Hardwired happiness: Science suggests our happiness levels are fixed

Humans are hardwired to return to their set level of happiness, researchers say.

Scientists split wellbeing into two metrics: an emotional component — which most people call happiness or joy — and a cognitive appraisal of our life.

Psychiatrist and study author, Professor Nick Glozier, says while events like winning the lottery or having a child may boost cognitive life satisfaction for several years, emotional happiness returns to a person’s base level quite quickly.

Press PLAY below to hear how much our happiness is hardwired

“Some people are quite wired to be generally happy or generally sadder in life,” he told Ross and Russel.

“This temperament sits behind our personality and our wellbeing. We all know those people who are natural optimists or natural pessimists and they don’t really change very much over life.”