The first survey I took was the Authentic Happiness Survey. I chose this one, for one, because it was the first one I saw, but also because I thought it could be interesting to see how “objectively” happy I am by UPenn’s criteria (especially because I’m not really sure how someone measures such a subjective thing “objectively”).
My results indicated that I am in around the 70th percentile for happiness in comparison to other people in my age, gender, occupational, educational, and location groups (about a 3.33/5 on their happiness scale). Overall, I actually did not like the survey at all. Many of the questions were about comparing yourself with others and sort of keeping a score with regard to accomplishments. I think this is all the more evident in the fact that, in addition to giving me a score for my overall happiness, they compared me to other people. I think that living a life full of comparing yourself to others (especially on something as personal as your own happiness) is just unhealthy and unproductive, and it fosters an attitude of competitiveness and a need for superiority. Besides, I found that in more of the questions that made me compare myself to others, I found myself realizing that any time I was able to say I was happier, more accomplished, or in any way ahead of other people, it was due to the fact that I have lead an incredibly privileged life until now and have not had to face many serious hardships. None of it really came down to true happiness. Additionally, while accomplishment in life can bring happiness, one’s main source of happiness should not come from their life’s accomplishments or productivity! I personally think that the failures I have experienced in my life are just as (if not more) important than my successes.
In all, I guess I’m not surprised that this survey was a bit of a disappointment… I just don’t think you can objectively measure something as subjective and fluid as happiness.
