Here is the age old question ? What is happiness ! The whole world is in search of happiness – almost all the time. Hence, it is natural that they demand an answer to this big question. This Video will give you some very very interesting insights on what is happiness.
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. This is a pretty good definition.
But there is one more way to understand happiness. And that is to know what happiness is NOT. We sometimes confuse fun and pleasure with happiness. So, Let us look further at what Happiness is and what it is NOT.
Here is a chart of data based on research by social scientists. The so called “Honeymoon Period” of marriage will last just for two years. Then you are back to pre-marriage level of happiness. A Mercedes car will give you two months and a Mobile one week of happiness. At the end we always come back to the normal baseline level of happiness.
A natural question would be then what’s the difference between happiness and fun. For most people it is the same thing. Wrong.
Fun and pleasures are like pills of happiness. They provide “temporary” relief till the effect of pill last. It is good to have fun but let us not confuse that with happiness.
Suppose there is a person who gets drunk every day. Can he be called a “happy” person ? What happens when the hangover is over. Happiness is a deeper inside stuff that lasts long and even AFTER the thrill of the fun is over.
Here are some myths which tell us what happiness is NOT. You can not be happy all the time. Money ALONE can not buy happiness although it is a great support. Happiness is a journey. It has no finish line. Also, it is now well established that if your inside and soul is not at peace, no amount of external fun and things can make you happy.