The Happiness Paradox: 7 Ways Pursuing Pleasure Backfires (P)

Seven downsides of trying too hard to be happy — ones that might leave us feeling worse instead of better.

We are constantly told to seek happiness, chase joy and make feeling good a priority.

But, like any emotion, happiness has its time and place.

Pleasure comes and goes with the ups and downs of everyday life and too much emphasis on being happy all the time can be a problem.

Here are seven downsides of trying too hard to be happy -- they help explain a phenomenon sometimes known as the ‘happiness paradox’: why trying to be happy can backfire.

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Author: Dr Jeremy Dean

Psychologist, Jeremy Dean, PhD is the founder and author of PsyBlog. He holds a doctorate in psychology from University College London and two other advanced degrees in psychology. He has been writing about scientific research on PsyBlog since 2004.