Science suggests that the fleeting happiness you get from succumbing to a temptation is inferior—at least when it comes to its effect on how your genes express—to the type of happiness you can draw out of a sense of purpose and meaning in life.
According to the study, a person guided by a deep sense of purpose is less likely to suffer from inflammation and more likely to have a stronger immune system. While both types of happiness can generate the same positive emotions, it’s those with high levels of eudaimonic well-being that benefit more.
Since the results come from a study on just 80 participants, we shouldn’t treat the conclusions as a broadly applicable scientific fact. However, there’s definitely immense power in having a mission in your life.
When all of your decisions are aligned toward a better future (even if you’re suffering at times because things don’t go as planned or it’s hard to maintain self-discipline), you wake up fired up, with vigor and a sense of purpose you’d never get if you were to prioritize hedonic well-being.