The Science of Happiness: Romantic Relationships, Family, and Friendships.

10/23/15: Friends, Family and Happiness

Dear courserunners: please be consistent in your use of the serial comma.  I can accept it if you never use, but don't just randomly switch it up like that.

Ahem.  Another section! Still in Week 2, but getting close to the end. 

A panegyric on the happiness and "Pleasures of the Married State", published in London ca. 1780. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

So anyway, we've talked so far about how being socially connected is good for us, but now we're breaking it down into specific types of relationships. Up first: a video about marriage.

So, basically, humans are generally wired to pair bond. And people who are married tend to be happier than people who are not, but there's a bit of correlation-is-not-causation here. 

The video also points out behaviors that can either sink or strengthen a marriage.  On the bad side:

• Contempt
• Criticism
• Stonewalling
• Defensiveness

On the positive side:

• Humor
• Appreciation
• Forgiveness
• Openness to emotional disclosures.

I think we can all agree that these are both fairly obvious and also not that freaking easy.

Next up is an article, so we'll deal with that later.

Related articles

• Finding a mate isn't luck. It's about setting a goal and reaching it.
• The Surprising Benefits of Marrying Young
• Married At First Sight Is Getting A Spinoff :: How are the married couples doing? fyi wants us all to know! [Married At First Sight]
• When did Adam and Eve get married?
• Here's How Delaying Marriage or Kids Saves You Money
• Eight Things to Think About Before You Get Married