Buried within this article about Philadelphia being the 5th most miserable city in the U.S., are a few nuggets of wisdom:
"If you don't really commit to a place and say, 'This is it, this is home,' you're unlikely to be very happy anywhere."
But when it comes to the recipe for a happy city, there's one ingredient that is more important than any other, Weiner said.
And it's not the weather.
"Trust. It's a non-negotiable thing," Weiner said. "And trust is determined by the quality of local government and the quality of relationships people have with one another."
Scientists and economists tend to agree. Trust is not only essential for happiness, it's a fundamental requirement for a functioning economy.
"Trust makes us care about each other," said Paul J. Zak, director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies at Claremont Graduate University in California. "Trust is internally rewarding for the same reason eating or sex feels good. Your body is telling you this is an important activity."
Commitment, trust, and community are important things. Whoa. Mind-blowing.
No comments:
Post a Comment