I’ve read a couple of articles lately that posed the question ‘what is happiness?’ Various people put forward their recipes for happiness and what it means to them. Not everyone had the same idea about what elements went together to make up happiness, or even about which ones were most important. There is also some discussion in positive psychology circles about what constitutes happiness, as highly qualified professionals debate just what it is built on. The definitions seem to be getting longer and longer as the researchers grapple with how it is that some people consider themselves to be happy and others do not.
So, is happiness simply a self-centred search for constant pleasure with no regard for others or for consequences? Is it just about ‘me’ and what ‘I’ want to do and feel and experience?
Most commentators agree that it is much more than that. There seems to be quite a bit of agreement that happiness can be found through connection to others – to friends and family, to a team, to an ideal, to an organisation, to a cause bigger than the individual, to a faith in something more. Many also feel that happiness results from contributing - by helping others, showing empathy and kindness, and working for the common good.
Some people count themselves as happiest when they listen to music, take a walk in nature, spend time with their beloved pets, take part in their hobbies or lose themselves for a time in a good book or film. Finding pleasure in the small things, appreciating what you have, living fully in the moment, being creative, and undertaking activities or work that have meaning to you are all other aspects that are thought to bring about happiness.
How important is happiness to you? What makes you happy?
