This article (below) discusses happiness as a direction, and the elements of that state of mind. And, yes, there’s a science of happiness. And a “happiness pension plan.”
Yet, in such direction, recall our mantra:
What’s the good news about habits? They’re hard to break.
What’s the bad news about habits? They’re hard to break.
There’s also a question of social engineering. Can “villains” (and their minions) be happy? – Tick off Brooks’ elements of happiness. Might autocrats exploit Brooks’ formula?
No yellow-brick-road, eh.
• Big Think > “There is a formula for happiness — but it’s highly misunderstood” by Arthur C. Brooks [note his Wiki bibliography] (7′ video with transcript) – “Happiness is NOT about feelings.”
In this interview, Brooks shares three primary elements of well-being, and explains how each one – enjoyment, satisfaction, and meaning – contributes to your own happiness factor.
Enjoyment … involves more than mere pleasure – it’s about shared experiences and lasting memories.
Satisfaction arises from overcoming challenges
Meaning comes from understanding life’s:
coherence
significance
purposeBrooks further breaks down the pursuits that genuinely contribute to happiness:
faith [broadly speaking, “to stand in awe of something bigger than you”]
family [core relationships]
friendship [“certainly more than (just) your spouse”]
meaningful workHe stresses that happiness is not a final destination but a continuous direction.
Key points
- happiness < > feelings of happiness
- emotion = information (negative / positive) about the outside world
- enjoyment = pleasure + people + memory
- satisfaction = the joy derived from struggle for something (without any cheats)
- coherence = answering why things happen the way they do
- significance = answering how one’s life matters
- purpose = answering what direction and goals guide one’s life
- pursuing happiness < > accumulating money, power, pleasure, and fame
- meaningful work = earned success (merit) and service to others