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The mathematics of happiness
Here is a fascinating equation
Happiness. It’s an elusive quality. We know when we are happy with life, but when it’s absent, we rarely know why. Some people instinctively know what makes them happy, but the rest of us have to work at it.
How is mathematics connected with happiness?
Take a look at this equation: H = R/E, where H = happiness, R = reality and E = expectations. When your expectations are high, but the reality is low, you get a very small value for happiness, in fact, it’s less than 1.
When your expectations are low and the reality is high, happiness is much higher. Simple mathematics. But does it really work like that? Yes. Absolutely. I think what really makes us unhappy is high expectations.
Why do we have high expectations?
Lots of reasons. You expect your partner to be wonderful and everything you dreamed they would be. In your mind, you often have a list of expectations. The trouble is, it rarely works that way. If the reality is not what you imagined, you are unhappy with your relationship. What if you had much lower expectations, that your partner exceeded, and reality was higher? The result this time would be happiness.
So we can control happiness with our expectations.
