Happiness is something that many people are looking for, but the meaning of happiness can vary from one person to another. Typically, happiness is an emotional state characterized by feelings of joy and joy. Although happiness has many different definitions, it is often described as a positive emotion and satisfaction with life.
When people talk about the true meaning of happiness, they may be talking about how they feel at the moment or referring to a more general understanding of their feelings towards life as a whole.
Happiness tends to have a broad definition, with psychologists and other social scientists using the term ‘subjective well-being’ when they discuss this emotional state. As it sounds, subjective well-being tends to focus on a person’s overall personal feelings about their life at the moment.
The two key factors of happiness are:
- Emotional balance.
Every person experiences positive and negative emotions, feelings and moods. Happiness is usually associated with experiencing more positive feelings than negative ones. - Life satisfaction.
It has to do with how satisfied you feel with various areas of your life including relationships, work, accomplishments, and other things you consider important.
Another definition of happiness comes from the ancient philosopher Aristotle, who said that happiness is the only human desire, and that all other human desires exist as a way to obtain happiness. He believes that there are four stages of happiness:
- happiness from immediate satisfaction,
- due to comparisons and achievements,
- for making positive contributions, and
- for achieving satisfaction.
Types of Happiness
There are many different schools of thought about happiness. For example, the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle differentiated between 2 types of happiness: hedonia and eudaimonia.
Hedonia
Hedonic happiness comes from pleasure. It is most commonly associated with doing what feels good, self-care, fulfilling desires, experiencing pleasure, and feeling contentment.
Eudaimonia
This type of happiness comes from the search for virtue and meaning. An important component of eudaimonic well-being includes the feeling that your life has meaning, value, and purpose. It is more related to fulfilling responsibilities, investing in long-term goals, concern for the welfare of others, and fulfilling personal goals.
Hedonia and eudaemonia are now better known in psychology as pleasure and meaning. Recently, psychologists have suggested adding a third component related to engagement. It is a feeling of commitment and participation in different areas of life.
Research shows that happy people tend to have fairly high ratings of eudaimonic life satisfaction and are better than average in their hedonic life satisfaction.
Impact of Happiness
Why is happiness so important? Happiness has been shown to predict positive outcomes in many areas of human life including overall mental and physical well-being.
Positive emotions enhance life satisfaction.
Happiness helps people build coping skills and stronger emotional resources.
Positive emotions are linked to better health and longevity. A study found that people who experienced more positive emotions than negative emotions had a greater chance of surviving over a 13-year period.
Positive feelings increase endurance. Resilience helps people better manage stress and bounce back better when faced with downfalls. For example, a study found that happier people tend to have lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol and these benefits tend to persist over time.
People who have a positive state of well-being are more likely to engage in healthy behavior such as eating fruit and vegetables and doing regular exercise.
Being happy can help you be healthier and less sick. A happier mental state has been linked to improved immunity.
