Positive Life Events (
PLEs) are very important: there is no doubt that
they help create more happiness
(but mainly for "normal" people: they only work for about 10% of the
clinically depressed).
In individuals with high
self-esteem PLEs also
lead to improved physical health.
Extraverts are more likely to have PLEs at work and with
friends. In fact, their positive illusions and social skills predispose them to
having positive reactions even to negative events. A positive attitude acts
in several ways—it can lead people to choose or avoid certain situations, it
can also lead to people interpreting situations in different ways, it can
lead to people changing situations, in this case so that they are more
positive.
However, it is not necessary to be an extravert - a large percentage of
introverts have PLEs too. Another feature of individuals that affects their PLEs is the amount of
social support they have. Those with good social support experience more
PLEs and appreciate them more.
Furthermore, PLEs in the spheres of
friendship and work are not only predicted by extraversion and lead to
enhanced well-being, but also lead to higher levels of extraversion, in a
"chain of well—being". The most remarkable effect in the social
sphere is that, when individuals have had a lot of PLEs, they become more
extraverted, which in turn makes them happier.
Class has an effect too. Different sections of the community have
different frequencies of ‘events’. Working-class people are in worse mental
health and are less happy than middle-class ones; this can partly be
explained by the higher rate of stressful life events for the working class.
They have more unpleasant experiences that are due to poverty, unemployment,
trouble with the law, etc.
Middle-class people enjoy much better leisure activities, especially
exercise and social clubs, go to church more, and have more friends. There
are also some class differences in personality that are relevant.
Middle—class individuals, as the result of different patterns of
socialization, are better able to control (or think they can control) what
happens to them; this "internal control" is one of the most powerful factors
for positive mood and happiness.
In addition, married individuals are happier than unmarried, as we have
seen. The married are likely to enjoy much more sex, more social interaction
and companionship (all PLEs), than those living alone.
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