What the Second-Happiest People Get Right

Research found that some gloom can lead us to pay appropriate attention to problems and find solutions. In other words, when we are sad about something, we are more likely to try and fix it.

Too many good feelings can lead us to disregard problems. A study found that the fear of failure is positively correlated with meaning derived from romance, friendship, and family.

Bringing good things into your life, such as love or career success usually involves risk. Risk doesn't make us happy and can often bring disappointment. But it can also bring better rewards than if we played it safe.

We should not shun good feelings or think it's foolish for wanting to be happy. However, it should not be a goal to chase after positive feelings and fight against negative ones.

Happiness would lose its meaning if we were unable to contrast it with some measure of sadness. Although suffering should never be anyone's goal, we can strive for a rich life where we pursue the sunshine but fully experience the rain that inevitably will fall.