What is happiness?

Happiness is a word that many people use to describe a generally positive, subjective sense of well-being. Researchers and those who work in the mental health field and social sciences have many different definitions and concepts of the word. The majority of those operational definitions culminate in several different emotions and feelings, all being experienced simultaneously. The emotions that have been identified as providing what we have come to know as “happiness,” the general positive state of well-being, our contentment, and joy. Happiness is also characterized by feelings of gratitude, inner peace, satisfaction, pride, and affection for oneself and others. Additionally, the experience of happiness has also been acknowledged as being associated with a sense that one’s life is good, meaningful, and worthwhile. Two key components of happiness that have been identified are the balance of emotions and life satisfaction. In regard to the balance of emotions, all human beings experience both positive and negative emotions, moods, and feelings. Happiness is thought to be linked to an individual’s experience of more positive feelings than negative feelings. As for life satisfaction, this refers to how an individual is satisfied with the various areas of one's life, including work, relationships, achievements, health, and any other things that the individual deems to be important. In addition to feeling satisfied with one’s life and feeling more positive emotions than negative, other key signs of happiness that have been identified are feeling like one is living the life that one wanted, feeling that the conditions of one’s life are good, and feeling that one has accomplished or will accomplish what one wants in one’s life. Another way of thinking about happiness comes from the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, who made a distinguishedn two different types of happiness. The first type of happiness that he identified is what he called Hedonia or the happiness from pleasure. This type of happiness is often related to doing what feels good, such as taking care of oneself (self-care), experiencing enjoyment, fulfilling desires, and feeling a general sense of satisfaction. The other type of happiness that he identified is what he called Eudaimonia, or happiness that derives from seeking virtue and meaning. Eudaimonic well-being includes the components of feeling that one’s life has meaning, purpose, and value. It is more so correlated with fulfilling responsibilities, a general concern for the welfare of others, living up to one’s personal ideals, and investing in long-term goals.