This article originally comes from churchofjesuschrist.org’s Church News.
Hank Smith, a seminary instructor, author, and speaker known for his youth devotionals, was surprised that so many people showed up to hear him speak at BYU Education Week. He attributed the healthy attendance to the topic he had extensively researched for his presentation, “The Science of Happiness.”
Brother Smith explained that the number 1 contributor to happiness, according to Dr. Martin Seligman, was the quality of a person’s social circle. “He [Dr. Seligman] indicated that why women live longer than men is because they have bigger social circles,” said Brother Smith. “There is a myth that when a man’s wife dies he will go quickly behind because he can’t take care of himself. But this is not true. A man soon dies after his spouse because he doesn’t have a social circle upon which he can rely.”
One thing is absolutely clear in science, and that is human beings want to be happy, said Brother Smith. “They cannot get rid of that pursuit. Even evil people pursue things because they think it will make them happy. Type in ‘happiness’ on Amazon.com and you’ll find 2,000 books on happiness.”
Sharing some data about antidepressant use in the United States, Brother Smith said the latest data he had seen showed that there were 120 million antidepressant prescriptions in a country of 350 million people. “We are seeking happiness,” said Brother Smith. “We are trying, but I’m not sure if we are finding it.”
To read the list of ten things supremely happy people do, visit churchofjesuschrist.org.
