Happiness is big business, with sales of self-help books reaching record levels in the past year. Perhaps that’s because happiness is no longer the birthright of the elite.
A half century ago, psychologist Warner Wilson said a happy person is generally “young, healthy, well educated, well paid, extroverted, optimistic, worry-free, religious, married, with high self-esteem, high job morale, modest aspirations, of either sex, and of a wide range of intelligence.”
The suggestion in his description was that it was harder to be happy for the poor and uneducated.
But today, happiness is something we are all told to aspire towards. But many of us who take up gratitude journals, meditation, and positive affirmations, discover that these tactics don’t make us meaningfully happier. The same often goes for achieving those goals that society prescribes—such as career success or physical fitness.
We’re told happiness will make us better parents, workers, and people. This cure-all is supposedly so potent, we seek it endlessly. Sometimes this pursuit of happiness can lead us down harmful paths, like overeating, or be stressful. In fact, researchers have found that people that over-value happiness actually end up less happy.
Researchers have tried to unravel the mysteries of happiness with quantitative methodologies that reveal what makes most people happy. But these studies and statistical averages, while insightful, cannot reflect the deeply different things—from material possessions to intellectual growth—that bring individuals happiness.
Originally, the branch of science most devoted to happiness studies—positive psychology—assumed that well-being was achieved by maximizing positive emotions and minimizing negative emotions. But this approach has come under increasing doubt from findings that suggest it is far too simplistic. Newer findings support much older ideas about what creates real happiness.
Meaning Versus Positivity
The view of many researchers today ties in Aristotle’s view of the “good life.” This Greek philosopher argued that happiness is not just about feeling good but about feeling “right.” He believed that a happy life involves experiencing the right emotions based on your values and beliefs. Or, in other words, happiness came from a balanced and virtuous life.
Therefore, happiness is not simply about a hedonistic pursuit of pleasure, but a meaningful engagement with life. At times it may be appropriate to be sad or angry as well as being optimistic and hopeful that things can change.
Meaning is a close relative of happiness. The pair often go hand in hand but are two entirely separate constructs. It is possible to lead a pleasurable life, but without much meaning. It is also possible to experience a meaningful life dedicated passionately to a cause but experience very little positive emotion. My own forthcoming study has found that meaning—more so than positive emotions—is more predictive of happiness in the long run.
