Another controversial and headline-grabbing conclusion from happiness research in psychology is how little circumstances matter. The savvy research scientist, Sonja Lyubomirsky, makes an analysis in The How of Happiness that circumstances only affect our happiness 10%. There's study after study showing how more money buys little happiness, and that after a certain point (like around $30,000K/year), more money doesn't matter, maybe even has negative consequences. While it's hard to dispute these studies, I have a different take.

Do these studies mean we shouldn't make more money? And by extension, does that mean success itself doesn't matter?

According self-actualization theory, No. Maslow suggested we have a "will to self-actualization" or an innate desire to manifest our potentials into reality. So if you're outperforming your co-workers because you're more talented, but you get passed up for promotions because you don't "step up to the plate" enough, are you going to be happy being the underpaid but overtalented tool for the company?

While there are studies showing that more money doesn't buy happiness, there are also studies that show that having meaningful goals makes people happy. I'd argue that the hungry pursuit of money and achievement creates more happiness than having no ambition whatsoever. Sure, when the ambitious actually get money they won't be any happier, but that's just because they're finished, and they're in the same spot as the people who have no money but also no ambition.

When immigrants come to the US, I guarantee you that their pursuit of riches and the process of moving up social classes makes them happy. Once they've obtained those goals, though, if they don't have other meaningful goals to latch onto, then yes, they'll be like the bored rich.

There are many studies that also show that people who suffer significant debilitating injuries don't have their happiness change that much from their set point. Often these people get a renewed sense of purpose in life.

So does that mean we should injure ourselves willy-nilly? No, of course not. The process of being a reckless individual when in fact you care about safety will make you feel tons of self-doubt and self-loathing. When you actually do break your leg, you'll feel enormous guilt and regret for your very bad behavior.

Behaving in harmony with our values and beliefs makes us happy. For some kinds of people, that means getting a big house with a white picket fence. For others that means working minimum wage but pursuing their artistic talents. And for others, this is a vague, "behaving in harmony with God's path for me."