Research Suggests 4 Ways People Think

A new peek into our wandering minds suggests most of us are thinking about work, coffee, and sleep—and we tend to fall into one of four mental "vibes." Economists in the US and China pinged the phones of 258 people eight times a day for two weeks, asking what they were thinking and how happy they felt. After analyzing more than 23,000 responses, the researchers saw thoughts track the day—work by day, fun at night—and cluster into four loose groups that people likely move in and out of, the Guardian reports. The results of the preprint study, which hasn't yet been peer-reviewed and is based on a Western, educated sample, also suggest that what you're thinking about predicts happiness more than what you're doing, echoing Marcus Aurelius' line about the quality of thoughts.

The four potential types:

• The worriers: Preoccupied with global events, safety, health. Think more about politics, pandemics, and pain.
• The domestics: Focus on chores, home life, money, and what they're watching or reading.
• The bodily thinkers: Tuned into sensations, mental health, and symptoms. Report more intrusive thoughts.
• The work-hard, play-hards: Split attention between career and leisure. Report the highest incomes and happiness.