The happiness experiment
The Nurse enjoys researching stuff. Her fellow inmates mostly enjoy it too, although they’re naturally wary when forced to take part in her more bizarre experiments. Many of which are downright dangerous, if not lethal.
So everyone was relieved to find her latest proposition wasn’t particularly dodgy, just a simple experiment to find out more about the nature of happiness.
The Nurse’s happiness experiment
Splitting the inmate population neatly and randomly in two, The Nurse briefed each group as follows.
Group 1:
-
Before you go to sleep, imagine tomorrow is the best day you’ve ever had. You feel fantastic. You look great. Everything’s going your way. You’re fit, healthy and the world is full of possibilities.
-
Pick up the thread when you wake up and carry on all day with your positive internal dialogue
Group 2:
-
Before you go to sleep, imagine tomorrow will be the worst day you’ve ever had. You look like a bag of shite, your feet smell, everyone hates you and you’ve just been sacked.
-
When you wake up, carry on convincing yourself your life stinks and the entire world thinks you’re an arse.
The Results
The Nurse asked everyone to describe how they felt about their day.
-
Group 1: Had a great time.
-
Group 2: Just wanted to die and get it over with.
The next night The Nurse reversed the process.
-
Group 1: Had a dreadful time.
-
Group 2: Enjoyed themselves despite being banged up in a loony bin.
Conclusion
Sadly she daren’t try the experiment herself. The Nurse understands better than anyone how unpredictable and deadly she can be when in a bad mood. But she suspects we’re in charge of our own happiness. Interesting.
The Nurse wants YOU!
Nobody’s going to take this seriously… an experiment run by a mass murderer, undertaken on the population of a mental institution, none of whom were given the remotest choice in the matter.
The Nurse needs fresh test data, from normal people like you. Feel free to experiment on yourself and let her know what happens.
Todd from Live Hockey wrote,
one of the experiment i made was : if one of the things you wrote down that makes you unhappy is that you don’t like ‘lazy people’ or people who tell lies, or the fact that there is poverty in the world – then just note down the opposites of those things, or the concept that these represent. This will really help you to overcome unhappiness
Link | June 14th, 2010 at 4:34 pm
Brian from Chicago Commercial Printing wrote,
I think if you think good things and focus on the positive aspects of your life, overall you will be happier and so will the people around you.
Link | June 15th, 2010 at 11:11 pm
Nathan from ATV Parts wrote,
Focus on the positives in your life. Eliminate the bad elements and continue to work on things that make you a better person.
Link | June 18th, 2010 at 1:06 am
Georg Smith from summertime the film wrote,
Well I got the motive behind your experiment its just that how you feel from inside is the way you’re going to live life. And secondly if you’re prepared for the worst that might happen then you feel that this which is going on write now is some what better than what you had imagined.
Link | June 18th, 2010 at 7:18 am
Pete from Web Design Company wrote,
The title was a bit confusing but you have justified it properly. You really perform these experiments or you just try to write all these stuff by your mind’s imagination?
Link | June 19th, 2010 at 10:29 am
Rachael from pet friendly lodging wrote,
I really don’t understand the motive behind your experiments. But loved reading your experiences here.
Link | June 22nd, 2010 at 12:27 pm
Randy from Commercial Solar wrote,
The results of this test are not surprising to me at all. It’s no suprsing that people who choose to always focus on the negative are going to be in terrible moods all the time. Bad things happen to all of us, but through thick and thin, those who maintain a positive attitude are more likely to get through it easier.
Link | June 23rd, 2010 at 7:52 pm
Roger from Debt Recovery Consultants wrote,
I know I have certainly experienced times where having a positive outlook on things made life a lot easier and enjoyable. It isn’t always easy to just turn it on and turn it off though, as in the experiment in this post. However, I am a firm believer that your attitude can help influence a lot of how easy your day/life is.
Link | June 27th, 2010 at 6:59 pm
Scott Brim from winnipeg real estate wrote,
This ‘experiment’ works according to lots of motivational speakers and life coaches. And the fact remains people can be pessimistic or optimistic, and that is what really decides what kind of day you have. Seeing the silver lining can really take the edge of a dark cloud.
Link | June 30th, 2010 at 12:39 pm
Craig Williams from Electrician Melbourne wrote,
Hey the results are quite obvious. The people who are having a negative mind set will always be in a bad annoying mood. Bad things are a part of life. And we must understand this that the problems are that big only the much we think them to be.
Link | July 13th, 2010 at 7:27 am