happiness, damn it.

[llcoolvad]

OK, it's official. You all owe it to each other, and to ME, to be happy.

Happiness ripples well beyond a person's inner circle of friends and family, influencing the moods of total strangers as part of an emotional networking effect, according to a provocative new study. The good cheer of a neighbor's cousin's friend, or a brother's best friend's wife, can trickle back to you, the social network analysis found. The effects can last a year, said researchers in their British Medical Journal article.

A happy friend who lives within a mile, for example, boosts your odds of being happy by 25 percent, researchers found.

So just do it. Now.

If it helps, I remind you of a link that was going around a couple weeks ago. They're older, but no less cute. I've kept a browser window open all evening and I feel pretty happy.

Comments

[dajt.livejournal.com]

I've been happy ever since, hmm, last spring or so. Or maybe before, but last fall/winter had enough psychodrama and stress in it that it's hard to be sure. But yes, happy is good, even if it has taken some getting used to.

[athenais.livejournal.com]

You should be able to feel my happiness from across the country at about, oh, 5pm your time. ;)

[llcoolvad.livejournal.com]

So looking forward to the waves of happy!

[athenais.livejournal.com]

Are you feeling them? They might be slightly damped by still having two weeks to go, but I'm definitely happy!