The Secret to Being Happy
True Happiness is a Simple Pursuit
Aug 21, 2009 Anthony Vultaggio
Ernest Hemingway is quoted as saying, “Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.”
Happiness has little to do with intelligence. In fact, as Hemingway says, it seems to be harder for bright people to find true joy in life. The problem is that people who rely on their intellect think that their mind can solve every problem they face. The reality is that logic does not necessarily bring happiness. In fact, sometimes happiness comes from the most illogical place.
Too often, people over-analyze life. Events are measured with an arbitrary point system that has very little to do with true happiness. Relying solely on intellect, people forget that meaning often transcends value. Hemingway was once accused of being too simple a person to be a great writer. Maybe, just maybe, it is that simplicity that made him brilliant.
What is Happiness?
The Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary defines happiness as being a feeling or state of mind characterized by satisfaction, pleasure or joy. Philosophers and other thinkers refer to happiness in terms of doing well, rather than simply feeling the emotions linked to doing well.
In his book Authentic Happiness, Martin Seligman describes happiness as being comprised of "positive emotions" and "positive activities." He asserts that emotions can be broken down as relate to the past, present and future. Past positive emotions include satisfaction, pride and serenity. Future feelings include optimism, trust and hope. Present positive emotions include pleasure and gratifications.
Are Successful People Happy?
Following the philosophical approach to happiness it would stand to reason that successful people are happy people. However, the reality is that while many successful people are happy, there are an equal number of people who appear to be successful yet cannot find happiness. The reason for this is that the measure of success is not a single element. People define success on a personal level, and while one person may appear to "have it all," they may, in fact, be suffering silently.
What Makes People Happy?
This is an incredibly subjective question. Each person has their own definition of success and happiness. While researchers have identified a number of attributes that correlate with happiness, including relationships, social interaction, marital status, employment, health, optimism, and proximity to other happy people, the reality is that these elements m across a sliding scale based on the feelings of each individual.
How Can Simplicity Make a Person Happy?
Many people focus on learning to identify negative thoughts and habits and replacing them with positive ones. While this is good in theory, it perpetuates a negative cycle by forcing a person to look for the negative thoughts and habits first.
To gain the lifelong benefits of happiness, a person can choose to focus on the positive. Whenever feelings of sadness, doubt or fear enter into the mind, the person takes a simple, positive action. By replacing a heavy feeling with a simple, uplifting thought or action, the person simplifies their life and is empowered to make sustainable changes in order to simply be happy.
Sources:
- Sonja Lyubomirsky, David Schkade and Kennon M. Sheldon, "Pursuing Happiness The Architecture of Sustainable Change". Review of General Psychology, Vol. 9, No. 2, 111–131, 2005.
Simplicity is the Missing Piece to Happines
|
What do you think about this article?
Latest Articles