The Pursuit of Happiness Can Make You Less Happy, Say Researchers

Is it possible to have too much of a good thing? According to numerous researchers, when it comes to happiness, more is not necessarily better.

Although the positive side effects of happiness are many -- including protection from strokes and the common cold, resistance to pain, increased life expectancy and, of course, feeling good -- many researchers are suggesting that happiness, like chocolate, is best enjoyed in moderation. A healthy balance, would be to feel three positive emotions for every negative one. But, let's get serious, emotions don't really work like that.

What's so wrong with being an all-around happy person, anyway? June Gruber, psychology professor from Yale University, agrees that too much happiness can have negative outcomes.

"Research indicates that very high levels of positive feeling predict risk-taking behaviours, excess alcohol and drug consumption, binge eating and may lead us to neglect threats," she tells the Washington Post.

Psychologist Edward Diener from the University of Illinois says excessive happiness could have a negative impact on your career, too. His global research indicates that people who reported being very pleased with their lives early on ended up having lower incomes in later years than people who had been slightly less satisfied with their lives.

Diener believes this is because always-happy people, who are also usually content with their jobs, don't feel the same type of pressure as others do to further their education levels or look into more lucrative career possibilities.

While sadness and negativity are generally considered to be undesirable traits, studies have shown that typically sad people tend to be more detail-oriented and systematic. Happiness, on the other hand, can sometimes lead to snap judgements and stereotyping, reports the Washington Post.