By Lisa Cypers Kamen.
The simple, honest answer is no. You may experience a sense of happiness or temporary happiness but it won’t last.
Connected closely with beauty are five things that you think will make you happy, but in the end really won’t. In no particular order, they are:
Fame. Studies show nothing is more stressful for a human than when their goals are tied to the approval of others. Particularly when those “others” are an enormous crowd of fickle strangers holding you up to an unrealistic ideal built by publicists, thick makeup and heavily Photoshopped magazine covers.
Wealth. Your brain adjusts feelings of happiness downward after you’ve reached some goal or other. It regulates the good feelings, presumably so that you have motivation to reach the next goal instead of just lounging by the pool for the rest of your days. Also, as social creatures, we compare ourselves with others, so we think wealth is necessary to happiness – but it isn’t.
Beauty. Remember that beautiful people have the same self-esteem issues that those who are perceived as less beautiful have. Being physically attractive may have advantages, but it won’t make you happy.
Genius. This is being used in a much broader sense, meaning anyone with an extraordinary talent or skill.
Power. All the other aspects mentioned above are all about power. Think about it. Fame is about having power in the relationship with the fans. Beauty is about gaining power through others’ sexual desire and jealousy. Genius means society needs your skills more than you need its approval. Money . . . well, money and power are connected.
Remember, these things might give you fleeting satisfaction, but whether you have them or not, you can still choose to be happy. Happiness is an inside job®.
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