What is happiness?
We know when we feel it. We use term to describe a wide range of positive emotions. But what exactly is happiness? Why do we feel it? What are its effects? Let us explore and know more...
What is the psychology behind happiness?
For normal people, happiness is the mixture of emotions we experience when we do something good or positive. But for neurologists, happiness is a flood of hormones released in the brain as a reward. Religiously, happiness indicates the presence of God. As per dictionaries and Google, happiness is 'The state of being happy'.
But the real answer lies in philosophy. Philosophers take the debate of 'What is happiness?' to the next level. Philosophers debate on mostly 2 well investigated philosophies which are called as 'eudaimonia' and 'hedonia'. There roots are supposedly found in Greek philosophy.
Hedonstic views suggest that happiness is the exact opposite of suffering. Thus if happiness is present, pain is absent. Thus this philosophy suggests that the purpose of life is to maximize happiness, thus minimizing sufferings and misery. Eudaimonia defines happiness as the pursuit of becoming a better person.
Although they differ on the specifics, these theories generally agree that it’s good to be happy, and people like being happy.
Hedonstic views suggest that happiness is the exact opposite of suffering. Thus if happiness is present, pain is absent. Thus this philosophy suggests that the purpose of life is to maximize happiness, thus minimizing sufferings and misery. Eudaimonia defines happiness as the pursuit of becoming a better person.
Although they differ on the specifics, these theories generally agree that it’s good to be happy, and people like being happy.
What is happiness scientifically?
With so many takes on happiness, it’s no wonder that happiness is a little difficult to define scientifically; there is certainly disagreement about what, exactly, happiness is. However, scientifically, happiness can be put as a state characterized by contentment and general satisfaction with one’s current situation.
Can we learn to be happy?
Though happiness, in essence, means different things to different people, there are a few common threads or core ideas about what it’s supposed to feel like. This supports the idea that can we learn to be happy?
One 2013 study followed two groups of people who listened to positive music. One group was instructed to think positively while the other was just told to listen to the music. The result? The group that was told to try to be happy actually reported feeling happier. This was really interesting and unexpected. But this does support the idea that happiness can be learnt.
Can being happy make you mentally more fit?
As you can probably assume, there is a strong relationship between mental health and happiness! When happy people are healthier, have better relationships, make friends more easily, and find more success in life, it’s easy to see why happiness and mental health are related. The close tie between mental health and happiness is reason behind making happiness an important priority for everyone.
Conclusion:
Happiness is a state characterized by contentment and general satisfaction with one’s current situation. Happiness is the mixture of emotions we experience when we do something good or positive. Still the meaning of happiness differs according to person. Perhaps, the distinction of what is happiness should be left to the individual.
Posts before October 2021 have been marked as "Old Posts". Less likely, but they might have out dated or incorrect information, ugly looking bits of code, no labels, etc. Don't get me wrong, many of these posts are top-notch and interesting too.
I thought it would be better not to delete or revamp these posts, even if they suck. The bitter truth is that old works always suck, but I take that as a positive tool to convey that I am growing. Besides there's no better way to showcase my journey without these old, messy, poorly written posts!
I thought it would be better not to delete or revamp these posts, even if they suck. The bitter truth is that old works always suck, but I take that as a positive tool to convey that I am growing. Besides there's no better way to showcase my journey without these old, messy, poorly written posts!
Old Post