If you think having loads of money, fetching looks, or the admiration of many will improve your life - think again. A new study by three University of Rochester researchers demonstrates that progress on these fronts can actually make a person less happy.

    "People understand that it's important to pursue goals in their lives and they believe that attaining these goals will have positive consequences. This study shows that this is not true for all goals," says author Edward Deci, professor of psychology and the Gowen Professor in the Social Sciences at the University. "Even though our culture puts a strong emphasis on attaining wealth and fame, pursuing these goals does not contribute to having a satisfying life. The things that make your life happy are growing as an individual, having loving relationships, and contributing to your community," Deci says.

    The research paper, to be published in the June issue of the Journal of Research in Personality, tracked 147 alumni from two universities during their second year after graduation. Using in-depth psychological surveys, the researchers assessed participants in key areas, including satisfaction with life, self-esteem, anxiety, physical signs of stress, and the experience of positive and negative emotions.

    Aspirations were identified as either "intrinsic" or "extrinsic" by asking participants how much they valued having "deep, enduring relationships" and helping "others improve their lives" （intrinsic goals） versus being "a wealthy person" and achieving "the look I've been after" （extrinsic goals）. Respondents also reported the degree to which they had attained these goals. To track progress, the survey was administered twice, once a year after graduation and again 12 months later.

    This post-graduation period was selected because it is typically a critical developmental juncture for young adults, explains lead author Christopher Niemiec, a doctoral candidate in psychology at the University. "During this formative period, graduates are no longer in the home or at the university. For the first time, they are in a position to determine for themselves how they want their lives to proceed."

    As with earlier research, the study confirmed that the more committed an individual is to a goal, the greater the likelihood of success. But unlike previous findings, this analysis showed that getting what one wants is not always salubrious. "There is a strong tradition in psychology that says if you value goals and attain them, wellness will follow," says Niemiec. "But these earlier studies did not consider the content of the goals."

    What's "striking and paradoxical" about this research, he says, is that it shows that reaching materialistic and image-related milestones actually contributes to ill-being; despite their accomplishments, individuals experience more negative emotions like shame and anger and more physical symptoms of anxiety such as headaches, stomachaches, and loss of energy. By contrast, individuals who value personal growth, close relationships, community involvement, and physical health are more satisfied as they meet success in those areas. They experience a deeper sense of well-being, more positive feelings toward themselves, richer connections with others, and fewer physical signs of stress.

    The findings in this study support Self-Determination Theory, a well-established theory of human motivation developed by two of the paper's authors, Deci and fellow University psychologist Richard Ryan. The theory holds that well-being depends in large part on meeting one's basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness.

    Intrinsic aspirations make people happy because they fulfill these foundational needs, conclude the authors. "Intrinsic aspirations seem to be more closely related to the self, to what's inside the self, rather than to what's outside the self," Niemiec explains.

    Striving for wealth and adulation, on the other hand, does little to satisfy these deep human requirements, at least within this early career stage of life. In addition, this was a well-educated sample, and the authors stress the need for research in other demographics and age ranges. Yet for this young adult group, the authors suggest that time devoted to extrinsic pursuits, like working long hours, often crowds out opportunities for psychologically nourishing experiences, such as relaxing with friends and family or pursuing a personal passion. Craving money and adoration also can lead to a preoccupation with "keeping up with the Joneses"-upward social comparisons that breed feelings of inadequacy and jealousy. And unlike the lasting benefits of caring relationships and hard-earned skills, the thrill of extrinsic accomplishments fade quickly; all too soon, the salary raise is a distant memory and the rave review forgotten.

    如果你认为有很多钱、迷人的外表或者受人钦佩会改善你的生活质量，那你得重新考虑一下了。罗切斯特大学3名研究人员的最新研究认为，达到这3种目标的过程实际上会让人更不快乐。

    "人们理解在生活中最求目标是很重要的，他们相信达到这些目标会有积极的影响。这项研究表明，并不是所有的目标都有这样的效果。"作者Edward Deci,该大学心理学教授和社会科学教授，说，"即使我们的文化很强调获得财富和名望，但最求这些目标对有一个满足的人生毫无帮组。让你人生快乐的事是个人成长、友好的人际关系、对社区的贡献。"

    这篇研究论文将发表在性格研究期刊的6月刊，跟踪了2个大学的147名男校友，从他们毕业起两年内。经过深入的心理学调查，研究人员在很多重要的方面评估参与者，包括对生活的满足感、自尊感、忧虑感、对压力的身体反应，以及对积极和消极情绪的感受。

    通过向参与者询问他们对以下问题的价值观"有深厚、长久的人际关系"和"帮组别人改善他们的生活";"成为富有的人"和"获得最求的外表",目标被分为两类，内在的和外在的，回答者同时要求报告他们达到这些目标的程度。为了跟踪他们追求目标的过程，在他们毕业后，调查还会进行两次，每年一次。

    主要作者Christopher Niemiec解释到，选择在毕业后这段时期进行调查，是因为对年轻人来的成长来说这通常是一个很关键的时期。Christopher Niemiec 是该大学的心理学博士候选人。"在这段逐渐成形的时期，毕业生不再呆在家里或学校。他们第一次站在这样一个位置：自己决定他们想要过怎样的生活。"

    研究证实，越是忠于目标的人，成功的可能性越大，这和早期的研究结果一致。但和之前的发现不一致的是，分析显示得到想要的并不总是让人愉快的。"在心理学上有一个很深的误区，认为，如果你认为目标有价值并获得成功，那你就会感到满意" Niemiec 说，"但是这些早期的研究没有考虑是什么目标"

    该项研究最显着和出乎意料的地方是，研究表明获得物质和外表方面的成功实际上产生不好的影响；尽管取得了成就，但他们却感受到了消极的情绪，像羞愧和生气，以及更多焦虑的身体症状，像头疼、胃疼、无精打采。相反，认为个人成长、亲密的人际关系、社区参与、身体健康更有价值的人会更满足他们在这些方面取得的成功。他们感受到更深的幸福感、更多积极的感觉、与他人有更多的交往、更少的压力感。

    该研究的成果支持自我决定理论，一个由论文的两位作者Deci和该大学心理学研究员Richard Ryan发展起来的盛名已久的人类动机理论。该理论认为幸福主要依赖满足一个人对自主权、能力和人际关系的基本的心理需求。

    作者得出结论，内在目标能够让人更快乐，是因为它们满足了这些根本的需求。"内在目标似乎更接近自我，更接近自我内部的东西，而非自我外部的东西" Niemiec解释到。

    相反，对财富和虚荣的最求对满足这些深层的人性需求并没有什么用，至少在人生的早期阶段。此外，该研究只是基于一个受过良好教育的年轻人样本，作者强调，需要对其他特征和年龄段的人群进行研究。对这些年轻人，作者建议，这些花在对外在事物最求上的时间，像长时间的工作，应该挤出来，更多的用于心理上的滋养，例如和朋友、家人一起放松，或者追求一些个人爱好。对钱和虚荣的追求也能导致盲目的攀比，从而导致不满足和嫉妒。不像在意人际关系和努力获得的能力那样能产生持久的好处，外在成就的兴奋感消失的很快。