Successful life

Successful life is to build a building in three dimensions: physical, emotional and relational. In other words, achieve its objectives, while maintaining good relations and a good image, without sacrificing their well-being. A social success would leave us unhappy is no longer considered by our contemporaries as an ideal of successful life. For as the material and relational dimensions follow a certain logic, as the emotional dimension of a successful life, with its unconscious aspects (our neuroses) and biological (temperament) is more difficult to control.
Human beings have always known the immense difficulty to achieve happiness. And Aristotle taught that "the wise man does not aspire to pleasure, but in the absence of suffering." Closer to home, Jules Renard wrote in his "Journal" (Gallimard, 2001): "Happiness is the silence of misfortune. "How, then, do not make yourself miserable? Here are seven tips seven directions rather, that already represent a whole program ...
1) Make the decision to go well
Truism? Not so obvious. The philosopher Alain used to say: "You have to want to be happy and do their part. If one remains in the position of the impartial spectator, leaving only the entrance doors open and happiness is the sadness that
enter. "It is always easier, less expensive psychological energy, give in to misfortune. Conversely, to prolong the welfare requires effort.
To explain this, there is first personal reasons: there are clear differences between individuals as to their ability to feel good. And factors to mankind: the evolution seems to have favored us with the existence of negative emotions, whose function is to increase the chances of survival of the species. Fear fosters flight or fight, anger intimidates opponents or rivals, sadness attracts compassion, etc. But nature, if it has been concerned about our survival, has hardly been one of our quality of life. The spectrum of emotions and positive moods is much smaller, more labile and more expensive access in terms of psychological energy.
2) Do not leave too much space in the sense of doom
If negative emotions are occasional, short-lived medium and disrupt our daily lives, can be expected to disappear by themselves. But flirting with trouble, especially valued by romanticism in the nineteenth century, has some dangers that psychology starts to look better. Unleash a negative emotion may extend life. It was previously believed to a cathartic effect complaining possible to alleviate his suffering, for example. It seems that this is often the opposite: the repeated and unanswered complaint can turn into a victim of life. And unhappiness feeds on itself: the more you let it go, the more you extend the duration. In addition, to give in to misfortune feeling will pass gradually a one-time negative emotion - we feel unhappy - a lasting negative view - was an unhappy life. Finally, it sets the return subsequent negative emotions: the phenomenon is well known in depression, which has a strong tendency to recur, and has been shown regarding the sad daily mood. is to build a building in three dimensions: physical, emotional and relational. In other words, achieve its objectives, while maintaining good relations and a good image, without sacrificing their well-being. A social success would leave us unhappy is no longer considered by our contemporaries as an ideal of successful life. For as the material and relational dimensions follow a certain logic, as the emotional dimension of a successful life, with its unconscious aspects (our neuroses) and biological (temperament) is more difficult to control.


Human beings have always known the immense difficulty to achieve happiness. And Aristotle taught that "the wise man does not aspire to pleasure, but in the absence of suffering." Closer to home, Jules Renard wrote in his "Journal" (Gallimard, 2001): "Happiness is the silence of misfortune. "How, then, do not make yourself miserable? Here are seven tips seven directions rather, that already represent a whole program ...
1) Make the decision to go well
Truism? Not so obvious. The philosopher Alain used to say: "You have to want to be happy and do their part. If one remains in the position of the impartial spectator, leaving only the entrance doors open and happiness is the sadness that
enter. "It is always easier, less expensive psychological energy, give in to misfortune. Conversely, to prolong the welfare requires effort.
To explain this, there is first personal reasons: there are clear differences between individuals as to their ability to feel good. And factors to mankind: the evolution seems to have favored us with the existence of negative emotions, whose function is to increase the chances of survival of the species. Fear fosters flight or fight, anger intimidates opponents or rivals, sadness attracts compassion, etc. But nature, if it has been concerned about our survival, has hardly been one of our quality of life. The spectrum of emotions and positive moods is much smaller, more labile and more expensive access in terms of psychological energy.
2) Do not leave too much space in the sense of doom
If negative emotions are occasional, short-lived medium and disrupt our daily lives, can be expected to disappear by themselves. But flirting with trouble, especially valued by romanticism in the nineteenth century, has some dangers that psychology starts to look better. Unleash a negative emotion may extend life. It was previously believed to a cathartic effect complaining possible to alleviate his suffering, for example. It seems that this is often the opposite: the repeated and unanswered complaint can turn into a victim of life. And unhappiness feeds on itself: the more you let it go, the more you extend the duration. In addition, to give in to misfortune feeling will pass gradually a one-time negative emotion - we feel unhappy - a lasting negative view - was an unhappy life. Finally, it sets the return subsequent negative emotions: the phenomenon is well known in depression, which has a strong tendency to recur, and has been shown regarding the sad daily mood.