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Hey everybody, thanks for being here! Thanks for sticking around for the very last talk. I call this talk 'The Pursuit of Happiness.' I'm sad that this conference is ending because it's been really great to talk to so many of you, meet so many of you, and listen to all the talks. But hopefully, we can end it on a happy note. This talk will cover a few of my favorite studies and concepts in positive psychology and some ways that I think we can apply those to optimize our happiness and be just a little bit happier.
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So who am I, and why am I talking to you about happiness? My name is Dustin Haefele-Tschanz. My pronouns are he and him. My partner and I have hyphenated our last names for fun, which might confuse my daughter's future teachers during roll call. Pictured here is my partner, our daughter Emmy, and our two dogs; the big one is Nelly, and the smaller one that looks like an Ewok is Mod.
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I am a software engineer at Spradley, a payments orchestration company based in Durham, North Carolina, but we live in Athens, Georgia. I haven’t always lived in Athens, though. I grew up one state over on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere, Nebraska. I then went to the University of Nebraska, which might explain why I'm not giving a tech talk because the 'N' in Nebraska stands for knowledge—just kidding! I studied chemical and biomolecular engineering there.
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After I graduated, I spent the next six or seven years working in factories, most of which were mayonnaise factories—hence the goofy clip art you see there. I wasn't super happy with factory work for various reasons, so I decided to quit my job and attend a boot camp. I took four months off to learn the basics of web development. In that time, my partner and I figured it was a good opportunity to travel around South America, which I highly recommend—it's a wonderful continent.
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But why am I talking about happiness? I've been fascinated with studies on human happiness, particularly in the field of positive psychology. Surprisingly, a lot of economists also do research in this area. I’ve been interested in these studies for over a decade and have used many of them to make both big and small decisions in my life. I wanted to share what I learned from reading these studies and hope that it might help you be a little happier.
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So, what is positive psychology? Positive psychology is the scientific study of well-being. It started in 1998 when Martin Seligman, then president of the American Psychological Association, emphasized the importance of studying well-being within the field of psychology. This approach was in contrast to 20th-century psychology, which focused primarily on problems and adopted a disease model for studying mental health.
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These two fields of study complement each other; positive psychology does not replace mental health research, treatment, or medication. If you are struggling, please talk to an expert, like a therapist or psychiatrist, or even your primary care doctor. Personally, I take SSRIs and have seen a therapist—these have both been game changers for my depression treatment. Today, however, we're focusing on positive psychology.
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Let’s start with the age-old question: does money buy happiness? As a whole, we in the tech community have access to some pretty good salaries. So, raise your hands if you think money buys happiness. We have a pretty good split here. All right, let’s dive into it! In 2010, a researcher named Daniel Kahneman from Princeton, a Nobel Prize-winning scientist, conducted a study to explore the relationship between income and happiness.
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Kahneman and his team analyzed Gallup poll data, conducting daily surveys of about a thousand people. They collected responses to various questions, including salary and feelings people reported experiencing the previous day—such as happiness, enjoyment, frequent smiling, worry, and sadness. Kahneman and his team created a metric to estimate human happiness and tracked this against income.
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They discovered that happiness increased with income up to a point, somewhere between $60,000 and $90,000. Of course, this study was conducted in 2010, so accounting for inflation, it would probably be equivalent to about $80,000 to $110,000 today. Beyond this range, they found diminishing returns on happiness with income—basically, they no longer saw an increase in happiness.
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Fast forward to 2021, another researcher named Matthew Killingsworth from the University of Pennsylvania conducted a similar study, collecting data in a different way. They developed an app where participants rated their happiness on a sliding scale from very unhappy to very happy, leading to a continuous measurement of happiness. Participants rated their happiness three times a day over several weeks and observed trends based on income and happiness. Interestingly, they found that happiness increased with income up to $200,000 and continued to rise without reaching a plateau.
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Later, both Kahneman and Killingsworth collaborated to analyze their data sets together. They sought to determine the truth of the relationship they observed. Ultimately, they found that the 2021 study provided a more accurate depiction of happiness, particularly because they noted about 20% of the population that experienced increased income reflecting only a decrease in unhappiness, not an increase in happiness. This was grounded on the binary nature of the questions from Kahneman's surveys.
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When they focused on the bottom 20% of participants who rated their happiness the lowest, they identified that the leveling effect observed in both studies was likely inflated in Kahneman's due to the binary system and method of data analysis. In reality, around 80% of the population followed the 2021 trend.
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So how can we apply these findings to optimize our happiness? Well, we can certainly take action and ask for a raise! You could point to this talk as evidence for why your happiness is important and how it impacts productivity. Of course, I'm half-joking here; the following studies have actionable recommendations. But I wanted to emphasize how valuable the research is.
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Next, let’s consider how we use our resources. There's an endless number of things to spend our money and time on: cars, clothes, trips, concerts, sporting events, theater—you name it. So, what should we invest in if we're trying to enhance our happiness? Some research categorizes expenditures into two main types: experiential purchases and purchases of possessions. These studies assessed participants' happiness at various points in the purchasing lifecycle.
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They asked participants to rate their happiness before, during, and after the purchase or experience, while controlling for costs. The research consistently showed that individuals reported greater happiness from experiential purchases compared to material possessions. Interestingly, participants often guessed that spending on possessions would yield greater happiness because they see these as lasting longer. You buy a car that will last for years, but a concert experience only lasts a few hours.
