Thomas Szasz states in his writing that “ happiness is an imaginary condition, formerly often attributed to the living to the dead, now attributed by adults to children and children to adults.” I do not agree that happiness is an imaginary state of mind. Happiness is scientifically proven to infact be a real and natural feeling produced by the body, but it is up to your brain to make you feel. When you are in a pleasing situation, your brain responds to the pleasing stimuli and releases endorphins that spread through your body making you feel good. We just call this feeling happiness. In America today we associate happiness with the bigger picture such as how successful you are or how many friends you have. In reality happiness is nothing
Adults believe children are happy and likewise from children to adults. Adults think they are not happy so they can not actually make themselves happy. For this reason, they blame the youth, saying that children are happy because they are so innocent or naive while they are not. In most cases they think of how much fun they had as a kid and how happy they were in their youth and they compare this happiness to their current state of mind. If they wouldn’t compare then they wouldn’t feel this way. The same idea also applies to children where they believe they are unhappy due to school and other responsibilities that come with being a child. Children then think that they would be happier as an adult with more freedom and less responsibilities, even though this is not the case. Most people no matter their age think they are unhappy, but this does not mean that they are. People no matter how unhappy they believe they are, are happy and always have the ability to achieve a happy state of mind if they allow themselves to. No matter the state of mind, everyone has the ability to be happy if they allow themselves the opportunity. As expressed throughout this passage, I do not agree with Thomas Szasz’s idea that “ Happiness is and imaginary condition,” as facts in science indicate happiness is a real and natural feeling every human will experience. If one allows themselves and their
What makes one person happy may not be enough to make someone else happy; everyone has different standards. For example a few extra dollars may mean rent for one person whereas a few extra dollars may not even make a difference to another person. There is no true definition on happiness. Mueller wrote “ happy ones who never raised their voice” which
Happiness is the positive emotion and contentment one feels naturally. Many Psychology studies have been concluded to display what pure happiness is. In the article, “In Pursuit of Unhappiness” by Darrin M. McMahon, he indicates that happiness cannot be forced. In the article, McMahon mentions a philosopher, John Stuart Mill, who acknowledges as well, that happiness can not be forced. He says that if one focuses on something other than their own happiness, happiness will come to them naturally. By what Mill says, people should be encouraged that happiness will come to them and can not force happiness to them. Another example is Jeffrey Kluger’s article, “The Happiness of Pursuit”, he talks about how people focus on never being happy. He says,
Therefore, happiness is “what provokes us, incites us, need not come from our own time. Indeed, our own time may be and probably is so d
In Martin Seligman and other’s article “A Balanced Psychology and a Full Life,” he states that the definition of happiness, “Is a condition over and above the absence of unhappiness” (Seligman et al 1379).
He seems to imply that happiness is simply a relative state, which is entered by seeing one of the more positive aspects of a situation. Overall, Gilbert argues a strong case for happiness comes from our interpretations of our experiences. However, happiness also takes into account a wide range of other aspects of our lives, including our thoughts and actions, and even genetics. Therefore, happiness should be defined as the amalgamation of how we think and act, and how we interpret our experiences as positive or negative. What this means is that in order to become happier, we must simply force ourselves to become more optimistic.
Before we look into specifics, we’ll examine the history and development of “happiness” as a philosophy. Of course, the emotion of happiness has always existed, but it began to be seriously contemplated around 2,500 years ago by philosophers like Confucius, Buddha, Socrates and Aristotle. Shortly after Buddha taught his followers his Noble Eight Fold Path (which we will talk about later), Aristotle was teaching that happiness is “dependent on the individual” (Aristotle).
The article discusses happiness and a few of the many complications associated with happiness. The article is named “Nation The Happiness of Pursuit.” The authors Kluger, Aciman, and Steinmetz wrote this article for “Time Magazine”. It discusses happiness in many ways, including details about what happiness is from a neurological and physical standpoint. The article begins by examining how Americans were happy in the past and
...t is better to categorize happiness as a state of mind because happiness has no particular way to measure it, you are either happy or you are not. It is success that makes a person happy, their contentment with what they produced themselves. We are in control of our own fate and happiness; you can only be as successful as you allow yourself to be.
But in this debate, one question still raises its head - What is happiness? Happiness is not actually leading a luxurious life, but the luxury of living a life. Happiness is not actually about expanding your business, but it lies in expanding the horizons of life. Happiness is not having a meal in the most famous restaurant, but having it with your most beloved family. It does not lie in attending honorable parties, but to attend a party with honor.
According to Webster dictionary the word Happiness in defined as Enjoying, showing, or marked by pleasure, satisfaction, or joy. People when they think of happiness, they think about having to good feeling inside. There are many types of happiness, which are expressed in many ways. Happiness is something that you can't just get it comes form your soul. Happiness is can be changed through many things that happen in our every day live.
To begin with, anyone can be happy, it all depends on the type of person they are. There are of course they myths of happiness, predictors of happiness, and life satisfaction. Majority people believe myths that there are unhappy times during one’s lifetime, the stress-filled teen years “midlife crisis and then the years of old age” (Myers and Diener 12). In reality, people of all ages unveil that no specific time in their life were they happier or unhappier than others.
Real happiness is more than brief positive feelings but rather a lasting state of peace or contentedness. According to Reich, a former professor of psychology at Arizona State University, happiness is “deeper than a momentary good mood” (Reich). When ordinary happiness is experienced, Jacobsen, a professor in the Department
Happiness is an inner state of well-being and fulfilment, and therefore it has to come from inside. Every individual has his or her own emotions and way of thinking and as a result of this no one can really say what happiness is and what happiness is not. However, universally, happiness is a by-product of a healthy attitude and viewpoint. Happiness exists in everyone whether they choose to acknowledge and believe it or not. It is not rare nor is it something only the elite have: everyone has it but not everyone recognizes it. Contentment is finding a light at the end of every dark tunnel and in order to experience this we must ignore the pessimism surrounding us and remind ourselves that happiness is not a materialistic object but a choice and frame of mind.
Happiness is a feeling that cannot be broken if strong enough, no matter how much sadness or hate is around you. Happiness can come from the smallest thing, for instance, music makes me happy and can easily change my mood, or when I am doing something I love my mood is easily changed. For others it could be whenever you do something well, or right and get recognition for it. It is the easiest feeling to be spread and given out but often neglected and forgotten about which is something we should all be more aware
Happiness is a state of mind. The dictionary definition is "feelings of joy and pleasure mingled together”. A feeling of happiness is more than just an experience of joy or pleasure. It is a state of mind where the individual feels that “life is good”. As Aristotle says, “happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.” I believe that everyone wants to be happy in life. One is abnormal if he prefers to be sad and alone.