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Cheerleader? Or poet? Feel more happiness by understanding your personality

Here are three ways to find more happiness in your life.

“You can actually create happiness. It’s not something that’s either inborn or not.” We all crave happiness and want our lives to feel light and bright. But if you feel your life is lacking the happiness you crave, you can create it.

Shima Baughman, a law professor at BYU Law School and a Studio 5 Contributor, believes that happiness is something we can control. She teaches a course called “The Pursuit of Happiness,” and she condensed a semester’s worth of content into three main points.

 

Understanding Happiness

Shima explained that the pursuit of happiness is not just about seeking more happy feelings, but about doing more good and being a better person. “That is happiness to them. That’s the pursuit of happiness,” she said, referring to the founding fathers’ view of happiness.

Knowing Your Baseline

According to Shima, understanding your baseline disposition is crucial. She mentioned Arthur Brooks’ classification of people into four types: cheerleader, judge, mad scientist, and poet. “It’s helpful to just see your baseline,” she said. Knowing your type can help you build more happiness in your life.

  1. Cheerleaders: These individuals generally feel happy and positive most of the time. Their natural disposition is to experience happiness frequently, which is often a blessing of their DNA.
  2. Judges: Judges tend to stay even-keeled, not experiencing extreme highs or lows. They maintain a balanced emotional state, which helps them remain steady and consistent in their reactions.
  3. Mad Scientists: Mad scientists experience significant emotional highs and lows. They can feel great joy but also deep sadness, making their emotional experiences more intense and varied.
  4. Poets: Poets have deep, often melancholic feelings. They are more introspective and may express their emotions through creative outlets like poetry or music, similar to how Taylor Swift channels her feelings into her songs.

The Role of Faith

Shima emphasized the profound connection between happiness and faith, highlighting that being involved in a faith community and actively practicing one’s religion are crucial pillars of happiness. She introduced an exercise from her class where students reflect on their past experiences and how their faith has developed over time. This reflection often reveals that significant growth in faith comes from overcoming struggles and hardships.

Shima shared that many students, despite their young age, have faced challenges that have strengthened their faith. For instance, one student recounted a personal story of envy and spiritual growth, while another shared a remarkable journey from war-torn Palestine to BYU, underscoring the miracles and faith that guided her path. These reflections help students see the positive impact of faith on their happiness, reinforcing the idea that faith can be a source of resilience and joy.

Morality Before Practice

In her course, Shima stresses the importance of prioritizing morality over professional success. She encourages her students to put their identity as disciples of Jesus Christ above their ambitions to become accomplished lawyers. This principle is particularly relevant in the legal profession, where ethical dilemmas and pressures can often lead to compromised integrity.

Shima shared the story of a friend who left litigation because it was challenging to remain honest in that field. She also highlighted the example of a student from Tanzania who, despite the prevalence of corruption in her home country’s legal system, is known for her unwavering integrity. This student is respected for not accepting bribes, setting her apart from many of her peers.

Shima used these examples to illustrate that maintaining high moral standards is not only possible, but essential for true happiness and professional fulfillment. By putting morality first, her students are encouraged to become ethical leaders who can positively impact their profession and society.

In Summary….

To build a happier and more fulfilling life:

  1. Understand your baseline disposition
  2. Connect with your faith
  3. Prioritize your morality before anything else

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