The ultimate goal of our life is, and it will always be, to achieve happiness. Even the actual concept of health is changing having this in mind. A great variety of studies have shown that economical, physiological, medical and even genetic factors contribute to happiness but none of them focused on happiness itself. Well, the Framingham Heart Study did it.
A wide variety of phenomena is known to spread across social networks. In a neighborhood where all houses are yellow, if one person have his house painted differently, it will drive others to do just the same. This study applied this principle to happiness.
From 1983 to 2003 the researchers follow more than 4,000 people and conclude that happy people tend to be together and that the happiness of one individual can affect up to three degrees in the the social network. Your happiness can make your friends' friends' friends happier. This study also showed that getting thousands of friends in Hi5 doesn't bring happiness. The effect tend to dissipate with the distance and it's stronger among friends living nearby and next-door neighbors.
This findings can have repercussion in how to promote public health. A better individual treatment for those who are sick improve not only their health but also their happiness and as happiness tend to spread across social networks it would be exponentiating happiness across the network. This study provided the scientific proof that quality treatment might be best way to promote public health.
Having this in mind, with a smile from ear to ear, I wish you a happy holiday season!
Watch the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5ISDdKjG4E
Adapted from BMJ 2008;337:a2338
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