What is Happiness and Why is it Important?

What is happiness?

1. This question may sound strange, but is it true?
2. Do you know how to define happiness?
3. Do you think happiness is the same thing for you and for others?
4. What is the point of all this? Does it really make a difference in our lives?

In fact, happiness plays a significant role in our lives, and can have a major impact on how we live our lives. While researchers have yet to come up with an agreed-upon definition or framework for happiness, there is a lot we have learned in the past few decades.

This article will delve into the science of happiness, what it really is, and why it matters.

Before we continue, we thought you might like to download our three free Subjective Happiness & Well-Being Exercises . These detailed, science-based exercises will help you or your clients identify the true sources of happiness and strategies for increasing well-being .

View the Definition of Happiness according to the Oxford English Dictionary

First, let’s look at the definition of happiness so that we’re all on the same page. The Oxford English Dictionary’s definition of “happiness” is simple: “The state of being happy.”

Not exactly what we were looking for, was it? Maybe we need to dig a little deeper. The Oxford English Dictionary’s definition of “happy” is a little more helpful: “ Feeling or showing pleasure or contentment .”

That’s better! So, happiness is the state of feeling or showing pleasure or satisfaction. From this definition, we can derive several important points about happiness:

1. Happiness is a state, not a trait; in other words, happiness is not a long-lasting, permanent personality trait or quality, but rather a more fleeting and changeable state.
2. Happiness is equated with feelings of joy or contentment, meaning that happiness should not be confused with joy, ecstatic joy, blissful elation, or other more intense feelings.
3. Happiness can be both a feeling and a manifestation, meaning that happiness does not have to be an internal or external experience, but can be both.

We now have a better understanding of what happiness is—or at least, how the Oxford English Dictionary defines it. However, this definition is not the most complete definition of happiness. In fact, the definition of happiness is not a “settled” debate.

What Does Happiness Mean in Positive Psychology?

The meaning of happiness in Positive Psychology depends largely on who you ask. Happiness is often known by another name in positive psychology research: subjective well-being, or SWB.

Some believe that happiness is a core component of SWB, while others believe that happiness is SWB. Either way, you will often find SWB used as shorthand for happiness in the literature.

And speaking of literature, you’ll find references to SWB everywhere. A quick Google search for “happiness” yields over 2 million results (as of January 6, 2019). Furthermore, a scan of the same term in two of psychology’s largest online databases (PsycINFO and PsycARTICLES) yields 19,139 results from academic and other journals, books, dissertations, and more.

Is it difficult to define it scientifically?

With so many views on happiness, it is not surprising that happiness is somewhat difficult to define scientifically; there are certainly differences of opinion about what happiness actually is.

According to researchers Chu Kim-Prieto, Ed Diener, and their colleagues (2005), there are three main ways happiness is approached in positive psychology:

1. Happiness as a global assessment of life and all its aspects;
2. Happiness as memories of past emotional experiences;
3. Happiness as an aggregation of various emotional reactions over time (Kim-Prieto, Diener, Tamir, Scollon, & Diener, 2005).

Although they generally agree on what happiness is—feeling satisfied with life, being in a good mood, feeling positive emotions, experiencing pleasure, and so on—researchers have a hard time agreeing on the scope of happiness.

However, for our purposes in this paper, it will suffice to use a basic definition that combines the OED definition with that of positive psychologists: happiness is a state characterized by a general sense of contentment and satisfaction with one’s present situation.

Pleasure vs. happiness

With such a close relationship between pleasure and happiness, you might wonder how to tell the difference between the two. After all, the OED’s definition of happiness describes it as the state of feeling pleasure!

The connection between the two makes sense, and it is common to hear the two terms used interchangeably outside of the literature; however, when it comes to the science of positive psychology, it is important to distinguish between the two.

Happiness, as we have described above, is a state characterized by feelings of contentment and pleasure with one’s current life or situation. Pleasure, on the other hand, is a deeper, more immediate experience.

Pleasure often refers to the sensory-based feelings we get from experiences such as eating delicious food, getting a massage, receiving a compliment, or having sex.

Happiness, while not a permanent state, is a more stable state than pleasure. Happiness generally lasts longer than a few moments, whereas pleasure can come and go in a matter of seconds (Paul, 2015).

