How to Get It

How to Get It

Now that we understand how happiness works,

we can use that knowledge to be happier.

Studies have shown that the tipping point for

being happy is a 3:1 ratio of positive to

negative thoughts.9 That means that when you

have fewer than three positive thoughts for

each negative thought, nothing much will

happen, but once you hit that 3:1 mark,

suddenly you will start flourishing.

Notice that the tipping point is 3:1, not 3:0—

we’re not trying to eliminate negativity

altogether or live in some deluded fantasy-land

where we pretend bad things never happen, or

if they do, they don’t bother us. Bad things do

happen, and of course they bother us. The goal

isn’t to become non-human happiness robots.

But if we bring in enough positivity to outweigh

the negativity by 3:1, we can experience

disproportionally great benefits in our lives and

start to flourish. These tools and techniques

help us get there.