Life is Better with a Co-pilot

In a delightful interaction in the movie 'Up In The Air', Ryan, played by George Clooney, is asked to speak to his niece's fiancé who is having cold feet about getting married. Ryan says:

 'If you think about it, your favourite memories, the most important moments in your life...were you alone?  Life's better with company, everybody needs a co-pilot'

He is of course, right.   Pavot,  Diener,  and  Fujita (1990) found that people experience more positive feelings on average when they are with others than when alone and married people report greater happiness than those who have never married or are divorced or widowed.
But some tips:

• The co-pilot doesn't have to be a romantic partner - they could be a dear friend or relative
• Sometimes a co-pilot isn't available, so it is important to be able to fly your plane alone
• Whether you do have a co-pilot to share your happy moments with or not, remember to savor them (Byant & Veroff 2007).  Savoring involves anticipating future pleasures (through planning and discussion with others); experiencing present pleasures (through mindfulness); and reminiscing about past pleasures (sharing stories and pictures).