Pleasure can contribute to happiness, and happiness can enhance or deepen feelings of pleasure, but the two can also be mutually exclusive. For example, you can feel happiness based on meaning and engagement that have nothing to do with pleasure, or you can feel pleasure but also struggle with guilt about it, which keeps you from feeling happy at the same time.

Happiness vs. meaning

Happiness and meaning have a clearer line between them. Happiness and meaning are rarely confused or used interchangeably, and for good reason—they describe two very different experiences.

Humans may resemble many other creatures in their struggle for happiness, but the search for meaning is an essential part of what makes us human, and uniquely so.

Unlike happiness, meaning is not a fleeting state that floats through the day; it is a more comprehensive purpose and a feeling of contributing to something bigger than yourself.

As the quote from Baumeister and colleagues (2013) shows, there are important differences between the methods of seeking and the benefits of experiencing happiness and meaning. Scott Barry Kaufman in Scientific American (2016) outlines the differences Baumeister and colleagues found between the two:

• Finding one’s life easy or difficult has to do with happiness, but not with meaning;
• Feeling healthy is related to happiness, but not to meaning;
• Feeling good is related to happiness, not meaning;
• Scarcity of money reduces happiness more than meaning;
• People with more meaningful lives agree that “relationships are more important than accomplishments;”
• Helping those in need is associated with meaning but not happiness;
• Expecting to do a lot of deep thinking was positively related to meaningfulness, but negatively related to happiness;
• Happiness has more to do with being a receiver than a giver, while meaning has more to do with being a giver than a receiver;
• The more people feel their activities are consistent with their core themes and values, the more meaning they report in their activities;

Seeing oneself as wise, creative, and even anxious are all associated with meaning but have no relationship (and in some cases, even show negative relationships) with happiness (Kaufman, 2016).
Essentially, while the two overlap and each can contribute to the experience of the other, they can be mutually exclusive (Baumeister et al., 2013).

Origins and etymology of happiness (including root words)

According to Etymology Online (nd), the word for “happy” in most languages ​​comes from the word for “lucky.” This suggests an interesting trend—perhaps our ancestors believed that happiness was largely a byproduct of luck?

This also suggests a possible difference of opinion between previous generations and ours in the 20th and 21st centuries: that happiness is not a vital factor in a good life, but is essentially a bonus that can be experienced by a few lucky individuals.

Here is what author Darrin McMahon wrote about the origins and roots of the word “happiness”:

The astonishing fact is that in every Indo-European language, without exception, that is derived from ancient Greek, the word for happiness is a cognate of the word for luck. Hap is the root of the Old Norse and Old English word for happiness, and it simply means luck or chance, just as the Old French word heur means bonheur, good fortune or happiness. German gives us the word Gluck, which to this day means both happiness and chance.

What does self-happiness mean?

Although the term is not used very often, “self-happiness” refers to a feeling of happiness or satisfaction with oneself. The term is often associated with self-confidence, self-esteem, and other concepts that associate “self” with feelings of satisfaction and happiness.

In general, it means that you are happy with yourself and your choices, and with yourself.

Three dimensions of happiness

Happiness can be defined as a lasting state of mind that consists not only of feelings of joy, contentment, and other positive emotions, but also of the feeling that one’s life is meaningful and rewarding (Lyubomirsky, 2001).

Happiness energizes us and is a highly sought-after state. But what are the components that make up happiness?

Martin Seligman (2002) argues that happiness has three dimensions that can be developed:

1. Regular pleasant experiences (pleasant life)
2. Frequent involvement in satisfying activities (engaged life)
3. Experience a sense of connectedness to the greater whole (meaningful life)

Although each dimension is important, the happiest people tend to be those who pursue life to the full—they fill their lives with pleasure, engagement, and meaning (Seligman et al., 2005).

Based on Seligman’s three dimensions of happiness, Sirgy and Wu (2009) added the dimension of a balanced life.

According to these authors, balance in life is another key factor contributing to happiness because the amount of satisfaction one can derive from one domain of life is limited. One needs to engage in multiple domains to satisfy a broad spectrum of human needs. Therefore, cultivating a sense of balance is essential to balancing these domains of life.

The Psychology Behind Human Happiness

Now that we know what happiness is, let’s dive deeper. What does psychology say about happiness?

