Is it Possible to be Too Happy and Positive?
Intensity is the first aspect that Gruber and colleagues looked at when talking about happiness. Intensity refers to the “degree or amount of strength that something has” (Merriam-Webster, 2019). When something is said to be “intense” it usually means there is a sense of being extreme or too strong. In this case, “too happy” or “too positive” can mean an intense level of happiness.
Contrary to popular beliefs, studies have shown that excess levels of experiences, emotions, and mental states can lead to becoming unhealthy (Gruber et al., 2011). This applies not only to negative experiences but also positive states like happiness.
Research has found that intense degrees of happiness may be costly as it can lead to negative outcomes instead of benefiting us (Oishi, Diener, & Lucas, 2007). Scott Crabtree, in his Thrive From 9-5 Online Course, mentions that the ideal number for self-reported happiness is an 8 out of 10, with 10 being always happy.
He explains that a person who is extremely happy, and always happy, may not be completely in touch with reality. This disengagement from reality, as a person experiences intense levels of happiness, may lead to risky behaviors and dysfunction in certain areas of our life.
Moderate levels of happiness allow room for us to be able to still experience unpleasant emotions. These unpleasant experiences help us to learn and grow from them and to keep moving forward.
The Timing of Happiness
Just as the degree of happiness is important, timing is also an important aspect to consider. Gruber et al. state that happiness can also lead to negative outcomes when experienced in all situations. They also identified that there is likely a right time to feel happy, as well as a right time to experience negative emotions since emotions have an adaptive and functional role.
Positive emotions, as identified in numerous studies, plays an important role in many contexts. Gratitude likely biases our attention towards rewards instead of seeing a threat in a situation. It can help us see the silver lining even in the midst of failure.
The expression of gratitude also facilitates positive social interactions and signals the other person to respond with “you’re welcome” when a “thank you” is heard. Gratitude can also contribute to increasing the positive emotions of the other person.
Gruber and colleagues looked at different studies to see how emotions play a role in the cognitive, physiological, and social perspectives. They identified specific situations for the three perspectives where negative emotions can be more beneficial than positive emotions.
The cognitive perspective sees emotions as a filter that influences the way we gather, process, and interpret information. The way we feel impacts the information we attend to, as well as our cognitive processes like decision making, judgment, and creativity (Dalgleish & Power, 1999; Forgas, 2001; Martin & Clore, 2001, as cited in Gruber et al.).
The physiological perspective looks at emotions as a trigger for action in a given situation. Our emotions cause a physical response which prepares our body to act on a specific stimulus (Ekman, 1992; Levenson, 2003; Plutchik, 1980, as cited in Gruber et al.).
Lastly, the social perspective considers how emotions affect the way we interact and relate with people. Numerous studies show that the way we feel can help contribute to the response we elicit from others, to how we respond to others, and to how the social interaction plays out.
On the other hand, negative emotions, such as experiencing fear, can help us to respond appropriately to a situation, specifically when we are in the context of a serious threat. On a cognitive level, fear helps us to pay attention to our surroundings and to possible threats around us.
The fear we experience allows us to judge the situation and make decisions in order to deal with the threat. The physical response to fear causes our heart rates to rise as blood is pumped at a faster rate through our body (Cacioppo, Berntson, Larsen, Poehlmann, & Ito, 1993, as cited in Gruber et al.).
Together, our brain and body prepare us to get into a fight or flight response if the need arises. Socially, expressing fear may evoke concern from others and signal them to help or provide assistance. Our fear can also limit our interactions with individuals we perceive to be a possible threat.
The lack of fear, when faced with a threat, may prove to be detrimental since it prevents us from responding appropriately. Cognitively, we may not properly assess possible threats around us.
When we are not afraid, our bodies also do not prepare for a fight or flight response which may cause a delay in action. Lastly, the people around us are likely to be unaware that we need help. It is also highly likely that because we are not afraid, we also do not know that we actually need help from others.
What our readers think
Wow. Thank you! I was beginning to think there’s no proof that there is such thing as too much happiness.
I showed examples that can show too much happiness, but my mom didn’t believe me.
A fine article. They way I look at this subject is that happiness is not always constructive. In fact, it can be very destructive if taken to extremes. I once knew someone who was always extremely happy. On talking to her for only a few minutes it became obvious that she had no idea what was happening in the world and was completely detached from reality. Unfortunately, she even saw an element of positivity in things which were entirely negattive.
Hi John,
thanks for your thought-provoking input!
You’re totally right about how there can be a downside to being too happy all the time. Of course, happiness is great for us in so many ways, but we have to be careful not to lose touch with reality and become overly positive. At the end of the day, it’s all about finding the right balance!
All the best!
Kind regards,
Julia | Community Manager
Great article. Thank you for sharing! The human experience is filled with a multitude of emotions. It does seem limiting to keep focusing on the positive ones. Do you know if a person who enjoys too many hedonic experiences could become numb to them eventually?
Hi Kashmira,
Glad you enjoyed the article. This is a great question and has been explored in relation to a phenomenon known as the ‘hedonic treadmill.’ You can learn more about this phenomenon in our dedicated article here.
– Nicole | Community Manager
A beautifully written article, I would be really interested in knowing how the organisations can use this to improve the productivity of there employees
Hi Shurlly,
We have a post on the benefits of positive psychology principles at work which may answer your questions. You can find it here.
Hope this helps!
– Nicole | Community Manager
A thoughtful, balanced introduction to a more nuanced appreciation of the role of happiness. Thank you.
Amazing source of information. Thank you for making it available.