Is happiness genetic or a choice?
The short answer is
both.

Sonja Lyubomirsky, author of The How of Happiness, says, “A lot of it is genetically determined, up to 50 percent.” That statistic comes from several studies of identical twins. Researchers found that when they compared the happiness of identical twins, who share 100 percent of their genetic makeup, each was remarkably similar from a happiness perspective, despite the various things, good and bad, that had happened to each twin over the years. This, researchers concluded, shows that everyone has a “happiness set point” that is determined by genetics.

But if only half our happiness levels are inherited, that leaves plenty of room for improvement, says Lyubomirsky. “We can become happier,” she says. “It involves effort and commitment. I make the analogy with weight loss, where some are luckier than others. If you’re less fortunate, you have to put more effort into it. Maybe every week you need to do something to maintain your happiness.” (See “12 tips for a happier life”)

Happy by choice

Lisa Napoli admits choosing to be happy isn’t easy. A longtime journalist, she realized several years ago that being surrounded by professional cynics was having a corrosive effect on her mental health. She heard about a local happiness class, went and started to work on her attitude. “It was about approaching life from a point of abundance rather than a point of lack,” she says. “But unless you’re naturally wired that way, it takes some work.”