Via Kite & Key Media — In 1960, Carl Jung told an interviewer there were five pillars of a happy life. And it turns out that modern research (mostly) backs him up. The social scientist Arthur Brooks dedicates his time to studying happiness. And upon reading Jung’s interview, he was struck by how closely Jung’s principles match the factors that research tells us are important for a happy life. What are those factors? Maintaining your physical and mental health is one. Having strong interpersonal relationships is another – and it’s a factor so important that one major researcher declared: Happiness is love. Full stop. As for the rest of the list: having meaningful work that provides you with a sense of purpose; finding beauty in nature and art; and embracing a religious or philosophical worldview that provides you with a sense of perspective. First: maintaining good physical and mental health. Jung’s second pillar of happiness: Good personal and intimate relationships. Third on the list: satisfying work and a reasonable standard of living. His fourth pillar of happiness was seeing beauty in art and nature. Jung’s fifth and final pillar of a happy life: a philosophical or religious outlook that fosters resilience.
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