Happiness

Happiness is a complex and multifaceted mental state. It includes a wide range of positive feelings. These can range from calm contentment to intense joy.

It is often linked to positive life experiences. These include achieving goals or spending time with loved ones. However, happiness can also arise spontaneously. It can happen without any apparent external cause. Happiness is closely tied to overall well-being and life satisfaction. People with higher happiness levels often have better physical and mental health. They also tend to have stronger social relationships and greater resilience.

Scientists study happiness using different frameworks. One way is through affect, which is the current experience of an emotion. This includes feelings like pleasure or joy in the present moment. Daniel Kahneman defines happiness as "what I experience here and now." Another way is through the appraisal of life satisfaction. This looks at the quality of one's life as a whole. Ruut Veenhoven defines happiness as an overall appreciation of one's life. Some researchers use the term subjective well-being, or SWB. This term includes both current emotions and general life satisfaction. Sonja Lyubomirsky describes it as joy combined with a sense that life is meaningful.

There are different philosophical ways to view a good life. One concept is eudaimonia. This is a Greek term translated as flourishing or blessedness. Xavier Landes suggests that happiness should include mood and eudaimonia. There is also a distinction between joy and happiness. Professor Michela Summa notes that joy accompanies a process through and through. In contrast, happiness may be tied to the achievement of a process. Joy is a direct emotional response to the present moment. Happiness often requires an evaluative stance toward one's life.

Measuring happiness has a long history. In 1780, Jeremy Bentham proposed that happiness was the primary goal of humans. He suggested measuring it to judge government performance. Today, researchers mostly use self-report surveys. These are prone to errors like the peak-end rule. This rule suggests people judge experiences based on peaks and endings. Affective forecasting research shows people are poor predictors of future emotions. Many scales exist to study this. The Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS) measures global happiness. The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) assesses personality traits and emotions. The Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) is a cognitive assessment of life satisfaction.

The World Happiness Report has been published since 2012. It uses methods like the Cantril ladder. Respondents rate their lives on a scale from 0 to 10. This report helps identify countries with the highest happiness levels. Interestingly, different regions show different patterns. Nordic countries often score highest on subjective well-being surveys. South American countries often score higher on affect-based surveys. In 2018, nine of the top ten countries for positive experience were South American. These scores ranged from 43 to 85.

Researchers also investigate the role of genetics. Sonja Lyubomirsky estimated that 50 percent of happiness is genetically determined. She suggested 10 percent comes from life circumstances. The remaining 40 percent is subject to self-control. Other studies show different results for heritability. One review found heritability between 20 and 50 percent. Some studies found it as low as 12 to 18 percent. A 2016 study by Michael Minkov and Michael Harris Bond found that the SLC6A4 gene was not a good predictor. Scientists also look at brain structure. A positive relationship exists between gray matter in the right precuneus and happiness scores.

Many factors contribute to achieving a happy life. Strong interpersonal relationships are a major factor. Robert J. Waldinger found that the happiest people reported strong relationships. Adequate sleep also contributes to well-being. Some theories focus on the eudaimonic tradition. This involves living in a deeply satisfying and meaningful way. Viktor Frankl observed this during World War II. He saw that people who held to meaning and purpose tended to live on. Happiness is not just about seeking pleasure. It is also about finding purpose and connection to the world.