How Can Too Much Happiness Harm You?

Having much joy can make you less creative and dangerous. Happiness, it turns out, comes at a price when enjoyed in excess. For example, we are frequently advised that pleasure can help us think more creatively and solve issues or riddles by opening up our thoughts. When we have modest amounts of happiness, this is the case. However, according to Mark Alan Davis’ 2008 meta-analysis of the association between mood and creativity, people no longer receive the same creativity boost when they experience intense and possibly overpowering levels of happiness. People lose their ability to tap into and channel their inner creative energies in extreme circumstances like madness.

Excessive happiness might not only negate its benefits for us, but it can also cause psychological injury. Why? The answer could be found in the definition and function of happiness. When we are happy, our focus shifts to exciting and positive aspects of our lives in order to keep the good vibes going. We are less constrained and more ready to explore new ideas and take chances when we are happy. Take this happiness function to its logical conclusion. Consider someone who is driven by an overwhelming desire to focus only on the positive aspects of life and to take massive risks. They may be prone to overlooking or ignoring warning signs in their environment, or to taking large jumps and risky movements even when the odds are stacked against them.

Excessive alcohol use, binge eating, sexual promiscuity, and drug use are all risky behaviors that people who are in this heightened ‘happy overdrive’ mode participate in. In a 1993 study, psychologist Howard S. Friedman and colleagues discovered that school-aged children who were assessed as “very joyful” by parents and teachers had a higher risk of mortality as adults, possibly because they engaged in more risky behaviors. All of these findings converge to the same conclusion: happiness is best experienced in moderation—not too little, but not too much.

Also Read: Can Pursuing Too Much Happiness Lead You To be Unhappy?