I'm just jaded enough to believe these "facts" will be countered by evidence from further studies; that's the nature of scientific inquiry. But they are worth contemplating [via Marilyn via George via?]. Here they are with my comments added in square brackets]:
1. Your favorite song is likely associated with an emotional event.
You and everyone else. (source)
[EE: And it stops being your favourite song when it becomes associated with a negative event.]
2. Music impacts your perspective.
This one seems kind of obvious! A study at the University of Groningen showed that music has a dramatic impact on your perception. (source)
[EE: I know one prof who played baroque music before his classes and another played more modern music. Guess which one was perceived as a better prof. It's likely that the music had nothing to do with it but just reflected their personalities and teaching styles.]
3. The more you spend on others, the happier you are.
According to various studies. Be sure to give plenty this holiday season! (source)
[EE: I'm not entirely convinced. There must be some important nuances here.]
4. Spending money on experience instead of stuff also makes you happier.
Collect memories not things, right? (source)
[EE: Absolutely! Also, as people in my generation begin down-sizing, we don't want stuff. We cherish time with family and friends; I also love new experiences. And if "stuff" is given, it should be perishables, loosely defined, such as fancy cheeses or wines.]
5. Kids are more high strung today than the average psych ward patient in 1950.
Which is pretty scary but not surprising. About half the human population now suffers anxiety, depression, or a sort of substance abuse. (source)
[EE: this sounds a tad extreme to me, but I can believe the qualitative nature of it. Kids have to (or choose to or feel pressure to) multi-task much more than I did as a younger person. But depression was big back then, too, so I'm not entirely convinced.]
6. Certain religious practices lower stress.
“The American Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Mood Disorders” shows that people who engage in meditation and prayer religiously are less stressed out. (source)
[EE: so many of my friends tell me that quiet meditation is good. I'm giving it a go, but my mind wanders a lot.]
7. Money does buy happiness, but only up to $75,000 a year.
For the average American, $75k a year buys happiness. It liberates you from poverty and gets you what you need in life. (source)
[EE: If this is per capita and not per household, I can imagine it comes close. Also see this, in which I mention a classic book by Tibor Scitovsky, The Joyless Economy.]
8. Being with happy people makes you happier.
This should come as no surprise. (source)
[EE: well duh. Though I know some perverse people for whom this doesn't work; they resent the happiness other people feel.]
9. 18 to 33 year olds are the most stressed out people on earth.
Family, education, work, it can all be pretty stressful. (source)
[EE: exactly. But with family formations beginning later in life, I expect the upper limit is closer to 40 these days.]
10. Convincing yourself you slept well tricks your brain into thinking it did.
Thus giving you more energy. They called it “placebo sleep”. (source)
[EE: I find it hard to lie to myself, but I rarely have this problem anyway.]
11. Smart people underestimate themselves and ignorant people think they’re brilliant.
It’s called the Dunning Kruger Effect, it’s real, and just go on Facebook and you’ll see what I’m talking about. (source)
[EE: I'm almost always in a constant state of doubt, but I really don't take that as a sign of being smart; I take it as a sign of having been wrong so often in the past.]
12. When you remember a past event, you’re actually remembering the last time you remembered it.
Alright, that one blew the hell out of my mind. This is why our memories fade and distort over time. (source)
[EE: I first read this about a year ago. Makes sense.]
13. Your decisions are more rational when thought in another language.
A university of Chicago study showed that Korean citizens who thought in foreign languages reduced their overall bias. Neat. (source)
[EE: Another good reason to become fluent in another language.]
14. If you announce your goals, you’re less likely to succeed.
It’s true. Tests since the 1930’s have pretty well proven it. (source)
[EE: I can see this, but I'm afraid it's also confirmation bias. For the most part, I'm reluctant to announce goals for fear of looking foolish if I don't achieve them. This finding might be important for everyone who is on a diet.]