Researchers who have looked for clear relationships between job satisfaction and the actual type of job one holds have overwhelmingly struck out. In a 2018 survey, the “happiest jobs” had nothing in common: teaching assistant, quality-assurance analyst, net developer, and marketing specialist.[3]

Challenge 1 conflict

it might be right for you if you really love stability and want a job that, while it doesn’t make you rich, is financially secure and allows you to spend your life on things you care a lot about outside work.

In general, extroverts are happier than introverts. In 2001, a group of Oxford scholars broke a sample of survey respondents into four groups: happy extroverts, unhappy extroverts, happy introverts, and unhappy introverts.[17] The happy extroverts outnumbered the happy introverts by about two to one. One common explanation for the happiness differe

But going to the other extreme is even worse. Extinguishing your regrets doesn’t put you on a path to freedom; it consigns you to making the same mistakes over and over again.

appreciating bad feelings

Happiness is a combination of enjoyment, satisfaction, and purpose. To get happier is to get more of these elements, in a balanced way—not all of one and none of another. But if you were reading closely, you noticed one funny thing about all three: they all have some unhappiness within them. Enjoyment takes work and forgoing pleasures; satisfaction

Scholars have shown that excessive self-concern can increase defensiveness and negativity.[20]

The secret to the best life is to accept your unhappiness (so you can learn and grow) and manage the feelings that result.