Is happiness genetic? The psychology of happiness and how to feel happier

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In the pursuit of happiness, Sarah Pollok returns to university to see what science says about how to live a more joyful life.

What makes us happy? It’s a question we dedicate our most valuable resources – time, money and mental energy – to answering. Judging from the sheer number
of products and services that promise happiness, from the latest Apple gadgets to luxury gym memberships, it’s easy to assume happiness is determined by our lifestyle and what we have.

Research, however, says otherwise.
In February this year, I found myself back in an AUT lecture hall, enrolled in a paper on Positive Psychology. Considering my bookshelf full of dog-eared self-help books and my soft spot for education, this was no surprise. What was unexpected was learning how much of our happiness is really within our control.
Research suggests our happiness is influenced by three key factors: genetics, behaviour and circumstances. The stubbornly cheery among us can partly thank their parents for their sunny outlook. But how much should they thank them?
In 1990, US researchers conducted the first study on genetics and happiness by gathering reports from 1300 sets of identical and fraternal twins. The data revealed that happiness is “heritable” and contributes to a “set point” people return to after positive or negative events.
Dozens of happiness-related twin studies followed, and in 2015, researchers reviewed these studies, concluding that genetic factors account for 32% to 40% of the variation in happiness.
One popular way to illustrate this is The Happiness Pie, explained Dr Charmaine Bright, a senior lecturer of Psychology and Neuroscience at Auckland University of Technology and my Positive Psychology teacher.
The model, designed by University of California psychology professor Sonja Lyubomirsky in 2005, suggests 50% of an individual’s happiness is influenced by genetics; 10% higher than 2015 studies indicated but still close.
The next slice of the pie is our external circumstances. It’s a piece society would have us believe is a generous slice consisting of the dream job, big house, luxurious holiday or expensive car but in reality, it’s a sliver.
“Only 10% of what happens to us impacts our happiness according to this particular model,” Bright explains, despite people’s common assumption that it’s much larger.
As for the rest, it’s all about attitude and behaviour.
“The 40% thoughts and actions is quite empowering to know that you have some control over your degree of happiness by what you think about it and what you do,” Bright said.
A simple way to explain happiness, the pie became massively popular, especially within pop psychology. Less popular was a speech Lyubomirsky made in 2019 listing three regrets she had about the model.
Firstly, many people misunderstand what it actually represents.
“The model leads you to believe that 50% of your happiness is because of your genetics. However, it is not 50% within you, it’s 50% in your variance of happiness across people,” Bright explained.
If someone says they feel 8/10 happy, this doesn’t mean half their total score is genetically predetermined. Rather, 50% of the one-point difference between them and someone who scored 7/10 can be explained by genetics. It’s a blink-and-you-miss-it nuance but important nonetheless.
Lyubomirsky also regretted assigning exact numbers as the reality wasn’t so precise.
Happiness is as elusive as it is desirable and although experts know genes and thoughts are major contributors, these factors interact and correlate, blurring the lines of the pie.
Take a happy, sociable person; are they happy because they invest in social connections (thoughts/actions), or does their disposition towards happiness (genetics) make friendship easy for them? This complexity means experts are sceptical of anyone touting a guaranteed formula for happiness, especially if it doesn’t account for cultural or individual differences.
That being said, studies have identified similar threads that run through the lives of happy people.
“Money can’t buy happiness” yet “money makes the world go round” so what’s a person to do? Understand money is important but only up to a certain point. Money enables us to meet basic needs such as food, shelter and sleep, as well as safety, health, resources and personal security.
Past this point, money makes a much smaller impact on our happiness than brands and businesses suggest. Remember, circumstances only make up 10% of the happiness pie and this is largely thanks to hedonic adaptation; humans’ tendency to adapt to new circumstances and return to our “set point” of happiness.
Paid your bills, covered essentials and still have leftover cash? If happiness is the goal, spend it on experiences or things that will save time or enable experiences. Skip the new shoes or superfluous car upgrade and book a holiday with family, get lessons to learn a new skill or plan a weekly dinner somewhere nice.
There’s yet another reason to feel thankful for friends and family; they are a highway to happiness and well-being.
Our desire for belonging has ancient evolutionary roots, when tight networks meant higher survival odds. Today, the stakes are lower but relationships continue to provide valuable emotional and physical resources and thus, a feeling of joy. This can even be seen on a global scale. Research has found the happiness gap between high and low-scoring countries is largely because of social variables such as whether citizens feel they have someone they can rely on or believe peers are generous or trustworthy.
Social settings have also been found to increase wellbeing and people typically report feeling happiest when with friends, followed by family. Whether you’re running a Saturday errand, hitting the gym, or walking to grab a coffee, boost your happiness free of charge by asking a friend to join. Even calling a loved one while doing something as mundane as grocery shopping or driving home can also do the trick.
A positive perspective can minimise the psychological effects of an illness or ailment but it’s still tough to flourish when feeling poorly.
Contrary to the West’s dualistic view, what happens to our body impacts our mind and vice versa. What we eat for breakfast, how we move our body or our quality of sleep can affect mood, mental health and ultimately, our happiness.
The wellness industry presents a dizzying list of things to worry about but science suggests focusing on the basics; eat nutritious meals, prioritise high-quality sleep, move your body regularly and don’t procrastinate that trip to the GP, physiotherapist or other health professional to treat illnesses or ailments.
Even better, happiness is highly correlated with positive health outcomes and behaviours, creating a beautiful little feedback loop of good spirits and good health.
If you believe in something greater than yourself, chances are you’re merrier than most. Research consistently finds people who identify as spiritual or religious are slightly happier than their peers. There are caveats; it doesn’t apply to those whose beliefs cause significant guilt, oppression or anxiety and must provide a comforting narrative about the afterlife, community support, clear values and rituals.
This may not mean rocking up to the nearest church on Sunday (although, for some, it might) but it’s worth considering how you can harness the peace, belonging and joy that comes from communities with shared beliefs and rituals, whether it’s a church service or a run club.
We may not know precisely how much happiness we inherit but we can take comfort in knowing a large chunk is within our control if we spend that precious time and money on the things that really count.
Sarah Pollok is a multimedia journalist at the New Zealand Herald, specialising in stories on travel, tourism and lifestyle
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