Happiness

I was reading an article in Scientific American Mind (Feb/Mar 2007) about Happiness, and why our generation is no happier than those who lived in the 1950s despite having overall better quality-of-life. It discussed how most people are always looking to the next goal and forgetting about the one they just achieved. It also mentioned that if a good thing happens too often, it is just added to the "normal environment" and taken for granted.

Some of the suggestions to increase your happiness were to join a community of people with common interests, to not always be focused on your next goal, and to enjoy living in the moment. Hmm, maybe this is why I've been so taken with knitting!

Although I think it's easy to get caught up in some things that are a detriment to happiness ("I must finish this sock by Saturday!", "I really need another skein of that lovely yarn"), there is so much about knitting that helps enhance my happiness. I enjoy making stitches, and it keeps me "living in the moment" to appreciate the softness of yarn, the subtle coloring of the fabric I created, and the  rich texture of the fancy stitchwork. Instead of taking it for granted, I savor the days when I have a good chunk of time to sit down and knit. And although I know I am goal focused, I do really, really appreciate the goals I have already achieved. Every time I wear my hand knit socks I'm happy, not just the first time!

What do you think? Clearly knitting enhances our happiness, but have you considered why this is?

Comments

[tiennie]

I feel the same way. I also love knitting because it gives me focus. Something I can do while waiting, in the car, watching tv. I'm not one to just sit - makes me too itchy so it's nice to have something to keep my hands busy. It's especially nice to have that feeling of accomplishment and to hand over your FO to someone who'll appreciate it.

[Brenda]

I enjoy the process of knitting, and I enjoy making something tangible. I work as a scientist, where everything is in my head and abstract. It's nice to make something concrete, but soft and squishy!

[jody]

great post! i agree with what you wrote -- the achieved goals become yesterday's news. i think it's a tough thing to balance. on one hand you want to have goals so you continue to grow and enhance your life. on the other hand, you don't want to be controlled by them either.

knitting (for me) switches between being a calming hobby to being its own set of goals for me to achieve. each year my goals are more reasonable than the year before, and i try to recognize myself for that achievement alone (but sometimes it's hard!)

[Jessica]

Hi there! I saw your post on the STR club blog and thought I'd say hi since I live in Plainsboro. :) You have some really lovely work on your blog (and I LOVE the coordinated socks idea!)!

Also wanted to say I think this is a really great post. I really don't think most of us spend enough time enjoying an accomplishment before moving on to the next thing. Savoring the moment is something our society just doesn't seem to value. Good of you to remind us all to enjoy these things and smell the roses a little.

[Sara Payne]

My husband was telling me about this article too. One thing that's nice about knitting (and keeping for yourself) is that everytime you wear your creation, you get to re-live the accomplishment...you can savor it indefinitely. I have one scarf in particular that always draws lots of comments and attention, so everytime I wear it, I savor the feeling of accomplishment that comes with learning and growing (it was a scarf I made to teach myself a new technique).
On a related and more philosophical note, I was asked in a job interview recently (and the first question I was asked, mind you) is "What gives you joy?" Needless to say, I was caught off guard, but after pausing for a moment to think, my response is that I get great joy from creating something that is more than just the sum of its parts. Knitting definitely falls into this category. Yes, yarns are gorgeous, but when you knit with them, you create something that is definitely more than just a pretty piece of string. The same can be said for quilting and cooking (2 of my other passions). So when I think about happiness, that's what I try to focus on...the act of creation...which leads me to one of my favorite lines from the musical "Rent" which is "The opposite of war is not Peace. It's creation!"

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