What is Happiness?

[siuyuin]

What is Happiness? This is an all-encompassing topic. One could
address this topic from multitudes of angles; philosophical,
sociological, psychological, emotional, metaphysical, personal, etc.
It is also a topic that is very much open to interpretation, life
circumstances, and could be discussed on many different levels.

On my bookshelf, I have a book with the word “happiness” in the
title. The book is "The Loss of Happiness in Market Democracies" by
Robert E. Lane <http://yalepress.yale.edu/yupbooks/book.asp?
isbn=9780300091069>. I purchased this book about ten years ago as I
was then grappling with the idea that economic advancement had not
meant increased happiness in people. In fact, the whole process of
industrialisation, the advent of consumerism, overall better standard
of living, and material wealth, did not always equate to increased
individual well-being and happiness.

At about the same time then, I was also reading Richard Sennett’s "The
Corrosion of Character: The Personal Consequences of Work in the New
Capitalism" <http://www.nytimes.com/books/98/12/20/reviews/
981220.20erenhat.html>. This book discusses how the New Economy can
erode the individual’s sense of purpose, integrity, and trust. A
seminal work related to this topic is Robert D. Putnam’s book "Bowling
Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community". <http://
www.bowlingalone.com/> Putnam’s thesis is that declining social
capital and civic engagement in the capitalistic society with its
technology and media trappings undermine the democratic institutions
key to America’s pluralistic society.

What does this all mean for the individual in the pursuit of
happiness? I certainly had better educational opportunities and
living conditions than my grandparents and my parents did. But I do
not think that I am happier than the generations before me. Does
contemporary society festered with career rat races, with companies
and countries always seeking competitive advantage, shortchange
individuals of their right to lead happy lives? Perhaps the Bhutan
ruler, former King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, was far more enlightened
with the development of the Gross National Happiness Index as a
measurement for social and economic progress.

-siu yuin

[siuyuin]

For those interested, you can find out more about the Gross National
Happiness Index at <http://www.grossnationalhappiness.com/>

-siu yuin

[Santhosh]

Hi Siu, its a good start with your view about Happiness, I can
understand that you have mastered your reading, especially the books
you had mentioned with the link seems to be good, I think that I can
lend those books from you. :)

Actually the links seems to be broken, so let me post the links again.

The Loss of Happiness in Market Democracies

http://yalepress.yale.edu/yupbooks/book.asp?isbn=9780300091069
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Corrosion of Character
http://www.nytimes.com/books/98/12/20/reviews/981220.20erenhat.htm
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community

http://www.bowlingalone.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On Oct 4, 11:10 am, siuyuin <sypa...@e.ntu.edu.sg> wrote:
> What is Happiness?  This is an all-encompassing topic.  One could
> address this topic from multitudes of angles; philosophical,
> sociological, psychological, emotional, metaphysical, personal, etc.
> It is also a topic that is very much open to interpretation, life
> circumstances, and could be discussed on many different levels.
>
> On my bookshelf, I have a book with the word “happiness” in the
> title.  The book is "The Loss of Happiness in Market Democracies" by
> Robert E. Lane <http://yalepress.yale.edu/yupbooks/book.asp?
> isbn=9780300091069>.   I purchased this book about ten years ago as I
> was then grappling with the idea that economic advancement had not
> meant increased happiness in people.  In fact, the whole process of
> industrialisation, the advent of consumerism, overall better standard
> of living, and material wealth, did not always equate to increased
> individual well-being and happiness.
>
> At about the same time then, I was also reading Richard Sennett’s "The
> Corrosion of Character: The Personal Consequences of Work in the New
> Capitalism" <http://www.nytimes.com/books/98/12/20/reviews/
> 981220.20erenhat.html>.  This book discusses how the New Economy can
> erode the individual’s sense of purpose, integrity, and trust.  A
> seminal work related to this topic is Robert D. Putnam’s book "Bowling

> Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community".  <http://www.bowlingalone.com/>  Putnam’s thesis is that declining social

[Santhosh]

Actually I don’t feel happy at this moment and hence I believe that
it’s the perfect time to share my view about happiness, because we
would know the value of something only when we miss it …

Happiness …..
Is it just a word? If not …
Is it just a Visual Expression ? if yes
then we may be wrong, I believe that everyone would have faced people
who carry a fake smile in their face….

Again, if it’s just an expression then can we feel a person’s
happiness just from his smile? Not exactly… We know that there may be
incident which make as happy even when we have tears in our eyes….

