Brewed Fresh Daily

Shy people could become happier if they acted more outgoing, believes William Fleeson, Wake Forest University associate professor of psychology. When study participants were asked to act outgoing, adventurous, or assertive -such as asking a question in class or flirting with someone attractive - they reported that they were having fun and felt happy, says Fleeson. When asked to act more passive and shy, the same participants reported feeling unhappy. "As a society, we tend to think of happiness as something that comes from outside us. It's kind of a radical idea that we have some control of happiness, that personality is a factor in happiness, and that, to some extent, we have control over our personalities," Fleeson says. "The research demonstrates that extroversion can actually cause happiness."