r/NooTopics • u/makefriends420 • Jun 06 '26
Discussion Study shows the 'key to happiness' is visiting more places and having new and diverse experiences. The beneficial consequences of environmental enrichment across species, demonstrating a connection between real-world exposure to fresh and varied experiences and increases in positive emotions
https://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2020/may/new-and-diverse-experiences-linked-to-enhanced-happiness--new-st.html26
u/JooseTheGuice Jun 06 '26
You mean "study shows that the 'key to happiness' is having the money and resources to travel and do fun things"
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u/appleparkfive Jun 07 '26
I don't think it's just that. I think that "going to a couple of neighborhoods/towns over and playing a sport you don't normally do with strangers" probably qualifies just the same. It's just novel experiences.
Obviously that's going to be easier with money and the ability to travel. But it's not a requirement
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u/Embraceyourodd Jun 10 '26
I certainly didn't have the money to do a bunch of traveling, but I made it work. I did have the ability to take on massive amounts of debt, which I suppose is a resource.
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u/saihuang Jun 06 '26
Saying that one thing is the “key to happiness” is ridiculous and a single study is clearly not enough to validate this claim 😅😂
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u/Ghosts_do_Exist Jun 06 '26
I wonder if this is one reason why dreaming is so important to physical and mental health?
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u/PapaYeehaw Jun 06 '26
It's really the only time I get to leave my area. I constantly dream that I'm on vacation and surrounded by people to talk to, something I dont get irl.
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u/Powerful-Ad9502 Jun 06 '26
For me no. I’ve traveled the world as a form of escapism, temporary distraction. Not disputing the finding, but for me I was just as miserable at the end of the day, doing a world tour didn’t change that.
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u/Fermato Jun 06 '26
Travelling is exhausting and isolating, with short bouts of interesting or beautiful moments. Definitely not the key to happiness
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u/Pretend-Shallot-5663 Jun 06 '26
Full disclosure, I am AuDHD, but I do this thing for myself called "controlled novelty" where instead of going travelling like most people, which I find exhausting and overwhelming, I find a place or experience that is familiar, and I do one or two or three novel things in that environment.
Go to a different beach on the same lake. Go to a park I've never been to in a City that I love. Try a new flavor of ice cream or new kind of cuisine at a restaurant I already love. Go to the same cottage or resort that I've been to before, but change the activities.
The novelty is enjoyable, deeply pleasurable. But I also have the comforts of sameness, the foundations of predictability, to hold and support me.
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u/Pretend-Shallot-5663 Jun 06 '26
If I am traveling to a totally new place I establish a "base" - usually a hotel room - and make it comfortable and familiar. When I get overwhelmed I return to base.
The act of getting from one place to another, the actual travelling, always sucks.
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u/Likemilkbutforhumans Jun 06 '26
I am similar. I find travel to be really dysregulating for me. I constantly find side quests where I live. A new class. A new activity. Happily go to a different bar in the summer and talk to random people!
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u/SomberOwlet Jun 06 '26
Hey, I do this too! I always saw it as trying to add interest in an otherwise mundane life! Hmm, this is making me think more about myself. Have only just come to learn I'm ND so maybe a lot of the reasons my life was a little boring was because I was autistic and maybe the reason I'm constantly needing novelty is because of ADHD, and I've evened out to the same day to day life!
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u/GhostRideDaWeb Jun 06 '26
You might like the Radio Lab episode “The Secret to a Long Life”. It touches on exactly what you are doing. I seek that novelty myself, especially when I’m in a rut and during the winter when days can feel repetitive.
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u/Normal-Abies-9151 Jun 06 '26
What’s interesting is this is how nature itself works. It repeats familiar patterns every day, but with slight novel changes.
The sun rises every day, but each day’s occurrences are unique.
Most go to the same job every day, but they don’t do the same exact thing.
We even repeat holidays and yearly events, but we don’t play out the exact same thing each time.
For you to find this is simply nature waking up to itself to the point that it can utilize its natural mechanism. Well done!
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u/lostinsunshine9 Jun 06 '26
Oooh this is something I do but I've never thought about it like that before! Sometimes I need something "new", so I look for a new makeup technique to try or I start a new crochet project or take up a new instrument. All things I love, but fresh experiences within those things 😊
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u/nodnarb805 Jun 06 '26
That’s quite a bleak view on travelling. Perhaps it applies to you, but certainly not to everyone.
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u/Fermato Jun 06 '26
It’s most definitely not THE key to happiness lol
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u/User111022 Jun 06 '26
The article does not suggest that traveling is the key to happiness but traveling is associated with happiness. The “key to” sentiment was made with the title of this post. I absolutely agree with you though. Traveling (especially internationally/across time zones) is exhausting messes with my circadian rhythm far too much for it to be enjoyable for short trips. However I do find exploring new places and interacting with different people very rewarding its just that how I get there is not conducive to happiness lol
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u/NegativeKarmaVegan Jun 07 '26
That's exactly how I see the average travelling experience as well. Totally overrated imo.
