Happy couple When you think about your past, what comes to mind most often? Memories of sunshine-filled family holidays, or the opportunity you let slip past you? A new study has found that people who remember good times in their past are happier than those who think back to negative memories and regrets. It also helps us to understand why our personality makes such a difference to our happiness – or lack of it.
The study, published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, examined the ‘Big Five’ personality traits in their study of more than 750 subjects. This assesses how extrovert, neurotic, open, conscientious and agreeable we are. This type of assessment rates people as high or low on each trait, rather than judging them to have a particular personality trait.
“We found that highly extraverted people are happier with their lives because they tend to hold a positive, nostalgic view of the past and are less likely to have negative thoughts and regrets,” said Ryan Howell, assistant professor of psychology at San Francisco State University, who wrote the study with graduating senior Jia Wei Zhang. “People high on the neurotic scale essentially have the exact opposite view of the past and are less happy as a result.”
“This is good news because although it may be difficult to change your personality, you may be able to alter your view of time and boost your happiness,” Howell said. Some of the ways in which you might be able to increase your life satisfaction, suggest Howell and Zhang, are by enjoying happy memories, or by looking at painful experiences in your past from a more positive point of view.
Each participant in the study completed a survey about their personality, life satisfaction, and ‘time perspective’ which shows whether someone is orientated to the past, present or future. To find this out they were asked questions such as if they enjoyed reminiscing about the ‘good old days’, and if they think they or fate determine their future.
The study found that the participants’ view of the past had the greatest effect on life satisfaction. Extroverts who are energetic and talkative were far more likely to have positive memories of their past and to be happier as a consequence. Those who scored highly on the neurotic scale ( this can mean that they can be moody, emotionally unstable and tend to fret), were more likely to have negative memories and to be less happy.
“Personality traits influence how people look at the past, present and future and it is these different perspectives on time which drive a person’s happiness,” said Ryan Howell.
If you’d like to be happier now, it may be time to edit your memories. Consign cold rainy days, not being on the winning team and burying your best ball in the bunker to a locked closet at the back of your brain. Bring out instead recollections of birthday parties, holding hands with your true love, and paddling on the beach with your kids.