Professor Seoeun-guk, known as a happiness scholar, supported the claim that "happiness is not the intensity of pleasure but its frequency."

 

On the 28th, the tvN variety show 'You Quiz on the Block' featured Professor Seoeun Guk Seo, a 'Happiness Scholar' and professor of psychology at Yonsei University. Professor Seo is a disciple of American psychologist Ed Diener, who coined the phrase 'Happiness is not the intensity of pleasure but its frequency.'

 

Professor Seo said, "The old assumption in psychology that 'happiness is like a bonus that appears when misfortune is removed' was incorrect," and added, "Happiness can be judged not by the absence of worries or unhappiness, but by the presence of joy." He further explained, "Happiness is the sum of subjective physical and mental pleasures," and "People who feel happy are those who 'must feel pleasure often,' regardless of where they find it." Therefore, discovering sources of pleasure and incorporating them into daily life can naturally lead to happiness. In addition, Professor Seo discussed happiness through the lens of personality traits and cross-national comparisons. He explained that a person's personality and the country they belong to influence how well they experience happiness.

People find the greatest joy in other people.

 

The human characteristic most associated with happiness is extraversion. Numerous domestic and international studies published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology and Science Direct support this. These studies explain that the reason extraverts tend to be relatively happier is because "another human being, who is an important resource and stimulus for humans, is more likely to be encountered by extraverts than by introverts." Professor Seo related this by saying, "Although many studies show that, on average, introverts are less happy, enjoying social interactions might actually be more characteristic of introverts," and "There are research findings indicating that the degree of happiness amplification when introverts interact with others is greater."

 

The more you are aware of others' evaluations, the farther you are from happiness.

 

Social comparison is a typical behavior that erodes happiness. This phenomenon is more prevalent in countries emphasizing collectivism, such as Korea, Japan, and Singapore. It is due to the difficulty in guaranteeing individual freedom compared to Nordic countries with strong individualistic philosophies. Therefore, according to the '2024 World Happiness Report' published by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), Korea ranked 52nd out of 143 surveyed countries. Finland, Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden took the top four positions in order.

 

It is possible to conclude that the more important others' evaluations are, the lower the sense of happiness. Professor Seo explained, "Individualism can be understood not as judging right or wrong within a fixed framework, but as an inclusive attitude that respects each person's thoughts." It was reported that when Professor Seo asked people from Nordic countries about the "most unlikable person" type, everyone unanimously said it was "a person who judges others' lives." There are several research findings that support the idea that "people with lower happiness levels use social media more" and "excessive immersion in social media increases the risk of mental illnesses such as depression," especially considering the frank comparisons made on SNS.

 

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People find the greatest joy in being human.

The wounds that elders receive from people.

They say it heals people... I wonder if that's what it means...

 

Being compared to others. Not only does it feel bad, but also...

It also feels like your self-esteem is decreasing.