Can You be too Happy?

Can being emtoo/em happy be bad for you? Turns out the answer may be “yes” according to a a href=”http://finance.yahoo.com/expert/article/moneyhappy/65460;_ylt=A9j8aqjzG65HjKQAoGC7YWsA”study discussed at Yahoo Finance /a (Hat tip: a href=”http://instapundit.com/archives2/015146.php”Instapundit/a):br /br /blockquoteBut while relationships are better for the joyous, it turns out that there’s a big deficit to perpetual euphoria: Super-happy people don’t live as long as the moderately happy, according to a long-term study of gifted children. “We were shocked that the happiest people didn’t live longer,” says Diener./blockquoteAnd it’s possible that buying into the whole self-help culture may be self-defeating if you are already mildly happy:br /br /blockquoteIf you feel generally satisfied with your life, your work, and your relationships most of the time, think twice before buying into the self-help movement and its search for a continuous streak of “peak moments.” br /br /”Happiness, like spirituality, is partially a private pursuit, defined by individuals based on their personal values,” says Diener. “Be wary when people tell you to live for the moment, to strive for an exciting life, or that you ought to be happier. Chasing super-happiness is a mistake that can lead you astray and be self-defeating.”/blockquotebr /br /Chasing supper happiness (whatever that means) always struck me as being a bit cult-like; perhaps moderation in all things is not a bad strategy.