Does wanting happiness make it harder to find?
In a recent study published in the Journal of Psychological Science, scientists discovered that the more we look for a particular object, particularly if it is rare, the less likely we are to see it. It doesn’t really make logical sense, does it?
Certainly if you are looking for something you would notice it, right? Not so says neuroscience.
While this particular research focused on homeland security workers screening carry-on luggage and radiologists looking for cancer – and I have to say the results were quite disturbing – the scientists determined that the thing, itself, being searched for isn’t relevant. It’s the searching for it, and the infrequency with which it occurs, which affects whether we notice it.
You can watch a quicktime video from Duke University here.
For those of us keen on personal growth, it begs the question of happiness and the quest for happiness.
If science is showing us that searching for something specific makes us less likely to notice it, is it possible that yearning for, searching for, desiring happiness actually makes it less likely that we will find (experience) it?
This study certainly suggests that is the case.
And perhaps it is the rarity of happiness that also leads to less-likelihood of finding it.
I’m making room for the possibility that someone who is searching for happiness is probably finding it to be pretty rare in their life – otherwise why would they be searching for it?
If you also consider a study released today by INSEAD about how humans perceive value and rarity, then it becomes even more discouraging, if not downright disturbing.
(I won’t go into all the details, but feel free to read the press release.)
The bottom line is that if we are told or led to believe something is rare, we tend to value it more. And, the reverse is true as well. If we are told something is valuable, we will believe it is rare – even when it actually is readily available or occurs frequently.
According to scientists, this isn’t learned behavior. We are actually hardwired for this. Perhaps for some early-human survival purpose?
What does this have to do with happiness?
I suspect that people who are searching for happiness are doing so because they think it is valuable. I think you’ll grant me that assumption. Now take it a step further. If someone thinks it is valuable, they are also likely to think it is rare.
Consider this juxtaposed to the earlier study, which states that when things are rare (or we believe they are rare) and we are looking for them, we are less likely to actually see or notice them.
What does this mean for happiness?
Well, maybe nothing. But maybe something.
Could it be that by searching for happiness you (or your clients) are making an assumption that it is rare (or at least something you have to seek)? And that by searching and believing it is rare, you will be even less likely to find it?
Some food for thought for personal growth professionals.
February 14th, 2008 at 9:32 am
GREAT article! I am so glad you have created this.
Much love,
Eric