Happiness
CHAPTER 14
Philosophical Views on Happiness
Aristotle
A life of leisurely
and intelligent
reflection leads to
happiness.
The Cultivation of
Virtues
Happiness is the
Ultimate Good
John Stuart Mill
Excitement and peaceful
contentment are the two sides of
happiness.
Impediments to happiness are
selfishness and lack of mental
cultivation.
Wisdom comes from the realization
that one’s own happiness and self-
interest are intertwined with the
good of humanity.
Sacrificing personal happiness for
the happiness of others is the
highest virtue.
Mill’s Two Sides of Happiness
For Mill, happiness
consists of excitement and
contentment.
Your Turn!
According to Mills, does happiness come from
having lots of fun and pleasure?
Bertrand Russell
Unhappiness is fostered by
envy, misguided morals,
bad habits, and a life out of
balance.
Happiness can be gained by
cultivating a friendly
interest in people and
things.
Bertrand Russell’s Perspective
Happiness is promoted by a focus on external
affairs, such as the state of the world, on
gaining knowledge, and by paying attention to
loved ones.
Happiness can be achieved by doing something
that engages the full measure of one’s abilities
and that is considered important by society as
well.
Peter Singer
Fun vs. Happiness
Fun is momentary and
typically derived from
external sources of
amusement
Happiness is an ongoing
state of being that
emerges from one’s
internal state, attitudes
and expectations
Buddhism and Happiness
In Buddhist tradition, the true causes of
happiness and well-being are rooted in a
wholesome way of life, through the cultivation
wisdom and compassion.
The acquisition of material goods, financial
security, power, and fame may lead to happiness
but are transient.
Psychological Perspectives on Happiness
Psychoanalytic
Freud
Healthy adults enjoy both love and work
Sexual expression promotes happiness and mental
health
Sexual expression provides a safe outlet for one’s
destructive urges that build up over time
Adler
Friendship- an important source of happiness.
“What can I contribute to further human well-
being?”
Psychological Perspectives on Happiness
Humanistic
Carl Rogers
The “good life” requires courage and the
ability to launch oneself fully into the stream
of life.
• Open to experience
• Live in the moment
• Trust oneself
Psychological Perspectives on Happiness
Humanistic
Abraham Maslow
Openness to peak experiences = happiness
Viktor Frankl
Embracing life’s challenges is the only viable route to
happiness because it holds the possibility of
accomplishment
To shrink back or hideout from life’s challenges causes us
to lose self-respect
Psychological Perspectives on Happiness
Cognitive Behavioral
Aaron Beck
Expectation of gain
Whether or not a person experiences
happiness depends on the meaning he or she
attaches to a particular situation or object
Any event or idea that represents a
meaningful addition to one’s life is sufficient
to produce happiness
The Scientific Study of Happiness
Happiness defined
A pervasive sense that life is good, meaningful,
and satisfying
What are the experiences and circumstances
that enable people to be happy?
What traits and attitudes enable some people to
experience happiness and others not?
Happiness
How happy are people in
general?
About 80% say they are
at least “fairly” happy
About 35% of people say
that they are “very”
happy.
Do Life Circumstances Create Happy People?
Age A Sound Body
Parenthood Money
Gender Intelligence
Ethnicity Community
Age
Are younger, the middle-
aged, or the older adults
happier?
Happiness and Age
There is remarkably little variation in the level of
satisfaction with life as a function of age.
Researchers found no correlation with age.
Young adults, the middle aged, and the aged
reported the same degree of life satisfaction.
Empty Nest Syndrome
Mid-Life Crisis
Happiness and Parenthood
Marital happiness goes down when the first child is
born and goes up when the last child leaves home.
Happiness and Parenthood
Having children is
not necessarily a
predictor of
happiness.
Compared to
childless couples,
parents worry
more and have
more marital
problems.
Happiness and Gender
No difference were found among men and
women on their level of happiness.
This is despite very substantial objective
differences in career opportunities, personal
income, and opportunities for self-expression
throughout our society.
Happiness and Ethnicity
There were no differences in blacks or whites on level
of happiness.
Happiness and A Sound Body
Are able-bodied people happier than disabled
people?
Disabled individuals describe themselves as no
less happy than do able-bodied individuals.
Happiness and Money
There is a positive correlation between
wealth and happiness, up to a point.
Once the basic necessities of life are met,
there are diminishing returns.
Beyond poverty, increased wealth doesn't
increase happiness.
Happiness Equation
Attainments
Happiness = -----------------
Expectations
Happiness
Intelligence
While intelligence has been correlated with
outstanding achievement, researchers have not
found a correlation between IQ scores and
happiness.
Community
There was no difference in reported happiness
among people living in urban, suburban, or rural
areas.
Predictors of Well-Being
The Personality Traits
of Happy People
Personality Extroversion
Health Social Activity/ Social
Self-Esteem Support
Personal Control Love and Marriage
Optimism Work
Faith
Happiness and Personality
Personality refers to enduring patterns of
behavior, over time and across situations.
There is a high correlation between people's
reports of positive affect in the moment and
their general level of happiness.
Happiness and Genetics
Happiness seems to function something like a personality trait.
Health and Happiness
Good physical health is moderately
correlated with well-being.
However, sound health alone doesn’t
account for personal happiness because
people tend to take good health for granted.
Exercise
Happiness and Self-Esteem
• Happy people like themselves
• Self-Esteem and Social Class
• Self-Esteem and Educational Attainment
• Self-Serving Bias
Happiness and Self-Esteem
Happiness, Personal Control, and Optimism
Happy people believe they choose their own
destiny.
Optimists have a higher expectations
Extroversion
Social Support
Close relationships are a predictor of
happiness.
Happiness and Social Support
Happiness, Love and Marriage
A predictor of happiness is a close marital
relationship.
Happiness and Work
Happiness and Faith, Hope, Joy
Religion or a spiritual commitment is
correlated with happiness
Among the elderly, religious belief and health
are the strongest predictors of happiness
People who are religiously inclined have more
favorable mental health records
Happiness and Faith, Hope, Joy
What faith offers the
religiously inclined:
Social support
Meaning and purpose
Ultimate acceptance
Focus beyond self
An eternal perspective
Happiness and Faith, Hope, Joy
Among the elderly, religious belief and health are
the strongest predictors of happiness.