How do you define Happiness ? A big question. For centuries people have been trying to define happiness. Most of us know it when we are feeling happy.. Let me run through some very interesting definitions of happiness.

Some serious and some funny. Here is a humorous definition of Happiness. As seen here, for some people happiness is just doing nothing.

But researchers and social scientists in the field of happiness do not see it this way. They have their own take on it.

One of the most accepted definition by social scientists is that Happiness is a combination of How satisfied you are with life PLUS How good you feel on a daily basis. A unique thing about happiness is that unlike other emotions no one has ever gone to a Doctor complaining of feeling too much of happiness.

Also, nobody can claim to be in a permanent state of happiness or permanent state of unhappiness. There are U-Turns, High Points and Low Points in life constantly.

Have a look at this ECG Chart of Happiness. There is a baseline of happiness. You will have ups and downs in your levels of happiness but you will always return to the baseline happiness after a short time.
Because happiness is so personal, it will be impossible to have one single definition. Philosophers, authors, scientists, politicians and military people etc have given their own definition of happiness. You will be surprised at the variety of definitions of happiness – though all of them make the same point. Let us now look at what they have to say.

As per Charles Schulz, who created the Peanuts comic strips, having a loving pet is Happiness.

As per author Dan Marquis, happiness is an interval between periods of unhappiness. Many may agree with this definition too.

Now, as per this Baba in the picture who has escaped from the caves, happiness is not meditating in the Himalayas. Happiness is being able to get a good mobile signal. Well, Who are we to judge ?

As per famous psychologist Dr Sonja Lyubomirsky Happiness is when your positive emotions are more than your negative emotions. She Is One Of The Top social scientist On Happiness Due To Her Decades Of Experiments.

Regardless of where you are on a scale of happiness, 1 out of 10 or 10 out 0f 10, each person has their own way of defining happiness.

Let me now share what I consider as one of the BEST definitions of Happiness. This is from none other than Mahatma Gandhi.

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are in harmony.” Fantastic. It will be very hard to improve upon this one.
The final take away from this video is that don’t bother too much about the definition of happiness. More important is to live a life with thoughts and actions which will give you happiness. I have created many videos on how to be happy. Just go and watch them and become happy.

Let me leave you with a happiness quotation. May you be ridiculously happy or if you prefer happily ridiculous.

That’s all for now. Till we meet again.