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In contrast, the research concluded that experiences typically yield greater happiness in the long run. This finding was consistent even when the same individuals rated their various purchases, confirming that experiential spending generally provides a happiness boost.
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So let's apply this concept to our own lives. One straightforward step is to rethink your budget. You can shift spending from possessions to experiences. While I can’t re-budget for everyone here during this talk, consider how you spend your money. Perhaps you could allocate funds for travel, attending a Broadway show, or seeing your favorite band live. Experiences can provide a significant happiness boost!
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For work, we can apply this thinking readily as well. Going to conferences, for example, is an excellent way to use work resources for experiential spending. Whether that's taking time off for professional development or using a PD budget, Rocky Mountain Ruby has been a superb experience that can enhance your happiness. So it’s great to see you all here!
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Let’s also discuss a study conducted in British Columbia by researchers Elizabeth Dunn, Laura Aknan, and Michael Norton. They performed three experiments involving four spending categories: bills, expenses, charitable donations, and gifts for self and others. In the first experiment, they collected annual income data and asked participants to estimate their spending in each of these categories, then rate their happiness.
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The second experiment involved a group receiving bonuses averaging around $5,000. They were queried six to eight weeks later on how they had spent that money and how happy they felt afterward. In the final experiment, participants received envelopes containing $5 to $20, along with instructions on how to spend it within a day. They aggregated this data to explore the relationship between spending categories and happiness.
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Researchers categorized spending into personal (bills and gifts for self) and pro-social (charitable donations and gifts for others). They found no relationship between personal spending and happiness—an interesting result. Meanwhile, they identified a positive relationship between pro-social spending and happiness; the magnitude of happiness increase was similar to that observed with increased income.
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They noted that income increases and happiness from pro-social spending were not related, indicating that the joy from charitable acts and the joy from earning a higher income were distinct elements. Thus, if we want to apply this, we can start looking for local organizations or nonprofits that resonate with us and invest our time and resources there. Seeing firsthand how our contributions effect change in our community can be incredibly fulfilling.
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I work with several nonprofits: Athens Reparations Action helps raise funds for descendants of a neighborhood unjustly affected by eminent domain, which displaced families and caused significant generational wealth loss. Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement fights systemic discrimination. Another organization, Simply Switch, is an online marketplace that ensures its vendors positively impact the world.
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I encourage you to find causes you’re passionate about. Whether it's tackling environmental issues, promoting anti-racism, or advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, local nonprofits often create meaningful connections with their communities.
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Next, consider gifting experiences instead of possessions. How about concert tickets for a friend, where you both can make lasting memories together? Not only do you increase your happiness, but you also boost your friend's joy. Also, don’t forget to tip those who provide you with service like baristas or waitstaff; a small tip can create a ripple effect of happiness.
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While it's often challenging to give away funds in a work context, we can certainly contribute our time. Mentorship is a fantastic way to make a pro-social impact within your workplace. If you’re hesitant about reaching out to a mentor, remember that your inquiries can provide them with the satisfaction of helping someone else.
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However, if structured mentorship doesn't resonate with you, simply helping your co-workers can boost your happiness. Assisting them with code reviews, sharing knowledge, or just being a supportive colleague can enhance both your well-being and theirs.
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This next concept is called 'miswanting,' which is best understood alongside two definitions from a psychology textbook: 'to like' and 'to want.' When we say we like something—it makes us feel good. However, wanting hints at a predictive desire; we believe something will make us feel better. Miswanting occurs when we predict that something (like a donut) will enhance our happiness, but ultimately, it doesn’t.
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A relatable scenario might involve getting a promotion and feeling elated, then being invited to play golf. You initially feel excited, but as you drive to the course, you might wonder why you agreed or feel regret. Miswanting can stem from misinterpreting emotional states; feelings about one event can bleed into another, leading us to make predictions about happiness that don’t materialize.
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Humans generally struggle to accurately predict what will make them happy. So how can we apply this concept? Although the implementation isn't straightforward, my interest in optimum happiness is rooted in identifying this fundamental issue: If we’re bad at predicting, it’s crucial to analyze our decisions regarding happiness.
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Another useful concept involves eliminating negative factors. If we struggle to foresee what enhances happiness, we can focus on eliminating things we know make us unhappy. While I haven’t found conclusive research on the efficacy of this strategy, it seems intuitively sound. For instance, investing in a Roomba can alleviate the burden of cleaning floors, while online grocery shopping eliminates the stress of navigating crowded aisles.
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Lastly, automating tedious work tasks can eliminate negatives—such as scripting processes that simplify the work you do. If you dislike a long commute, prioritizing remote work in your job applications can alleviate that burden. Let’s wrap up with some intriguing insights related to happiness.
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For example, studies indicate that happiness peaks at approximately 18 years and then declines until around 47, after which individuals begin to experience increasing happiness again. Furthermore, fostering close relationships is crucial for overall happiness. Engaging in creative activities has also been associated with an elevated sense of well-being.
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Additionally, being true to yourself correlates with higher levels of well-being, particularly when others in your community accept your authentic self. Practices like being present and mindful are significant predictors of happiness. One fascinating study noted that switching from a long commute to walking to work had a happiness impact comparable to starting a new romantic relationship!
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And that’s it! I've shared many studies, some pro-social organizations to get involved with, and insightful mentor talks from RailsConf. If you have questions or feedback, I’d love to hear how I could improve this presentation. Thank you!