Personality: The 8 Traits of Happy People (What Science Says)

What characteristics do happy people share?

The truth is that happy people share a number of psychological traits.

Here’s an explanation of what these are and how to cultivate and foster them.

1) They utilize humour to help others.

Every happy person is unique, but they all have some traits.

One of the most prominent personality traits of happy people is a “affiliative” sense of humor.

This means that they utilize comedy to establish friends and bring people together.

That may make a career in modern comedy difficult, but it turns out that this trait of pulling people up with your humor is one of the major traits that makes you a more pleased and fulfilled person.

According to a recent study published in Europe’s Journal of Psychology:

“People with an affiliative humor style utilize humor to achieve interpersonal or social rewards.

They utilize humor to amuse people and improve the quality of social relationships.”

2) They are aware of their own worth.

Another important personality attribute of happy people is that they recognize their own worth.

This is the self-esteem mentioned by Mysers and Diener.

Self-esteem is far more than just positive self-talk or thinking you’re attractive.

It is about your basic relationship with the world, your sense of self, and your subconscious sense of worth to yourself and others.

Happy people, like everyone else, have terrible days.

But, at a deep level, they understand that, regardless of what others think, they are a valuable human being with a place in this world.

3) They maintain low expectations.

It’s great to have objectives and a mission in life, but having unrealistic expectations might lead to a diving board above an empty concrete pool.

Researchers discovered that one attribute shared by many happy people is that they do not expect everything to go their way.

They are completely aware and expect that many aspects of life are beyond their control, and they never blame or despise themselves for what goes wrong that is beyond their control.

The happy person concentrates on what they can control rather than everything that can and does go wrong that isn’t their responsibility.

In their study published in Psychological Science, psychology professors and researchers David Myers and Ed Diener discovered that “extraversion, locus of control, self-esteem, and optimism” are the four crucial traits of individuals who are happiest in life.

Having a locus of control implies that, while disappointments touch everyone, you never allow them to define you.

4) They keep themselves busy and active.

We all need time to unwind, but psychologists have discovered that not doing enough is a formula for unhappiness and a lack of fulfillment.

Indeed, the happiest people are those that are engaged in pursuing their goals and hobbies.

They go out and meet people and live their lives.

Plus, being busy just makes those moments of relaxation that much more enjoyable!

As reported by PsychologyToday, there’s a very popular quote by Aristotle:

Happiness is a state of activity.

This brings us to the next point:

5) People that are happy are more outgoing.

Is it possible to be a happy introvert? Absolutely.

However, psychological research has indicated that more outgoing people are often happier.

One of the traits shared by people who report higher levels of life satisfaction is that they are more gregarious, outgoing, and socialize more.

In this Scientific American article titled “Quiet Disadvantage: Study Finds Extroverts Are Happier—Even When They’re Really Introverts,” psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky says:

“While introverts have advantages, evidence shows that extroverts are happier.”

She goes on.

“The current study’s findings revealed a positive and significant association between extroversion and happiness; in other words, increasing the quantity of extroversion increases happiness.”

6) People who are happy have better financial security.

Money cannot purchase happiness, but it certainly does not hurt.

When you’re worried about money or under a lot of financial pressure, it can feel like a dark cloud is hovering over your head.

As a result, having fewer money concerns is one of the major predictors of happiness.

Being wealthy will not make you happy, but having enough money to live on is one of the traits shared by many happy people.

Talya Miron-Shatz of Princeton University discovered in her publication that happy people have less financial concern and worry.

7) Curiosity is a trait of happy people.

We all have varied degrees of interest in the people and things around us.

One of the more surprising traits of happy people is their curiosity.

They are eager to learn more and discover new things.

They enjoy meeting people from all walks of life, with various religions, cultures, and interests.

They want to learn new things, experiment with new ideas, study about subjects they’ve never heard of before, and discover new careers and projects.

Happy people are curious about life and want to learn more all the time, according to Professors Todd B. Kashdan, Paul Rose, and Frank D. Fincham in their 2010 study “Curiosity and Exploration: Facilitating Positive Subjective Experiences and Personal Growth Opportunities” published in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology.

8) They have the best of intentions.

Is it true that everyone has good intentions?

I used to think so, but spending more time in foreign conflict zones, studying politics, and utilizing online dating sites has changed my mind!

I believe that good intentions come and go, and that some people (including myself at times!) become disoriented on the path of life.
But, if you want to be happy, it’s a good idea to wish the world and other people well.

There’s a lot of drama out there, yet experts agree that having good intentions and a benign attitude toward life makes you considerably happier.

People with excellent intentions and a more altruistic perspective to life tend to be happier, according to several psychological studies.

And, most likely, the two most significant Happiness traits:

They cherish close relationships

Happy people come in all forms of relationships, including lifelong bachelors.

People who recognize and cherish close relationships, on the other hand, are often happy.

This does not have to be romantic or sexual relationships, but any type of interaction that brings people together and bonds them in trust and affection is extremely good to our sense of well-being.

“That is most evident in studies, which demonstrate that married people are generally happier than single people,” says Dr. Marina Adshade of the University of British Columbia.

“But it’s not only marriage; strong, trusting relationships of any kind tend to make people happier than they would be otherwise.”

They discover happiness within themselves.

According to psychological studies, one of the most important personality traits of happy people is the ability to find happiness within.

Every one of us has goals, dreams, desires, and anxieties about life.

But the one thing that all happy people appear to have in common is that they never base their happiness entirely on external factors.

When bad things happen, the happy person maintains an inner feeling of rooted identity and power.

They will not let circumstances beyond their control control them.

“Data validates the age-old understanding that the source of happiness resides within,” according to a Tracking Happiness study.

Happy People: The Recap

People who are happy come in all shapes and sizes. They could be wealthy or impoverished, tall or short.

Or they could just be a guy mowing his lawn and drinking a beer in Austin.

However, as this list shows, happy people share a number of characteristics:

• Their humor and jokes bring people together
• It’s not important to them to expect too much from the world or from others
• Their foundation is anchored in themselves and they know their worth
• Their interests and activities keep them busy and active
• Meeting new people and trying new things are important to them
• There is less concern about money among them
• It’s in their nature to be curious about the world and other people
• At the very least, they want to do their part to help the planet and people
• Relationships matter to them, as do family, friends, and romantic relationships
• Happiness comes from within, and they don’t expect a miracle from the outside world.

People that are happy seek for win-win scenarios. They accept the negative aspects of life while praising the positive aspects and finding meaning and purpose in the turmoil.

Most importantly:

Happiness is contagious, and there is always a solution.

Paulo Coelho

Conclusion

Happiness is a personal experience. What makes a person happy may differ from what makes another person happy, but there are some commonalities that we can all seek to establish in our lives and share with others around us. We hope that this list of eight traits resonates with you or inspires you to engage in new happiness-enhancing activities.