotaped interviews, etc. There is not really enough room to unfold the results or main takeaways here, but if you’re interested you can always have a look at the book The Good Life: Lessons from the World Longest’s Scientific Study of Happiness or even the TED Talk of Dr. Robert Waldinger, current director of the study.
The other scientific approach about happiness worth mentioning here, is the initiative The Science of Happiness from Bruce Wood in England. To face the crisis in the students’ mental health, Bruce Wood developed a course called The Science of Happiness. Combining lectures and practical activities about positive psychology, neuroscience, child development and philosophy, this course awarded credits on engagement alone: without graded examinations. After six years of running the course, there has been an average increase of 10 to 15% in happiness or well-being observed after completing the course. The main takeaways of this course are outlined in the book The Science of Happiness. Seven lessons for Living Well.
The Key to Happiness: Learning to Think Differently
What these two studies have in common, and is of interest here, is the fact that they both highlight that one key element to achieve happiness in life is the ability to review the way we think about ourselves, in relation to our problems, to others, and to the environment. In neuroscience, this basically ties to the ability to rewire our brains and the function of neuroplasticity.
But what is fascinating here is how this echoes to spiritual traditions where the key to happiness, interpreted in Buddhism for example as the end of suffering, comes from transforming ourselves by being present, working on our ego, rejecting negative comparisons, developing empathy, etc. So that not only happiness can be studied through science, but in a world where spiritual traditions are less present or acknowledged as legitimate in modern societies, science can even reconcile with them by helping us in understanding how to be happier in life. And this is great news!
