There are many different theories of happiness, but they generally fall into one of two categories based on how they conceptualize happiness (or well-being):
- Hedonic happiness/well-being is happiness conceptualized as experiencing more pleasure and less pain; it is composed of an affective component (high positive affect and low negative affect) and a cognitive component (satisfaction with one’s life);
- Eudaimonic happiness/well-being conceptualizes happiness as the result of the pursuit and attainment of life purpose, meaning, challenge, and personal growth; happiness is based on reaching one’s full potential and operating at full functioning (AIPC, 2011).
Some theories see happiness as a by-product of other, more important pursuits in life, while others see happiness as the end-goal for humans. Some theories state that pursuing happiness is pointless (although pursuing other important experiences and feelings may contribute to greater happiness), and some assume that happiness can be purposefully increased or enhanced.
Although they differ on the specifics, these theories generally agree on a few points:
- It’s good to be happy, and people like being happy;
- Happiness is neither a totally fleeting, momentary experience nor a stable, long-term trait;
- At least some portion of our happiness is set by our genetics, but the amount varies from about 10% up to 50%;
- The pursuit and attainment of pleasure will rarely lead to happiness;
- There are many sources that contribute to or compose happiness (AIPC, 2011).
What sources create true personal happiness?
Taking together all the various theories and findings on happiness, 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 relationships;
- Moral values;
- Experience of positive emotions (AIPC, 2011).
All of these factors can contribute to a happy life, but research has found that good relationships are a vital ingredient (Waldinger & Schulz, 2010).
When we are happy in our most important relationships (usually our spouse or significant other, our children and/or our parents, other close family members, and our closest friends), we tend to be happier.
We have some control over how our relationships go, so that leads 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 a resounding YES—you CAN learn how to be happier.
The degree to which you can increase your happiness will vary widely by which theory you subscribe to, but there are no credible theories that allow absolutely no room for individual improvement. To improve your overall happiness, the most effective method is to look at the list of sources above and work on enhancing the quality of your experiences in each one of them.
For example, you can work on getting a higher salary (although a higher salary will only work up to about $75,000 USD a year), improve your health, work on developing and maintaining high-quality relationships, and overall, find ways to incorporate more positive feelings into your daily life. This does assume basic access to safety as well as social equality.
A version of this article appeared on positivepsychology.com, posted on October 31, 2020.
EXPERD, Human Resources Consultant, Jakarta – Indonesia