Well let me give an incident which we might have faced already or we
might be facing in future….
Guys think of the moment when your partner is in maternal ward.
What expression do you carry in your face? Logically we can seen the
pain of your partner in your face, obviously you would not be happy …
it’s a kind of transitive stage … a stage where we can see the bond
between sadness and happiness … you would feel sad for you partners
pain and happily waiting to see you junior…
The entire scene changes once you junior sees his world… the whole
places seems to be a heaven filled with happiness… it’s not just you
the whole family feels happy…

Anyways the scenario above may not perfectly suit me as I am not
married yet…
Yet let me share something from my life …

What makes me happy? And how do I define happiness?

I sensed the whole happiness in my life once I went to an orphanage
along with my friends. I had an opportunity to serve young children,
who were not my blood relation, but I saw everyone as my brother or
sister and I really felt bad when I saw that they miss everything that
I took for granted, especially parental care. In spite of this, those
kids seemed to be happy with our visit. I visually saw their happiness
and could sense it from my heart….
It doesn’t end there, I also felt happier because of those young kids
smile and my heart told that I did something good that day…..

It’s just a single incident which happened in my life but then again,
in my journey through life thus far, I have sensed happiness by most
of the things and the people around me…

Now let me conclude this post…
I know that I cannot define happiness …. And if I try to do so, then I
can never publish my post in this discussion ….
I firmly believe that our own happiness reside with others smile and
we can feel this sense of happiness in our heart when we do something
that makes others happy.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Venkataraman -> DaRk HoRsE]

Hi friends my perception of happiness is entirely different. According
to me Happiness is entirely related to Human Brain. The sight of
something which we like or the fragrance which we smell all these can
be linked to our Happiness, which means they are all linked to our
Human Brain.

As any psychologist though me not being one, Human Brain is a
combination of Chemicals in perfect balance. What is Happiness then,
according to me anything which causes a sudden imbalance in the
positive direction is called happiness.

There was an experiment conducted using a Rat to prove the electrical
stimulation can also be used to create happiness. (Link:
http://www.wireheading.com/hypermotivation.html ). Does this mean
everyone gets happy about same thing, no this is not possible because
everyone's Brain is by itself different and has different Chemical
Composition.

And the other factor also plays its role TIME. Just like the old
saying goes 'Time has the Power to Change Anything', Time has the
power to change the causes of our happiness too. Something we like
today may become something which we hate the most tomorrow. May be
this is the reason why they say 'Chemistry is an important component
in Love'.

To end my view rather to give this discussion a new dimension I would
like to end by saying that. Happiness when given continuously can make
a person to live without food too. Give it a thought 'Spread Smiles &
Spread Happiness'

With Regards
Venkat

[Karthik Eswaran]

I would have to agree with Venkat's view that Happiness is connected to the physical brain.

I have personally experienced this when me and my friends hang out and eventually end up having a few drinks :-)

We always had a good time and if someone was feeling a bit down that day, it will be all fixed right after our "party".

Some people drink to forget their sorrows, now what does that actually mean? If you define the state of being happy as the absence of sorrow within a person, then I am obliged to say that the happiest ppl are those in an inebriated state.

Ask yourself this question, have u ever met a drunk who was unhappy? Even if he/she was unhappy, do u think they wud remember any of that the next day?

Brain chemistry is a weird and complex field of medical science and the impact of different hormones or other stuff on our set of emotions is still a mystery. So it might eventually turn out that "Happiness" is merely an interesting mix of different stuff in our heads.

The search for Happiness could literally end inside of you.

Thanks,
Karthik

[Kevin Lai]

In many literature happiness is linked to the association of pleasure with an experience rather than just the experience of pleasure. 

http://coachingtohappiness.com/happiness-book/chemistry-of-happiness.html

http://coachingtohappiness.com/happiness-book/pleasure-addiction.html

Brain chemistry can be modified in many ways which we are very familiar with both legal and illegal. 

While it would be tempting to say that happiness can be generated by pressing a button to shock our brain the concept of pleasure and happiness is a very different one. In fact the human brain could easily overwhelmed with pleasure. Which is one of the recurring point of happiness - a little amount of something gives pleasure - non scarcity all the better - but any more in abundance don't make a difference and in fact it establishes as a norm and you no longer feel special and hence no longer happy about it. On the contrary such habits and sometimes life destructive habits do result in massive depression and emptiness (our brain just wants to maintain that euphoria and our brains does have a finite capacity on stimulation) 

http://www.cerebromente.org.br/n08/editorial08-recompensa_i.htm

http://www.treatment-centers.net/articles/happiness-versus-pleasure.html

Lets not even bring in the social impact but just on the topic of happiness. 

Does empty pleasure really give you happiness in the long run?

If I dare take it a step forward - perhaps consider that the brain chemistry is only but a reward mechanism. Without the correct brain chemistry you may not be able to experience happiness.

