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Ulrike Ehlert (62) is a psychology professor at the University of Zurich. She says: “Most people are saddened when others are worse off than themselves. A so-called cognitive dissonance arises.”
Jonas DreyfusEditor society
“Happy is he who forgets what can no longer be changed” is a quote from “Fledermaus”. The operetta by Johann Strauss (1825-1899) is traditionally performed on New Year’s Eve at venues such as the Vienna State Opera.
This year, this call to repression sounds cynical, because people not far from us are concretely threatened by something that cannot simply be blinked away: war. Quite apart from the fact that we are not immune to its consequences. Keywords: energy crisis, inflation, rising prices.
A bit of normalcy returned on February 3rd
And yet the past twelve months have been positive for many of us. 2022 was the year in which the worst part of the pandemic seemed to be over for the time being. From February 3rd there was no longer a quarantine and home office obligation. A bit of normalcy returned.
Most people are saddened when others are worse off than they are. This creates what is known as cognitive dissonance.”Ulrike Ehlert (62), psychology professor at the University of Zurich.
Also for the Swiss, whom we portray at the end of the year in our “Happy End” series. The musician couple from Wisen SO, for example, who can finally perform in front of a large audience again. By the way, this year they got married, had a child, moved into a newly built house and released an album together. Or entrepreneur Christian Klinner (50) from Zurich, who fell seriously ill with Corona and still finished a book project this year that he had been putting off for twenty years.
A guilty conscience is not a solution either
“Our life must go on,” says Ulrike Ehlert (62), a psychology professor at the University of Zurich. Even if it is sometimes difficult when there is so much suffering: “Most people are saddened when others are worse off than themselves. A so-called cognitive dissonance develops.”
Having a bad conscience isn’t doing anyone any good, says Ehlert. “A healthier reaction would be to value your own happiness all the more because it’s not something you can take for granted.”
How long does happiness last?
Happiness researcher Reto Odermatt (38) from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Basel comes to similar conclusions. For a study, he and a colleague investigated the question of how long important life events affect the satisfaction of those affected. To do this, he used a survey of more than 30,000 people in Germany.
The result, says Odermatt, is put simply: “Happiness has a shorter expiration date than many of us believe.” For example, newlyweds would overestimate how happy they will be in five years. “However, if you know that happiness does not last forever, you can perhaps enjoy it all the more.”
Specialist for stress issues
Professor Ulrike Ehlert is Head of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy at the Psychological Institute of the University of Zurich. Her research focuses on behavioral medicine, psychobiology and stress-related diseases. Ehlert grew up in Bavaria, lives in a partnership and has two adult children.
Professor Ulrike Ehlert is Head of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy at the Psychological Institute of the University of Zurich. Her research focuses on behavioral medicine, psychobiology and stress-related diseases. Ehlert grew up in Bavaria, lives in a partnership and has two adult children.