People who feel humiliated tend to be less happy, and rumination may partly explain why
Humiliation can leave memories that are hard to shake. A new study suggests that people who have felt humiliated tend to be less happy, and that repetitive negative thinking may be part of the reason.
A recent online survey of 323 Polish adults has found a link between feelings of humiliation and decreased happiness, with rumination appearing to play a role in this connection. Published in Current Issues in Personality Psychology, the study conducted by Natalia Cichecka, Sonia Antosz, and Aleksandra Żenda of SWPS University in Poland examined the relationships between humiliation, rumination, and overall well-being.
The researchers administered questionnaires to participants assessing their levels of happiness, rumination, and humiliation experiences. The findings showed that those who experienced more humiliation, both in the past and feared future humiliation, were less happy and more likely to engage in rumination - the act of repetitive negative thinking about distressing events or concerns.
Notably, the study found that fear of future humiliation had a slightly stronger association with lower happiness compared to past experiences of humiliation.
Further analysis revealed that rumination partially explained the link between humiliation and reduced happiness. Individuals who experienced more humiliation tended to ruminate more, and greater rumination was associated with lower happiness. However, even after accounting for rumination, humiliation remained strongly linked to decreased happiness levels.
The study authors concluded that feelings of humiliation may have a "devastating effect on stated happiness through rumination about difficult experiences and fear of future humiliation." The researchers emphasize that understanding the role of rumination and humiliation in happiness can aid in diagnosis and treatment of related psychological conditions like anxiety and depressive disorders.
The study has some limitations, as it was conducted using self-reported measures at a single point in time, which does not allow for causal inferences to be drawn. Additionally, the sample primarily consisted of young, female participants recruited through social media, which may limit the generalizability of the findings. Despite these limitations, the study contributes to the growing body of research examining the complex relationships between humiliation, rumination, and overall well-being.
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