Happier: Post #9- Relationships

Happiness in Relationships: Both Seligman and Diener have discovered that truly happy people have strong close social ties, without exception. “Without friendship, no happiness is possible,” says Aristotle.  Romance is the ultimate form of friendship and therefore sits on the top of all our relationships and rules supreme. Being loved for our conditions—like wealth, fame, or attractiveness—is a conditional, fleeting kind of affiliation. Whereas, being loved for our character, caring, and kindness is unconditional and enduring love. The “circle of creativity” was discovered by psychologist David Winnicott, who found that children played more creatively when in a certain radius of their mothers. Being loved unconditionally creates a safe place for us to be our creative best. We cultivate happiness in a relationship (especially marriage) by knowing and being known. Engaging in activities that help us reveal others and be revealed ourselves creates strong relationships.