There are many theories about happiness, but they generally fall into two categories based on how they conceptualize happiness (or well-being):

1. Hedonic happiness/well-being is happiness conceptualized as the experience of more pleasure and less pain; it consists of an affective component (high positive affect and low negative affect) and a cognitive component (satisfaction with one’s life);
2. Eudaimonic happiness/well-being conceptualizes happiness as the result of pursuing and achieving life purpose, meaning, challenge, and personal growth; happiness is based on achieving one’s full potential and operating at full function (AIPC, 2011).

Some theories see happiness as a by-product of other, more important pursuits in life, while others see happiness as the ultimate goal for humans.

Some theories suggest that pursuing happiness is pointless (although pursuing other important experiences and feelings can contribute to greater happiness), and some assume that happiness can be intentionally enhanced or increased.

Although they differ in specifics, these theories generally agree on several points:

• It feels good to be happy, and people like to be happy;
• Happiness is neither a fleeting, momentary experience, nor a stable, long-term trait;
• At least some of our happiness is determined by our genetics, but the amount varies from about 10% to 50%;
• Pursuing and obtaining pleasure will rarely result in happiness;
• There are many sources that contribute to or make up happiness (AIPC, 2011).

What sources create true personal happiness?

Taking all the theories and findings about happiness together, we know that there are at least a few factors that are very important for overall happiness:

• Individual income;
• Labor market status;
• Physical health;
• Family;
• Social relations ;
• Moral values;
• Experience positive emotions (AIPC, 2011).

All of these factors can contribute to a happy life, but research has found that good relationships are an important ingredient (Waldinger & Schulz, 2010).

When we are happy in our most important relationships (usually our spouse or significant other, our children and/or parents, other close family members, and our closest friends), we tend to be happier.

We have control over how our relationships go, which brings us to an interesting and important question: can we increase our own happiness?

Can individuals learn how to be happy?

The answer from numerous studies is YES—you CAN learn how to be happier.

The extent to which you improve your happiness will vary greatly depending on the theory you subscribe to, but no credible theory leaves no room for individual improvement at all. To improve your overall happiness, the most effective method is to look at the list of sources above and work on improving the quality of your experience in each one.

For example, you can work on earning a higher salary (although a higher salary would only be around $75,000 USD per year), improving your health , working on developing and maintaining high-quality relationships, and overall, finding ways to incorporate more positive feelings into your daily life. This assumes basic access to security as well as social equality .

8 Examples That Illustrate What a Happy Life Looks Like

Based on our definition, what does a happy life look like?

Of course, what that looks like depends on the individual—one person’s happy life may be another person’s nightmare!

However, there are some examples that show the different kinds of life that can lead to happiness:

1. A woman who lives alone, has a good relationship with her nephew, loves charity, and finds meaning in her work;
2. A happily married man with three healthy children and a relatively low-paying job;
3. A widow who enjoys visiting her children and grandchildren regularly, as well as volunteering at local charities;
4. A cancer patient who has an amazing support system and finds meaning in helping others through chemotherapy;
5. A social worker who works 70 hours a week without overtime pay, to ensure the children in her care are in good hands;
6. An unmarried man in a monastery, who has no worldly possessions or significant salary, but finds meaning in communing with his God;
7. A teenager in an orphanage who has a few close friends and enjoys playing soccer on his school team;
8. A man who lives with several pets, enjoys a high salary, and loves his job.

Each is taken from real-life examples of happy people. They may not seem to have it all, but they all have at least one element from the list of resources mentioned above.

We don’t need to have everything we want to be happy—true happiness can be found in finding joy in what we already have, no matter how much or how little.

What visions do you associate with happiness? Do any of these dreams have anything in common?

Why is Happiness So Important?

You may wonder why happiness is considered an important aspect of life, since there are many components of a meaningful life.

In some ways, science would agree with you. It seems that life satisfaction, meaning in life, and well-being can be linked to happiness, but happiness is not necessarily everyone’s primary goal in life. Happiness is still important because it has several positive benefits and co-occurring factors.

June Silny at Happify outlines 14 answers to the question, “What’s so great about happiness?”

