This text belongs to the History and Life newsletter, which is sent every Thursday afternoon. If you want to receive it, sign up here.
Welcome to the new Vivo newsletter. I'm David Dusster and I coordinate this channel from which we aim to shed a little more light on relationships, mental health and well-being. And we try to do it every day by contributing with in-depth journalistic contributions. We talk about what is happening in society and what is debated on social networks in a positive tone. We flee from self-help and magical solutions. And, above all, we let you follow your path, without telling you how to think, feel or behave.
We start this newsletter talking about happiness. From the tavern conversations in my time as a journalism student to now, when I meet with friends around a barbecue, a paella or a calçotada, it is a recurring theme. We push and chase happiness. But I have a suspicion that we often lose sight of how happy we can be while we are determined to find it at all times and everywhere. That's what Vivo's head psychologist, Maria Rufino, talks about in her article: Why won't most of the things we think we need make us happy?
Whenever this debate arises I remember 'Happiness' (in Spanish, but like this, without translating the title), the hilarious book by Will Ferguson, written and read more than a decade ago, and which novels a world adrift because people learn to live without weaknesses, without needs and without desires. Because sometimes we are the ones who boycott ourselves the most, as the influencer psychologist Lorena Gascón says in this interview. We sometimes harm ourselves even when we are good people, so much so that we end up being toxic to ourselves. Or we inflict on ourselves an unattainable perfectionism, called sisyphemia in the world of work, with dire consequences. And we end up seeking compassion with sadfishing, the danger of sponsoring tears on social networks.
The master of positive psychology, Victor Küppers, who recently passed through Barcelona, warns of the demagogic bubble of conferences on happiness, while the podcast The Science of Happiness provides weekly capsules, with uneven luck but always in an interesting way. Without science, but with results, there are many popular strategies that bring happiness closer. Luckily, the search seems to become less intense with age, although the famous U-shaped theory does not convince everyone.
● The secret is in the relationships. Psychiatrist and Harvard professor Robert Waldinger, author of the largest study ever carried out on happiness in the world, concludes that the key is to cultivate and maintain good and many relationships. Although so-called weak relationships with acquaintances also work, other scientific studies point out.
● Finland's success. It seems incredible but the Nordic country, in 2024, has been considered the happiest in the world for the seventh consecutive time. The New York Times tries to explain it and it seems that it is about knowing how to set limits and be content with what you have.
● The happiest man in the world. This is how Matthieu Ricard, former scientist and Buddhist monk, is considered, who laughs at such a distinction that arose from a comparative study. But he boasts of a full life and assures that there is no happiness without altruism.
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● From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., the most recommended. Volatile work, at the wrong time or with many overtime hours ends up taking a toll on our health. According to research from New York University, bad work habits end up paying off in adulthood, starting at age 50.
● World Kiss Day. A good quality of life also involves kissing as a sign of affection, but everything indicates that we do it less and less. It's not about age but about the duration of the relationship. In any case, it depends a lot on each person's personality.
● Xavier Fábregas, addiction expert. Before it was heroin. Now cocaine is consumed by all social classes. And adulterated and low-quality marijuana is the most pressing problem. Founder of Mas Ferriol and with more than 40 years of experience, Fábregas addresses how to address drug addiction problems.
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● Svend Brinkmann, JOMO guru. The joy of missing out as opposed to FOMO, the fear of missing out, the epidemic that social media has fueled in recent years. In a Zoom conversation, the Danish psychologist recommends that Vivo readers reduce our life options. The more possibilities of choice, the less happiness, he firmly assures. The interview will be published in the coming days.
● The survey. One of the objectives of this newsletter is to open Vivo to readers and web users. That is why I want to invite you to send your opinions, which we will reflect in future newsletters. To begin with, following in the footsteps of Svend Brinkmann, do you think you have to slow down your life? What do you do to take it easier? You can send the answers to vivo@lavanguardia.es.
● A recommendation. They say that what we have learned does not belong to us and that we have to make an effort to share and transmit it. That is why I encourage you to listen to any of the podcasts of The Island of the 5 Lighthouses, by Professor Ferran Ramón-Cortés. I enjoyed it at Esade, although the expert in developing personal communication skills teaches at different universities. Two exciting, intense, participatory, unforgettable hours.
