Why do we want to be happy?
Today, it seems everyone wants to be happy. When you ask someone what they want out of life, they usually reply: "to be happy". Now why do want to be happy so much? Here is my answer:
Happiness is a marvelous thing to achieve, although you can't gain happiness in a short amount of time. Happiness is not a test you can ace by studying at the last minute. It isn't something you can buy or borrow, and you aren't just gifted with happiness. As I have read more and more books on the topic, I have learned that in terms of happiness, the state of your life barely matters. You could have a "bad" life and still be authentically happy, and you could have a luxurious life and be despondent. Happiness is something you have to work on if you want it, because you can't just pluck happiness out of thin air. I value happiness immensely, because it can be all the difference. Being happy offers up so many benefits, so of course people want to be happy. To be truly satisfied, I think that you need to have both a meaningful and happy life.
Happiness is a marvelous thing to achieve, although you can't gain happiness in a short amount of time. Happiness is not a test you can ace by studying at the last minute. It isn't something you can buy or borrow, and you aren't just gifted with happiness. As I have read more and more books on the topic, I have learned that in terms of happiness, the state of your life barely matters. You could have a "bad" life and still be authentically happy, and you could have a luxurious life and be despondent. Happiness is something you have to work on if you want it, because you can't just pluck happiness out of thin air. I value happiness immensely, because it can be all the difference. Being happy offers up so many benefits, so of course people want to be happy. To be truly satisfied, I think that you need to have both a meaningful and happy life.
What does happiness even mean?
To me, happiness means two main things. The first definition of happiness is pleasure, for example, little things that make people temporarily happy, like eating an ice cream cone, or playing Fortnite. Pleasure releases dopamine in the brain through neural transmitters, leaving you wanting more of that feel-good feeling. The second, more meaningful definition of happiness is a long-term thing. Long-term happiness means having a joy, satisfaction, and feeling of meaning for life that you just can't get from eating an ice cream cone. The chemical associated with overall happiness is serotonin, the brain's chemical for relieving stress. What a circular phrase:
If you're happy, you're less stressed, and if you're less stressed, you'll probably be happier.
To recap, I believe there are two main definitions of happiness: short-term happiness and long-term happiness. They are both important to have in your life, but long-term happiness will make your life seem more important and meaningful.
If you're happy, you're less stressed, and if you're less stressed, you'll probably be happier.
To recap, I believe there are two main definitions of happiness: short-term happiness and long-term happiness. They are both important to have in your life, but long-term happiness will make your life seem more important and meaningful.