Aversion to happiness, also called fear of happiness, is an attitude towards happiness in which individuals may deliberately avoid experiences that invoke positive emotions or happiness.[1][2][3] Aversion to happiness is not a recognized mental health disorder on its own, but it can contribute to and/or exacerbate existing mental health issues.
Mohsen Joshanloo and Dan Weijers identify four reasons for an aversion to happiness:
a belief that happiness will cause bad things to happen
that happiness will cause you to become a bad person
that expressing happiness is somehow bad for you and others
that pursuing happiness is bad for you and others.[4]
For example, "some people—in Western and Eastern cultures—are wary of happiness because they believe that bad things, such as unhappiness, suffering, and death, tend to happen to happy people."[5] Empirical studies show that fear of happiness is associated with fragility of happiness beliefs, suggesting that one of the causes of aversion to happiness may be the belief that happiness is unstable and fragile.[6] Research shows that fear of happiness is associated with avoidant and anxious attachment styles.[7] A study found that perfectionistic tendencies, loneliness, a childhood perceived as unhappy, belief in paranormal phenomena, and holding a collectivistic understanding of happiness are positively associated with aversion to happiness.[8]
Cultural factorsedit
One of several reasons why fear of happiness may develop is the belief that when one becomes happy, a negative event will soon occur that will taint that happiness, as if punishing that individual for satisfaction. This belief is thought to be more prevalent in non-Western cultures. In Western cultures, such as American culture, "it is almost taken for granted that happiness is one of the most important values guiding people's lives". Western cultures are more driven by an urge to maximize happiness and to minimize sadness. Failing to appear happy often gives cause for concern. The value placed on happiness echoes through Western positive psychology and through research on subjective well-being.[9]
These findings "call into question the notion that happiness is the ultimate goal, a belief echoed in any number of articles and self-help publications about whether certain choices are likely to make you happy".[5] Also, "in cultures that believe worldly happiness to be associated with sin, shallowness, and moral decline will actually feel less satisfied when their lives are (by other standards) going well",[10] so measures of personal happiness cannot simply be considered a yardstick for satisfaction with one's life, and attitudes such as aversion to happiness have important implications for measuring happiness across cultures and ranking nations on happiness scores.
Aversion to happiness can be thought of as a specific example of ideal affect (described by affect valuation theory),[11][12] whereby cultures vary in the extent to which they value the experience of different emotions.
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^Joshanloo, M.; Lepshokova, Z. K.; Panyusheva, T.; Natalia, A.; Poon, W.-C.; Yeung, V. W.-l.; Sundaram, S.; Achoui, M.; Asano, R.; Igarashi, T.; Tsukamoto, S.; Rizwan, M.; Khilji, I. A.; Ferreira, M. C.; Pang, J. S.; Ho, L. S.; Han, G.; Bae, J.; Jiang, D.-Y. (3 October 2013). "Cross-Cultural Validation of Fear of Happiness Scale Across 14 National Groups". Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology. 45 (2): 246–264. doi:10.1177/0022022113505357. S2CID 73617183.
^Joshanloo, Mohsen; Weijers, Dan (15 December 2013). "Aversion to Happiness Across Cultures: A Review of Where and Why People are Averse to Happiness". Journal of Happiness Studies. 15 (3): 717–735. doi:10.1007/s10902-013-9489-9. S2CID 144425713.
^Ellwood, Beth (2022-12-20). "People with unhappy childhoods are more likely to exhibit a fear of happiness, multi-national study finds". PsyPost. Retrieved 2022-12-26.
^Joshanloo, Mohsen; Weijers, Dan, , Journal of Happiness Studies, 15 (3): 717–735, doi:10.1007/s10902-013-9489-9, S2CID 144425713, archived from the original on March 13, 2016, retrieved October 4, 2014.
^ abStephanie Pappas (20 March 2014), Why Happiness Scares Us, LiveScience, retrieved 4 October 2014.
