We are all about being happy in life, but it is possible to make the most of the moments you are blessed with, new research shows.
In a new study, published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science, the authors looked at the emotional wellbeing of couples who were married, in a relationship, or in a non-marital relationship.
The researchers found that for the most part, those who had been married were happier in their marriages than the average couple.
But, when it came to their marriages, those couples that were married were just as happy in their relationships as the average married couple.
What’s more, the happiness in their couples’ relationships was not the same across the board.
When it came down to the happiness of their relationships, the most happy married couples were those who were happy in them.
This means that, in general, happiness is not necessarily a shared quality between couples who are in a long-term relationship, and it could also be a product of their personal relationships.
It is possible, the study authors write, that “our happiness and happiness in the lives of other people is a function of our personal and interpersonal relationship, not our romantic, romantic-type relationships”.
The researchers say this could have important implications for couples who want to decide whether or not to end their marriage.
“The question is not whether we should or should not have our own happiness,” lead author Elizabeth Miller-Fisher said.
“Rather, the question is whether we are in this life to enjoy happiness or to have it snatched away from us by the love of another.
This article originally appeared on New Scientist.
