Personality is the key to finding your happiness

I don't have an awful lot on this because I can't find the study which by the way is published in the Journal of Personality and Psychology. But according to The Times newspaper report, "Personality is key to finding happiness".

Image: MikeB

The author goes on to state that "Your personality has more of an impact on your level of life satisfaction than your circumstances", according to a study. That says to me that the important thing is about how one responds to changing circumstances that seem to be beyond one's control. And that is down to personality.

The researchers hail from the University of Edinburgh and the University of Tartu in Estonia. They wanted to cross check what other people thought about the happiness of other people and what these people thought about their own happiness. There were 20,000 participants.

The cross referenced responses suggested that 80% of the differences in people's life satisfaction could be traced to their personalities according to the researchers led by Dr. Rene Mottus.

Comment: I take this to mean that one's personality dictates how one responds to life events. I think this is about the classic argument that the way you deal with life is how you respond or react to events. 

You can deal with these events positively and find solutions and a good way forward or you can succumb and become a victim to events that happen around you, seemingly beyond your control. With a good personality, a more positive personality, a more optimistic personality you can be happier in getting over these life problems.

That's my personal interpretation and Dr. Rene Mottus said that: 

"Broadly speaking, more satisfied people were more emotionally stable, extroverted and conscientious. But more specifically those satisfied with their life felt understood, excited and decisive, while less satisfied people felt envious, bored, used and unrewarded.... ..Personality tends to be stable, gradually shaped by a mix of thousands of experiences and genetic factors so the more satisfaction is about personality, the less it is expected to react to life's ebb and flow."

In the paragraph above we see two contrasting personality types. One is emotionally stable and conscientious and "extroverted". I take that to mean a person who is confident enough to express their views and optimistic enough to be as positive as one can be when faced with life's problems.

The other personality type is one who is less likely to be positive and conscientious in working towards a better lifestyle. They are perhaps less energetic and therefore become bored. They appear to be envious of people who are more energetic and more conscientious. But when they are less energetic and less conscientious they might tend to decide that they are being 'used' by society (victims). And if they decide they are unrewarded it is perhaps because they are not working hard enough to gain reward, to be rewarded.

This seems to be the difference between a personality which takes a more positive view of life and someone that is prone to negativity. The half full versus half empty mentality. That's my interpretation.

It can be very hard to maintain a positive attitude, I fully accept that. But it certainly pays to be as active as possible and as positive as possible. To get up when knocked down and keep trying. It is hard to do but the rewards are there. 

They are there for all to see. The problem is it can be hard to drag oneself out of a situation where one is bored and feeling unrewarded but the best solution is to start becoming active. In short, to work towards a goal. To be productive. To have a target. That takes effort and self-discipline. But people need targets and PURPOSE in life. We must find purpose to gain life satisfaction.

I sense that self-discipline is behind these results. It's a very important aspect of life and a very difficult one, I fully understand.

Is it possible to change your personality? We inherit personality and it is moulded throughout our lives. It's a bit of nature and nurture. I think it's possible to change one's personality slowly and conscientiously. It takes effort. Sometimes meeting a person can change one's personality and lifestyle.

If you find it difficult to become more conscientious and positive, it would help to get support in some way. The bottom line is it takes effort unfortunately. And I wonder whether today there are too many Gen Z people who tend to think that the world owes them something and they don't really have to apply themselves very hard for a very long time to get rewards. But you do unfortunately.

There is an element here of the positive cycle going upwards and the negative cycle going downwards. The more effort you put in the better things become and the better things become the more motivated you are and the more motivated you are the better things become because you put more effort in. The reverse can happen.

----------

P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Find ways to make your cat happy (short video)

The observant and sensitive cat caregiver will find ways to make their cat happy. They'll know what it is to achieve that goal. One obvious thing that applies to all domestic cats is to groom them in those inaccessible places which is what I am doing in the video. This is just a small example. Little things add up. The passing kiss and cuddle. Singing to him. I don't need to provide a list. It comes naturally to the good and concerned cat caregiver.

Do this for five minutes daily and make your cat happy

This is one thing that all cat owners should do daily to make their cat happy. It's uncomplicated, it doesn't cost any money and it makes the person happy as well. It's a form of mutual grooming. It is called allogrooming. 

But the point is that you are flea combing as well. It's a combination event. From the cat's perspective it is like being licked by another cat. The teeth of the flea comb are like the spines of a cat's tongue. It is delightful. But the added benefit is that you are checking for fleas and if you find one you kill them immediately. And every cat should be checked for fleas because they can be picked up very easily.

Even full-time indoor cats living in a clean home can pick up a flea because they can be brought into the home by their owner. Flea combing should be a way of life. Every morning at the same time the owner should flea comb their cat around the head, on the cheeks, down the back of the neck and on the shoulders. These are the basic areas where fleas congregate. 

The product of flea combing but no fleas. Photo: MikeB.

You can check for flea dirt at the base of the tail. But I comb my cat all over with a flea comb. This also helps to make the cat glossier because it stimulates the sebaceous glands to produce more oil.

Like I said, it is so simple and perhaps can owners do this a lot but I suspect not. Many cats develop an allergy to flea bites which is devastating. It causes self-mutilation due to intense itching. Fleas are probably in the top 10 all-time cat health problems. 

And this something that anybody can do something about. And it brings pleasure to your cat. It is guaranteed. I would state with some confidence that every single cat on the planet will enjoy it provided it is done gently, precisely and with respect. It takes little investment but there is a big reward.

Happy British Shorthair Cat

Lulu, the smiling one in the picture below is a silver tabby Brit SH. I have another picture of her on this page - my thanks to the photographer and human companion for licensing use of the photo.

Happy Lulu! Photo by warper (Flickr)

Great smile and we all know why she is co content. Her buddy is giving her a good wash. This tells us how we can make out cats happy. Groom them, stroke them (simulates the tongue washing) and flea comb them. All should be liked and loved. Grooming should always be gentle but practical and firm. It is a question of balance and common sense.