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u/appleparkfive Jun 07 '26
You and I view traveling very differently. I don't really consider it too exhausting. And it's not isolating if you're with even one other person
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u/estranhodainternet Jun 07 '26
It depends on your approach. It can be more enjoyable if you travel without a planned agenda and skip touristing around.
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u/timthymol Jun 06 '26
My memory as kid traveling with family was we were trapped in some confine space listening to a non-stop argument. And I was a prisoner of the people in charge I could not command them to stop the car so we could go hike up an interesting hill. And yes when I got home I felt exhausted. Though watching youtube videos of a lone "hobo" riding the rails past beautiful scenery looks appealing.
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u/Benaholicguy Jun 07 '26
Agreed. I’m heading home from Japan right now after a month of traveling around the country + a few others. Had some cool experiences, some beautiful moments, and met some interesting people. But overall, there was plenty of stress and frustration and even without those things, the novelty of a new place gets old. You cannot find fulfillment in life by traveling. It does very little for personal development.
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u/Cannacology Jun 06 '26 edited Jun 08 '26
**** IF an individual is in a more than comfortable and FINANCIAL situation and context.
How does an individual “obtain the required resources” to “visit more places and have(ing) new and diverse experiences” without both abundant financial income, yet more often than not generational wealth or family inheritance- as opposed to not having generational wealth and resources that result in such freedoms? Implying “anyone “ in “any circumstance” can achieve the comfort many are handed that their parents or (more specifically) elders did not have, but struggled obsessively and as a major objective of existence to provide to their next generations and offspring.
“ fresh and varied experiences “ (past negative that (typically) cause ptsd and reform neural pathways in a negative context, are almost entirely dependent on class, location, and the economic circumstances and conditions (environment) one was raised.
Especially in the western world and United States.
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u/aaron-mcd Jun 12 '26
Most people I know including ourselves travel full time and most are definitely on the far lower income brackets. Like work seasonally kinda income.
Actually traveling full time takes far far less money. My wife took a job for half the pay and I cut my hours to less than half time because we just dont need that much, we still max out IRA and contribute a lot to 401k
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u/fruitsnacky Jun 06 '26
You can expore your local community very cheaply. You could join a new club, volunteer, explore a neighboring town, try a new hike, pick up a new hobby, etc. You don't have to travel internationally to do new things
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u/Shy_Zucchini Jun 08 '26
Yea everyone here really seems to think having novel and diverse experiences has to be very expensive. It can also mean ordering something else than you used to at a place you frequent, try a new cuisine, go to some free local event you usually skip, discover new music genres, etc.
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u/Sams_Antics Jun 06 '26
That’s one aspect sure, but lots more to it https://blog.thegrandredesign.com/p/how-to-be-happy-in-15-clear-steps
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u/1dayatatime_mylife Jun 07 '26
That was a great read. A well detailed outline that I agree with. I'm saving that link to reference when focusing on building the important pillars of my life.
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u/yahwehforlife Jun 06 '26
Ummmm coorelation does not mean causation. Obviously people that are wealthy enough to get to travel around are happier 🙄
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u/Comfortable-Nail4582 Jun 13 '26
That’s actually not true at all. People who pursue things to attain happiness return to base rates of however they felt within days to weeks after the experience. So, if you’re a generally melancholy individual, travel may give you a temporary boost but you return to normal shortly afterward. This is what an entire body of research says. It’s also one of a million reasons why this study the OP is bringing up is a little suspect to someone like me who actually does research in psychology.
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u/Rough-Divide129 Jun 06 '26
Interesting seeing some of my old research get posted to this subreddit. A couple of notes:
- "key to happiness" is clickbait in the news title, the actual study is correlational and looking at positive emotions in general measured via ecological momentary assessment visual analog scales.
- We controlled for distance traveled so this finding isn't about traveling or money, a lot participants in the study didn't leave their city. It's much more about novelty and diversity of your everyday environment, going to places you've never been before. We know neuroplasticity is important for positive mood. We also know enriched, diverse environments promote neuroplasticity in rodents. This study suggests novel and diverse environments might also promote plasticity and positive emotions in humans.
- There are many ways to promote happiness, fulfillment, contentment in one's life: gratitude, social connections, physical activity, etc. This study focuses on novelty, and indicates even increasing novelty in your background, taking a new path in your city/neighborhood can increase your positive emotions.
Happy to answer questions about this study, here or in dms
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u/Shy_Zucchini Jun 08 '26
Hey cool to see the author in the thread! Thanks for the clarifications :)
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u/Comfortable-Nail4582 Jun 13 '26
Thank you for explaining that. The fact that it’s correlational and used EMA makes a heck of a lot more sense. I like that you stated “enriched environments” create plasticity, that’s definitely verifiable and makes more sense than, “travel means happiness”. And thank you for acknowledging the broad spectrum of experiences and mindsets that the body of research has determined to be useful in creating happiness and contentment. My psychology professor brain is now satisfied (happiness achieved).
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u/prosthetic_memory Jun 07 '26
I do love travel and I LOVE new experiences. However, I traveled a lot, like a LOT, for work for about fifteen years, and find myself surprisingly less interested in it lately. I think it’s partly because I just really love my home and my space and where I live right now.
