2013/12/14 by Mohsen Joshanloo, Dan Weijers · 2 citations
Psychology · Neuroscience · #Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction #Cultural Differences and Values #Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment #Happiness #Positive psychology #Psychology #Quality of Life Research #Social psychology #Value (mathematics) #Subjective well-being
paper · pdf · doi:10.1007/s10902-013-9489-9
openalex publication_date 2013/12/14 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
Abstract A common view in contemporary Western culture is that personal happiness is one of the most important values in life. For example, in American culture it is believed that failing to appear happy is cause for concern. These cultural notions are also echoed in contemporary Western psychology (including positive psychology and much of the research on subjective well-being). However, some important (often culturally-based) facts about happiness have tended to be overlooked in the psychological research on the topic. One of these cultural phenomena is that, for some individuals, happiness is not a supreme value. In fact, some individuals across cultures are averse to various kinds of happiness for several different reasons. This article presents the first review of the concept of aversion to happiness. Implications of the outcomes are discussed, as are directions for further research.