1. Happy people are more successful in many areas of life, including marriage, friendships, income, job performance, and health.
2. Happy people get sick less often and experience fewer symptoms when they do get sick.
3. Happy people have more friends and better support systems.
4. Happy people will donate more to charity (and donating money to charity will make you happy too).
5. Happy people are more helpful and more likely to volunteer—which also makes you happier!
6. Happy people have an easier time getting through life because optimism eases pain, sadness, and grief.
7. Happy people have a positive influence on others and encourage them to seek happiness too, which can act as a reinforcement.
8. Happy people engage in deeper and more meaningful conversations.
9. Happy people smile more, which is good for your health.
10. Happy people exercise more often and eat healthier.
11. A happy person is someone who is happy with what he has and is not jealous of others.
12. Happy people are healthier overall and more likely to be healthy in the future.
13. Happy people live longer than those who are unhappy.
14. Happy people are more productive and more creative, and this effect extends to everyone who experiences positive emotions.

The relationship between mental health and happiness

As you can probably assume from the list above, there is a strong connection between mental health and happiness! When happy people are healthier, have better relationships, make friends more easily, and are more successful in life, it’s easy to see why happiness and mental health are linked.

The resources that contribute to happiness are the same as those that provide people with a buffer or protection against mental illness, which explains the close relationship between the two.

A recent study examined the relationship between happiness and mental health in college students and found that a relatively strong positive correlation linked the two factors (Shafiq, Nas, Ansar, Nasrulla, Bushra, & Imam, 2015). This correlation held even when gender and sociodemographic variables were added to the mix.

The close relationship between mental health and happiness is reason enough to make happiness an important priority for parents, educators, researchers, and medical professionals, along with the simple fact that we all like to feel happy!

Take Home Message

I hope you found this post helpful and informative, and that you learned something new about the scientific study of happiness. This is an exciting area of ​​research, and new findings are emerging all the time.

Make sure you stay up to date with the literature on happiness, as these findings can be extremely useful in helping you live your best life!

What do you think about happiness? Would you define it differently? What do you think is the most important ingredient to your own happiness? Let us know in the comments section below!

Reference

• AIPC. (2011). Happiness and positive psychology . Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors Article Library. Retrieved from https://www.aipc.net.au/articles/happiness-and-positive-psychology/
• Baumeister, R., Vohs, K. D., Aaker, J. L., & Gabinsky, E. N. (2013). Some key differences between a happy life and a meaningful life. Journal of Positive Psychology, 8 , 505-516.
• Joseph Sirgy, M., & Wu, J. (2009). A joyful life, a caring life, and a meaningful life: What about a balanced life? Journal of Happiness Studies, 10 , 183-196.
• Kaufman, SB (2016). The differences between happiness and meaning in life. Scientific American . Retrieved from https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/beautiful-minds/the-differences-between-happiness-and-meaning-in-life/
• Kim-Prieto, C., Diener, E., Tamir, M., Scollon, C.N., & Diener, M. (2005). Integrating various
• Definition of happiness: A time-ordered framework of subjective well-being. Journal of Happiness Studies, 6, 261-300.
• Lyubomirsky, S. (2001). Why are some people happier than others? The role of cognitive and motivational processes in well-being. American Psychologist, 56(3), 239.
• McMahon, D. (2006). Happiness: A History. Grove Press.
• Online Etymology Dictionary (nd). Happy . Retrieved from http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/behaviorism/
• Paul, M. (2015). The difference between happiness and pleasure. Huffington Post: Life . Retrieved from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-difference-between-happiness-and-pleasure_b_7053946
• Seligman, ME (2002). True happiness: Using the new positive psychology to realize your potential for lasting satisfaction. Simon and Schuster.
• Seligman, M.E., Steen, T.A., Park, N., & Peterson, C. (2005). Advances in positive psychology: empirical validation of an intervention. American Psychologist, 60(5), 410.
• Shafiq, S., Naz, R. A., Ansar, M., Nasrulla, T., Bushra, M., & Imam, S. (2015). Happiness related to mental health among college students. International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 5 , 124-132.
• Silny, J. (nd). What’s so great about happiness? (The answer: abundance!). Happify Daily . Retrieved from https://www.happify.com/hd/whats-so-great-about-happiness/
• Waldinger, RJ, & Schulz, MS (2010). What’s love got to do with it?: Social functioning, health perceptions, and daily happiness in married older adults. Psychology and Aging, 25 , 422-431.