^Joshanloo, Mohsen; Weijers, Dan; Jiang, Ding-Yu; Han, Gyuseog; Bae, Jaechang; Pang, Joyce S.; Ho, Lok Sang; Ferreira, Maria Cristina; Demir, Melikşah; Rizwan, Muhammad; Khilji, Imran Ahmed; Achoui, Mustapha; Asano, Ryosuke; Igarashi, Tasuku; Tsukamoto, Saori; Lamers, Sanne M. A.; Turan, Yücel; Sundaram, Suresh; Yeung, Victoria Wai Lan; Poon, Wai-Ching; Lepshokova, Zarina Kh; Panyusheva, Tatiana; Natalia, Amerkhanova (1 October 2015). "Fragility of Happiness Beliefs Across 15 National Groups". Journal of Happiness Studies. 16 (5): 1185–1210. CiteSeerX10.1.1.722.7369. doi:10.1007/s10902-014-9553-0. S2CID 58909959.
^ Joshanloo, Mohsen (2018). "Fear and fragility of happiness as mediators of the relationship between insecure attachment and subjective well-being". Personality and Individual Differences. 123: 115–118. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2017.11.016.
^Joshanloo, Mohsen (2022-05-28). "Predictors of aversion to happiness: New Insights from a multi-national study". Motivation and Emotion. 47 (3): 423–430. doi:10.1007/s11031-022-09954-1. ISSN 1573-6644. S2CID 249166650.
^Joan Robinson (17 March 2014), What's so bad about feeling happy?, Springer
^Susan Krauss Whitbourne (6 April 2013), 13 of Psychology's Newest and Coolest Ideas, Psychology Today, retrieved 4 October 2014.
^Tsai, Jeanne L.; Louie, Jennifer Y.; Chen, Eva E.; Uchida, Yukiko (2007). "Learning What Feelings to Desire: Socialization of Ideal Affect Through Children's Storybooks". Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. 33 (1): 17–30. doi:10.1177/0146167206292749. PMID 17178927. S2CID 3163885.
^Tsai, Jeanne L (October 2017). "Ideal affect in daily life: implications for affective experience, health, and social behavior". Current Opinion in Psychology. 17: 118–128. doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.07.004. PMC5659332. PMID 28950957.
January 01, 1970
aversion, happiness, also, called, fear, happiness, attitude, towards, happiness, which, individuals, deliberately, avoid, experiences, that, invoke, positive, emotions, happiness, recognized, mental, health, disorder, contribute, exacerbate, existing, mental,. Aversion to happiness also called fear of happiness is an attitude towards happiness in which individuals may deliberately avoid experiences that invoke positive emotions or happiness 1 2 3 Aversion to happiness is not a recognized mental health disorder on its own but it can contribute to and or exacerbate existing mental health issues Aversion to happinessOther namesFear of happinessSpecialtyPsychology Mohsen Joshanloo and Dan Weijers identify four reasons for an aversion to happiness a belief that happiness will cause bad things to happen that happiness will cause you to become a bad person that expressing happiness is somehow bad for you and others that pursuing happiness is bad for you and others 4 For example some people in Western and Eastern cultures are wary of happiness because they believe that bad things such as unhappiness suffering and death tend to happen to happy people 5 Empirical studies show that fear of happiness is associated with fragility of happiness beliefs suggesting that one of the causes of aversion to happiness may be the belief that happiness is unstable and fragile 6 Research shows that fear of happiness is associated with avoidant and anxious attachment styles 7 A study found that perfectionistic tendencies loneliness a childhood perceived as unhappy belief in paranormal phenomena and holding a collectivistic understanding of happiness are positively associated with aversion to happiness 8 Cultural factors editOne of several reasons why fear of happiness may develop is the belief that when one becomes happy a negative event will soon occur that will taint that happiness as if punishing that individual for satisfaction This belief is thought to be more prevalent in non Western cultures In Western cultures such as American culture it is almost taken for granted that happiness is one of the most important values guiding people s lives Western cultures are more driven by an urge to maximize happiness and to minimize sadness Failing to