Research exploring differences in ideal affect across cultures are visible in practices, institutions, and products. Notably, children's storybooks in the United States, as observed by Tsai et al. (2007)⁸, feature more excited expressions compared to the bestselling children’s books in Taiwan.
Fear of Happiness
Culture plays a crucial role in how happiness is perceived, as not everyone shares the same desire for happiness– not everyone wants to be happy. While Western cultures often see happiness as universally desirable, cultural beliefs shape individual views, similar to how they influence ideal affect. In some societies, there's a fear surrounding happiness. For instance, some cultures associate joy with subsequent misfortune, while others view expressing happiness as inviting envy, which can lead to hardships. Moreover, certain cultures perceive smiling as a sign of dishonesty or foolishness, contributing to reservations about embracing happiness. These cultural perspectives fuel the notion that creativity and happiness are incompatible, fostering a fear of happiness within these communities. Learn more by reading Dr. Mohsen Joshanloo and Dr. Dan Weijers paper, Aversion to Happiness Across Cultures: A Review of Where and Why People are Averse to Happiness⁹.
Activity: Your Happiness
Take a moment now to jot down your specific personal definition of happiness
- Take a moment to jot down your specific personal definition of happiness.
- After doing so, note, is there any element of negativity in your personal definition?
- Was your definition strictly positive or does it have other emotions mixed in?
- If no, how would you revise your definition to include negative emotions or feelings?
- Can you? (Discuss with a friend or peer briefly)
Americans tend to savor positive emotions more than Japanese, while East Asians, including Japanese individuals, are more likely to dampen enjoyment (Miyamoto & Ma, 2011¹⁰; Lindberg, 2004¹¹). Across cultures, there's a tendency to dampen positive moods and focus on negative aspects (Bryant & Verof, 2007)¹². Reflecting Taoist principles of balance, Chinese and Koreans often believe in the reversal of happiness, anticipating a shift from positivity to negativity over time (Suh & Koo, 2008¹³; Ji et al., 2001¹⁴).
Often, it's not solely a matter of cultural influence. It frequently stems from those close to us who have shaped our behavior, teaching us to conceal our joy and view gloom as a safer option. Alternatively, growing up around family members whose typical mood leaned towards negativity can also play a significant role.
Thus, feeling sad, anxious, or depressed can become ingrained as the norm — a defensive strategy for navigating life. The School of Life released a video titled The Fear of Happiness¹⁵, exploring the apprehension towards happiness due to its unfamiliarity.
It is important to explore cultural differences in viewing and pursuing happiness like this while learning about Positive Psychology. It can be often assumed that everyone wants to be happy and do things to achieve happiness, although, as fear of happiness and ideal affect demonstrate, it is not always the case. This also has a very important practical implication of using activities designed to promote happiness, as they should not be applied to all without a better understanding of the cultural context in which they might be occurring. Research has shown that cultural differences in experiencing emotions and understanding of happiness lead to varied results when the same activities are performed by different cultural groups.
Attribution
⁷Tsai, J. L., Knutson, B., & Fung, H. H. (2006). Cultural variation in affect valuation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 90(2), 288–307. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.90.2.288
⁸Tsai, J. L., Miao, F. F., Seppala, E., Fung, H. H., & Yeung, D. Y. (2007). Influence and adjustment goals: Sources of cultural differences in ideal affect. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(6), 1102–1117. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.92.6.1102
⁹Joshanloo, M., Weijers, D. (2014). Aversion to Happiness Across Cultures: A Review of Where and Why People are Averse to Happiness. Journal of Happiness Studies, 15(3), 717–735. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-013-9489-9
¹⁰Miyamoto, Y., & Ma, X. (2011). Dampening or savoring positive emotions: A dialectical cultural script guides emotion regulation. Emotion, 11(6), 1346–1357. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0025135
¹¹Lindberg, T. L. (2004). Culture and savoring of positive experiences (Publication No. 2005-995054) [Doctoral Thesis, University of British Columbia]. UBC Theses and Dissertations. https://doi.org/10.14288/1.0092290
¹²Bryant, F. B., & Veroff, J. (2017). Savoring: A new model of positive experience. Psychology Press. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315088426
¹³Suh, E. M. & Koo, J. (2008). Comparing subjective well-being across cultures and nations: The “what” and “why” questions. In M. Eid & R.J. Larsen (Eds.), The science of subjective well-being (pp. 414-423). Guilford Press.
¹⁴Ji, L., Nisbett, R. E., & Su, Y. (2001). Culture, Change, and Prediction. Psychological Science, 12(6), 450–456. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9280.00384
¹⁵The School of Learning. (2019, June 19). The Fear of Happiness [Video file]. https://youtu.be/7jZdXWGKc7M?si=fs9rxnnx7ByxVn27
¹⁶Pedrotti, J. M., Edwards, L. M., Lopez, S. J. (2021). Positive Psychology within a Cultural Context. The Oxford Handbook of Positive Psychology. (pp. 59-70). https://epublications.marquette.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1432&context=edu_fac
¹⁷Tsai, J. (2024). Culture and emotion. In R. Biswas-Diener & E. Diener (Eds.), Noba textbook series: Psychology. Champaign, IL: DEF publishers. http://noba.to/gfqmxtyw
¹⁸Tsai, J. L. (2007). Ideal Affect: Cultural Causes and Behavioral Consequences. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 2(3), 242–259. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6916.2007.00043.x