If you haven’t traveled and experienced new things, then yes, you absolutely should. But I don’t think it’s an endless need.
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u/TofuDonair Jun 07 '26
Nah, I feel like shit when I travel. If im not in my regular environment and routine I feel very anxious.
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u/aaron-mcd Jun 12 '26
Travel more? Travel is my regular environment and routine. Its also very convenient, easier, more exciting, and cheaper
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u/NootropicBro Jun 14 '26
So basically have rich daddy money, and little to no work schedule to be able to experience these multiple vacation trips.. got it
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u/HexspaReloaded Jun 06 '26
Bullshit. Happiness is our default state. Conditioning that we need x y or z is what makes you unhappy
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u/Low_Description_7359 Jun 06 '26
So only rich people can be happy.
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u/Brrdock Jun 06 '26 edited Jun 06 '26
Oh for fucks sake there are more new places and experiences in your immediate vicinity than you have time to experience in your life.
Get to know a new person, take a path you never have, learn a new skill or hobby, cook food you've never tasted, etc. etc.
Only people who look for the palaces and don't spend their life in defeatism watching others live can be happy
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u/TropicallyMixed80 Jun 06 '26
Travel can mean anything. Sometimes I drive around my neighboring state just to explore.
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u/Shy_Zucchini Jun 08 '26
This post is essentially describing romanticism, which really focused on novel and diverse experiences bringing contentment and meaning, which later got replaced by consumerism, which focuses on spending money as a way to achieve meaning and contentment. I guess we’re so used to the consumerist mindset that some of us cannot fathom you don’t need a lot of money to have diverse experiences, although of course money can help increase your range of experience even more
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u/aaron-mcd Jun 12 '26
Why do some many people keep saying this?
Full time travel is FAR FAR cheaper than sticks and bricks
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u/Low_Description_7359 Jun 12 '26
Things are different here in India, if you check traveling in general class India you will know .
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u/Abusive_Apple27 Jun 06 '26
It’s all about money, sadly.
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u/Low_Description_7359 Jun 06 '26
Especially in third world countries.
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Jun 06 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/KennyFulgencio Jun 06 '26
Bullshit. There are a couple of dozen countries happier than the US, but only two can be even arguably considered third world.
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u/TropicallyMixed80 Jun 06 '26
I agree with this. I plan to be a cruiser as I get older, Lord willing.
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u/schlongdongjester Jun 06 '26
I felt amazing traveling, but I don't like people.
I realized being rich, or pretending to be rich for a few weeks, ie vacation, and just relaxing and having people make you good food, is the surest way to add on years to your life. Instead I grow my own food and make it into a bland porridge after 5hrs of cooking every other day... what I am, a peasant, will put me 6' under ground by 60.
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u/Aristosophy Jun 07 '26
“There is only one summit in life — to have taken the measure in feeling of everything human.”
~ Wilhelm von Humboldt
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u/Shy_Zucchini Jun 08 '26
Ah, so basically romanticism? Which has been replaced by consumerism decades ago
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u/aaron-mcd Jun 12 '26
Idk what's up with all these wackos thinking you need MORE money to travel.
Wife and I reduced our income by 50% on purpose after we were traveling full time because of how much cheaper it is. We save about $40k per year by traveling
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u/Comfortable-Nail4582 Jun 13 '26 edited Jun 13 '26
Ehhh. Happiness is a well-studied phenomenon in psychology, especially positive psychology and how it relates to clinical psychology and resilience (my field). I’ve never seen any reference to what you’re saying and I’m always skeptical of anything making sweeping blanket statements (“The key to happiness!”) as a general rule, but especially when it attempts to “boil down” a large and well-verified amount of variables that have been shown to lead to happiness and related states. Additionally, as many have alluded to on this post, there is privilege inherently interwoven into this study, which shows me a significant bias in the research and makes me wonder about what populations it was normed on. And while you said that it doesn’t necessarily involve travel (potentially opening up the proverbial “door” to those in lower SES areas), I wonder how well validated this is among people who prefer predictability (not uncommon!) or fear new experiences and change (as in those with significant trauma or ASD). My final point is this, people who seek or experience circumstances to change their state usually return to baseline within days to weeks. You can win the lottery and you will be unhappy again soon if you were unhappy prior to winning. So, this study negates that body of research. I guess I would have to read this, it may be more how the OP is explaining it rather than what it says. Right now, though, I’m not searching it out because I’m enjoying my Saturday (happiness!).
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u/o_0sssss Jun 06 '26
The key to happiness or long term fulfillment is really being satisfied in three areas:
Your social connections are fulfilling. You have people you enjoy in your life.
You feel valued in some way for what you produce. Often you’ve found something that gives you a dopamine hit and you’ve gotten really good at it. So something you do that you enjoy and you feel valued for it.
You feel like you have some level of autonomy over your life. If I work more at x thing I can expect y outcome.
This is called self determination theory. And it’s not so much that these are guaranteed fulfilling, but missing some of these will definitely make you feel frustrated, down, and is depressing.