appear happy often gives cause for concern The value placed on happiness echoes through Western positive psychology and through research on subjective well being 9 These findings call into question the notion that happiness is the ultimate goal a belief echoed in any number of articles and self help publications about whether certain choices are likely to make you happy 5 Also in cultures that believe worldly happiness to be associated with sin shallowness and moral decline will actually feel less satisfied when their lives are by other standards going well 10 so measures of personal happiness cannot simply be considered a yardstick for satisfaction with one s life and attitudes such as aversion to happiness have important implications for measuring happiness across cultures and ranking nations on happiness scores Aversion to happiness can be thought of as a specific example of ideal affect described by affect valuation theory 11 12 whereby cultures vary in the extent to which they value the experience of different emotions See also editDisplay rules Emotions and culture History of emotionsReferences edit nbsp Look up wiktionary in Wiktionary the free dictionary Joshanloo M Lepshokova Z K Panyusheva T Natalia A Poon W C Yeung V W l Sundaram S Achoui M Asano R Igarashi T Tsukamoto S Rizwan M Khilji I A Ferreira M C Pang J S Ho L S Han G Bae J Jiang D Y 3 October 2013 Cross Cultural Validation of Fear of Happiness Scale Across 14 National Groups Journal of Cross Cultural Psychology 45 2 246 264 doi 10 1177 0022022113505357 S2CID 73617183 Joshanloo Mohsen Weijers Dan 15 December 2013 Aversion to Happiness Across Cultures A Review of Where and Why People are Averse to Happiness Journal of Happiness Studies 15 3 717 735 doi 10 1007 s10902 013 9489 9 S2CID 144425713 Ellwood Beth 2022 12 20 People with unhappy childhoods are more likely to exhibit a fear of happiness multi national study finds PsyPost Retrieved 2022 12 26 Joshanloo Mohsen Weijers Dan It s time for Western psychology to recognise that many individuals and even entire cultures fear happiness Journal of Happiness Studies 15 3 717 735 doi 10 1007 s10902 013 9489 9 S2CID 144425713 archived from the original on March 13 2016 retrieved October 4 2014 a b Stephanie Pappas 20 March 2014 Why Happiness Scares Us LiveScience retrieved 4 October 2014 Joshanloo Mohsen Weijers Dan Jiang Ding Yu Han Gyuseog Bae Jaechang Pang Joyce S Ho Lok Sang Ferreira Maria Cristina Demir Meliksah Rizwan Muhammad Khilji Imran Ahmed Achoui Mustapha Asano Ryosuke Igarashi Tasuku Tsukamoto Saori Lamers Sanne M A Turan Yucel Sundaram Suresh Yeung Victoria Wai Lan Poon Wai Ching Lepshokova Zarina Kh Panyusheva Tatiana Natalia Amerkhanova 1 October 2015 Fragility of Happiness Beliefs Across 15 National Groups Journal of Happiness Studies 16 5 1185 1210 CiteSeerX 10 1 1 722 7369 doi 10 1007 s10902 014 9553 0 S2CID 58909959 Joshanloo Mohsen 2018 Fear and fragility of happiness as mediators of the relationship between insecure attachment and subjective well being Personality and Individual Differences 123 115 118 doi 10 1016 j paid 2017 11 016 Joshanloo Mohsen 2022 05 28 Predictors of aversion to happiness New Insights from a multi national study Motivation and Emotion 47 3 423 430 doi 10 1007 s11031 022 09954 1 ISSN 1573 6644 S2CID 249166650 Joan Robinson 17 March 2014 What s so bad about feeling happy Springer Susan Krauss Whitbourne 6 April 2013 13 of Psychology s Newest and Coolest Ideas Psychology Today retrieved 4 October 2014 Tsai Jeanne L Louie Jennifer Y Chen Eva E Uchida Yukiko 2007 Learning What Feelings to Desire Socialization of Ideal Affect Through Children s Storybooks Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 33 1 17 30 doi 10 1177 0146167206292749 PMID 17178927 S2CID 3163885 Tsai Jeanne L October 2017 Ideal affect in daily life implications for affective experience health and social behavior Current Opinion in Psychology 17 118 128 doi 10 1016 j copsyc 2017 07 004 PMC 5659332 PMID 28950957 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Aversion to happiness amp oldid 1178201101, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
