Buddhists may wonder why it took so long for scientists to figure this one out:The meaning of happiness is meaning. Researchers at the University of Arizona analyzed 20,000, 30-second samplings of daily conversations of 79 undergraduates and correlated the depth of the discussion with the happiness of those involved. CNN reports that the happiest people in the study engaged in only one-third as much small
talk as the unhappiest participants. Happy people tended to have twice as many substantive conversations,
and spent 25 percent less time alone, than the unhappiest participants.
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Happy people tended to have twice as many substantive conversations, and spent 25 percent less time alone, than the unhappiest participants.”
These two traits are contradictory. Having a
substantive conversation in less time leaves more
time to be alone. Therefore anyone who is lucky
enough to talk to someone whom they can connect with has more time to be productive; and therefore is happier but is alone mmore time. So these characteristics are contradictory.