Not All Forms of Happiness Are the Same,

and Your Cells Can Tell the Difference

Philosophers and theologians have long distinguished between two types of happiness: the kind that comes from doing for yourself and the kind that comes from doing for others, or, put more simply, the happiness of getting versus the happiness of giving. The first type is termed hedonic (he-DON- ik) and represents the type of happiness that is derived from superficial gratification, like enjoying a good meal or a pleasurable experience. The second type is termed eudaimonic (u-DY-moh–nik) and comes from having a deeper sense of purpose and meaning in life beyond self, like feeding the homeless or volunteering in the community. Researchers at UCLA and the University of North Carolina have now not only corroborated the distinction philosophers have made between these two types of happiness, but they have identified the ways in which each form of happiness impacts your health.

It appears that human bodies recognize at the molecular level that not all forms of happiness are the same and that the type of happiness one engages in over time affects your genome. Even though both forms of happiness can give a sense of well being and we may perceive ourselves as being happy, in reality each type of happiness is experienced very differently in the body’s cells. Key researcher Barbara Fredrickson, Distinguished Professor of Psychology at NCU reports from her research, “The happiness of simple gratification may have negative effects at the cellular level, despite an overall perceived sense of happiness, whereas the sense of well-being derived from ‘a noble purpose’ may actually provide cellular health benefits.” The study, which was published in The Proceedings from the National Academy of Sciences, took blood samples from 80 healthy adults, 63 of whom had been assessed for hedonic well being and 17 assessed for eudaimonic well being. Both groups reported they were happy and showed a positive mental state, so researchers expected the blood analysis from each group to yield similar results. But this is where it got interesting. When they looked at gene expression in the immune cells from each group, the eudaimonics had a profile more favorable to health than the hedonics: in particular, the individuals with eudaimonic well-being had low levels of genes expressing for inflammation and higher levels of genes expressing for anti-viral and anti-body, whereas the gene profiles of the hedonic individuals showed just the opposite with high levels of genes expressing for inflammation and low levels of genes expressing for anti-viral and anti-body. This is significant in that we now know inflammation over time damages the body’s tissues and leads to chronic diseases like diabetes and cancer, and lower levels of anti-viral and anti-body gene expression means a decreased ability to fight infection and illness. The research shows eudaimonic happiness appears to reinforce the body for health, whereas hedonic happiness doesn’t. Even more surprisingly, not only did the gene profiles from the two groups not match as expected but the gene profile of the hedonics closely mirrored the gene profile of individuals who report being lonely or depressed.

“What this study tells us is that doing good and feeling good have very different effects on the human genome, even though they generate similar levels of positive emotion,” said Steve Cole, professor of medicine, psychiatry and behavioral sciences at UCLA and senior author of the research. “Apparently, the human genome is much more sensitive to different ways of achieving happiness than are conscious minds.”

So it seems that our body’s natural intelligence knows that striving for meaning and purpose is a higher quality of happiness than just seeking positive experiences. This is not to say of course that we should deny ourselves short term pleasures like enjoying a great movie or a wonderful meal. After all, both forms of happiness are valid and we need to be filled ourselves before we have something to give another. But it’s important we see beyond what serves just our personal self and strive for the kind of happiness that comes from helping others and having a deeper purpose. Not only does this serve all of life, but this form of happiness boosts your health as well. Because even if your mind doesn’t perceive a difference between happiness that is hedonic and that which is eudaimonic, your cells know the truth. 

Article: A Functional Genomic Perspective on Human Well Being. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences http://www.pnas.org/content/110/33/13684 Aug 13, 2013