L9 | HAPPINESS

• HAPPINESS

  • emotional state characterized by feelings of joy, satisfaction, contentment, and fulfillment.
  • often described as involving positive emotions and life satisfaction.
• • Pleasure, comfort, gratitude, hope, and inspiration are examples of positive emotions that increase our happiness and move us to flourish.
• • HEDONIA
  • In scientific literature, happiness is referred to as this (Ryan & Deci, 2001)
  • the presence of positive emotions and the absence of negative emotions.
• WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE HAPPY?

  • state of mind, wherein one can still maintain his or her happiness even if he or she is experiencing difficulties in life
• WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE HAPPY?

  • can be an evaluation of one’s experiences in life. Here, being happy means having a satisfying life that goes well for the person living it.
• EUDAIMONIA

  • Ancient greeks 
  • refer to a person’s state of well-being or happiness
  • describes a life flourishing, a life in which a person is constantly striving for self-improvement, to be more virtuous, more wise, more thoughtful and self aware
• ANCIENT PHILOSOPHERS

  1. PLATO
  2. ARISTOTLE
  3. EPICURUS
  4. AUGUSTINE AND AQUINAS
• CONTEMPORARY PHILOSOPHERS

  1. WLADYSLAW TATARKIEWICZ
  2. RICHARD BRANDT
  3. WAYNE SUMMER
• PLATO

  • living a moral life, practicing virtues, fulfilling personal duties, and controlling one’s desires.
• EPICURUS

  • life of peace that is free from fear and discomfort.
• AUGUSTINE & AQUINAS

  • happiness as a union with God
• ARISTOTLE

  • primary reason for human action, and one becomes happy through the practice of virtues and accumulation of achievements.
• WLADYSLAW TATARKIEWICZ

  • satisfaction with one’s life as a whole.
• RICHARD BRANDT

  • traces a person’s happiness based on a total life pattern
  • person should not only be satisfied with the life he or she lived but must also feel constant joy and enthusiasm in life.
• WAYNE SUMMER

  • From a cognitive perspective:

  1. one must be able to look back at past experiences and have a positive evaluation of his or her condition and on the emotional or affective side
  2. Happiness is brought about by a sense of well-being in having lived a life that is enriching and rewarding.
• HOW CAN ONE LIVE A HAPPY LIFE? (PHILOSOPHERS)

  1. ARISTOTLE
  2. EPICUREANS
  3. ST. AUGUSTINE
  4. JEREMY BENTHAM
  5. IMMANUEL KANT
• ARISTOTLE

  • Person must plan his or her activities, and form a set of life goals to achieve a worthwhile life.
• EPICUREANS

  • one enjoys the simple pleasures of life and commits to a life full of virtue.
  • (epicurus followers)
• ST. AUGUSTINE

  • can be found in the afterlife when the spirit reunites with God
• JEREMY BENTHAM

  • Utilitarian philosopher
  • Achieved through wise decision-making.
• IMMANUEL KANT

  • achieving happiness is impossible because of the ever-changing nature of man’s desires.
  • Human action should not be defined by happiness but rather with goodwill. 
  • A person promotes goodwill if he or she fulfills his or her duties toward others.
• JANE MARCEZEWSKI

  • "You can’t wait until life isn’t hard any more before you decide to be happy"