FAQ > About Subjective Well-Being (Happiness and Life Satisfaction), by Dr. Diener > Q: What about dampening one's emotions, being nonattached, as a method of being happier?
A: People who use nonattachment ("it's not that important") might suffer less, at least consciously, from negative events. However, several studies also show that this strategy may result in being less positive when good things happen. Similarly, studies have shown that when people think a goal is very important, they are likely to be happier when they reach it, but they also are likely to suffer more anxiety beforehand if attaining the goal is uncertain. Thus, nonattachment appears to be a two-edged sword, as is investing increased importance in goals.
One can also dampen one's emotions by ignoring them, not labeling them, and so forth. Men traditionally were believed to do this more than women, especially for emotions such as fear and sadness. However, individuals who dampen their emotions seem likely to also experience less intense positive emotions. Women on average, for example, are often socialized to be more open to affective experience - and therefore might on average get depressed more when bad things happen, but also may experience more intense positive emotions when good things happen.
Last updated on September 14, 2007 by Dr. Walt