A couple of Swiss psychologists have tried to find out what are the steps that lead us to a fully fulfilling existence
Don't store avocado like this: it's dangerousA couple of Swiss psychologists have tried to find out what are the steps that lead us to a fully fulfilling existence
Man has always wondered about what could be the way to happiness and on the strategies to be put in place to live a fully fulfilling life: economic well-being, success, fame, affections… what holds the secret of a beautiful life worth living? We are at the beginning of the year and, as always happens, many of us take the opportunity of the transition between the old year and the new one to sum up the path we have taken, to look back on the goals achieved and the experiences we have experienced and to planning the months to come.
Right now, it's nice to be able to pat yourself on the back for being able to reach goals and objectives and to experience that very pleasant feeling of full accomplishment. But what does this feeling come about? What are the distinctive features of a fulfilled life? A couple of psychologists from the University of Zurich tried to answer these questions, providing a useful model for assessing the quality of one's existence using standard criteria of reliability and validity.
The study found that evaluating your life as full and fulfilled allows you to maintain a high level of mental health and have a more positive attitude towards aging. But be careful, because living a full and fulfilling life does not mean leading a self-centered and selfish existence - on the contrary: caring about others or future generations, engaging in volunteer work, leaving a positive trace in the lives of others, feeling your own I work as a vocation to devote myself to attitudes that give a strong sense of fulfillment and that make us feel satisfied with the life we have led.
(Read also: Why money doesn't really bring happiness. Easterlin's paradox)
The study also shows that the older you get, the higher your perceived level of fulfillment: this is because with increasing age, more experiences are gained, more knowledge and skills are acquired that can be shared and transmitted to others, in a virtuous circle that leads us to be more and more satisfied with what we do. In addition to this, the elderly have now developed the traits of their personality and very clear what they want from life: this maturity helps them in coping with problems and adversities and leads them to live a satisfying life.
Finally, longevity and good health also play a fundamental role for a full and fulfilling life: having many years in front of you in which to continue to do something for others and at the same time fulfill your aspirations, gradually choosing the most meaningful for us, it gratifies us with a feeling of well-being and pride in ourselves and what we are (or will be) able to achieve.
In short, once again the key to happiness is not to look at yourself and selfishly cultivate your own vegetable garden, but giving oneself to others and doing good: only by doing this, when we look back at the end of our life, can we say that we are truly satisfied with the time we have spent on earth.
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Fonte: Frontiers in Psychology
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