Don’t Be So Happy

By Susan Berfield

Here’s gratifying news for those unpersuaded by America’s happiness imperative: When it comes to careers, a little discontent is a good thing. Researchers from the University of Virginia, the University of Illinois, and Michigan State University analyzed a global survey in which people rated themselves from 1 to 10 on a life satisfaction scale. The 8s, it turned out, achieved and earned more than the 10s. Eights prosper at work, says Ed Diener, an Illinois psychology professor, because they know when to worry. “When problems present themselves,” he says, “you want to question things. A negative mood can make you think in a way that might be more effective.” Tens, Diener says, tend to think every idea is a good one in times of trouble. Best, he adds, to heed the Dalai Lama’s advice: “Avoid stupid happiness.”