But merely manipulating brain chemistry (overloading with rewards) you will not gain happiness either. Ah humans were never really simple organisms to begin with. So lets ponder on that :) 

On Tue, Oct 12, 2010 at 12:40 AM, Venkataraman -> DaRk HoRsE <venkatar...@gmail.com> wrote:

[tt]

Education For Sustainable Development : Linking Learning & Happiness
A Mind Map For Happiness Linking to Learning

http://www2.unescobkk.org/elib/publications/146_147/ESD_Hapiness%202007_web.pdf

[Lazy Boy]

"Happiness" is does not equate "contentment".

In a very simplistic way of looking at things, there is no "happiness"
if there is no "sadness". Happiness and sadness are definitions which
are given where we fluctuate from the state of normacy towards an
upbeat feeling or a downbeat feeling.

What makes a person feel "happiness" or "sadness", or any other
emotions, can thus be deemed as a movement from the current state of
rest of a person's emotional status.

As for Bhutan, I think the "Gross National Happiness" index should be
redefined as the "Gross National Contentment" index.

There's a lot of room to have views on whether "Happiness" and
"Contentment" are one and the same, but I do think they are somewhat
different.

On Oct 4, 11:10 am, siuyuin <sypa...@e.ntu.edu.sg> wrote:

> What is Happiness?  This is an all-encompassing topic.  One could
> address this topic from multitudes of angles; philosophical,
> sociological, psychological, emotional, metaphysical, personal, etc.
> It is also a topic that is very much open to interpretation, life
> circumstances, and could be discussed on many different levels.
>
> On my bookshelf, I have a book with the word “happiness” in the
> title.  The book is "The Loss of Happiness in Market Democracies" by
> Robert E. Lane <http://yalepress.yale.edu/yupbooks/book.asp?
> isbn=9780300091069>.   I purchased this book about ten years ago as I
> was then grappling with the idea that economic advancement had not
> meant increased happiness in people.  In fact, the whole process of
> industrialisation, the advent of consumerism, overall better standard
> of living, and material wealth, did not always equate to increased
> individual well-being and happiness.
>
> At about the same time then, I was also reading Richard Sennett’s "The
> Corrosion of Character: The Personal Consequences of Work in the New
> Capitalism" <http://www.nytimes.com/books/98/12/20/reviews/
> 981220.20erenhat.html>.  This book discusses how the New Economy can
> erode the individual’s sense of purpose, integrity, and trust.  A
> seminal work related to this topic is Robert D. Putnam’s book "Bowling

> Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community".  <http://www.bowlingalone.com/>  Putnam’s thesis is that declining social

[Kevin Lai]

Which brings up a point - Happiness is dependant on the person ? 

True that happiness does not equate contentment. 

Is the reverse true ? 

Perhaps to some extend. 

After all contentment plays a pivotal role in the ability happiness. 

Questions comes in that how does one feel happy when he/she's always empty inside? 

The above and below simplifies one thing - that all these are complex issues. 

Hence we cannot define in equations that one equates to another :-) 

While we can't do that, we can acknowledge what relates to. 

Cheers. 

[Santhosh Raghavan]

As many of our friends have said,happiness is a state of mind. It can
be characterized by a feeling of achievement,contentment,love,pleasure
or joy. While many can argue that happiness can be linked with the
country you live or the money you earn,I too agree but only to an
extent. An example would be that it does not mean you will be very
happy if you lived in a country which has a very good happiness index.
One of our friends mentioned that happiness index increases until a
salary of say $70000 but it decreases when i goes beyond that. Its
implied meaning is that as you go up in hierarchy(so does your salary
increase) ,your work life balance shifts towards work and you spend
more time for your organization thereby spending less time for
yourself. Thus your happiness index decreases. This is one of the
examples to restate that happiness is just a state of mind.
One of the other arguments is like you tend to be happy if you drink
etc. But just think deep about that,you lose consciousness about your
surroundings when you drink and thereby it helps you forget your
present state for a while and thus gives you a mental state of
happiness...

Regards,
Santhosh Raghavan.

On Oct 19, 11:14 pm, Kevin Lai <kevla...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Which brings up a point - Happiness is dependant on the person ?
>
> True that happiness does not equate contentment.
>
> Is the reverse true ?
> Perhaps to some extend.
> After all contentment plays a pivotal role in the ability happiness.
> Questions comes in that how does one feel happy when he/she's always empty
> inside?
>
> The above and below simplifies one thing - that all these are complex
> issues.
> Hence we cannot define in equations that one equates to another :-)
> While we can't do that, we can acknowledge what relates to.
>
> Cheers.
>