Modest Control

The degree to which we feel we’re in control of a situation can influence the way we feel about that situation.

This is often true superficially, in the sense that it can be comforting to have our hands on the wheel compared to careening through unfamiliar terrain while in the passenger seat. But research has also shown that our sense of control can influence everything from our self-reported levels of happiness, to our degrees of depression, to our lifespans.

More control over our lives i...