Want to be happier? Oxford research says ask yourself these 3 questions

Three questions may hold the key to happiness, according to research conducted by the 2025 World Happiness Report published by Oxford University. The questions focus on connection rather than financial success or personal achievements. They are: 1) How often do you eat meals with others, rather than alone? 2) Do you generally expect strangers to be kind and trustworthy?

3) How often do you engage in acts of kindness, such as making donations, volunteering, or helping strangers? While economic security and career satisfaction contribute to happiness, these prosocial factors seem to have an even greater impact on life satisfaction. Eating meals with others appears to be particularly beneficial, with happiness peaking at about 13 meals per week shared with others.

This advice aligns with conventional wisdom that encourages avoiding eating alone, particularly at one's desk. Trusting strangers, however, is a more challenging concept. While sharing a wallet on the street might seem risky, the report found that people who expect strangers to be kind and trustworthy tend to be happier. Many successful businesses, such as Amazon, Facebook, and Uber, are built on the idea of trusting strangers, often facilitated by reviews and ratings.

Finally, engaging in acts of kindness, whether through donations, volunteering, or helping strangers, leads to increased happiness for both the giver and the receiver. When recipients can see a clear positive impact of the act and recognize the person behind it, the happiness boost is even greater. This self-perpetuating cycle of kindness can benefit not only individuals but also organizations and communities.