How Does John Stuart Mill Define Happiness

756 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The pursuit of happiness critical supports

People desire to be happy with what they have done in life. Some seem to focus mainly on trying to be happy. Going about this way, people are truly not making themselves happy. True happiness comes when people do not objectify happiness, but rather enjoy the journey. Happiness is not a goal but is a reward. John Stuart Mill makes perfect sense when he says happiness transpires when happiness is not sought after. Happiness can only achievable when one is selfless, aim for goals besides happiness, and not aim for immediate satisfaction. John Stuart Mill stated, “Those only are happy (I thought) who have their minds fixed on some object other than their own happiness; on the happiness of others, on the improvement of mankind, even on some art or pursuit, followed not as a means, but as itself an ideal end. Aiming thus at something else, they find happiness by the way.” This quote indicates that in order to be happy, one must …show more content…

John Stuart Mill declares that “The enjoyments of life (such was now my theory) are sufficient to make it a pleasant thing, when they are taken en passant, without being made a principal object. Once make them so, and they are immediately felt to be insufficient.” He is stating that once items that bring happiness are not prioritized, they cease to bring any joy. Immediate satisfaction is only for a brief moment. True happiness is the kind of happiness that one has worked for to gain the bliss. For example, buying toys or trinkets are rewarding because a person desires it. However, once that rewarding experience is nonexistent, toys and trinkets fail to bring happiness. People may argue that toys and trinkets do bring happiness, but that is true only for a short time. These materials only satisfy people for only a brief moment because they begin to form new interests and forget about it. Therefore, enjoyments of life are pleasing, but they’re insufficient and not true

Show More
Related

  • Analysis of The Hapiness Conspiracy and Fahrenheit 451

    743 Words  | 2 Pages

    Happiness is a reprise from the many trials and turmoil of life, and so it is natural that we should actively seek it. Ironically though, in our naïve belief that we can somehow augment the amount of happiness in our world, we are actually making our world more depressing to live in. Both John F. Schumaker, in The Happiness Conspiracy, and Ray Bradbury, in Fahrenheit 451, argue that our myopic pursuit of happiness is actually counterproductive. The two authors attempt to persuade the reader that happiness is, and should be, an almost-serendipitous byproduct of a truly fulfilling life, and therefore should not be an explicit objective.

    Read More

  • Knowledge versus Ignorance in Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451

    538 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the world, people are wired to hunt for happiness, but what they are really deeming for is satisfaction. Happiness and satisfaction are similar, but not the completely the same. Satisfaction is the content feeling you get after a big meal or taking a long nap on a Sunday afternoon, while happiness is a chosen factor that can only be achieved through willpower. Many try and search the external world for the happiness that lies within. Clarisse asks Montag if he is happy, and when he realizes he is not, he turns to knowledge to find it (Bradbury 10).

    Read More

  • Pursuit Of Happiness In Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

    681 Words  | 2 Pages

    Happiness can come in many different ways for people. For me, my Pursuit of Happiness is doing what you love and living your life to your expectations. Over this unit of American Literature we have studied The Great Gatsby the characters looked to others for their happiness. In Of Mice and Men The characters did what made others happy instead of themselves and also looked to simple things for happiness. Although in Ain't I a Woman Sojourner Truth did what made her happy even if everyone was against her. If you are doing

    Read More

  • John Stuart Mills's 'A Crisis In My Mental History: One Stage Onward'

    386 Words  | 1 Pages

    John Stuart Mills, in chapter five of his autobiography, “A Crisis in My Mental History: One Stage Onward,” (1909-1914) argues that happiness doesn't come from thinking negative it comes from thinking positive and happy. He supports his claim by first explaining that those only are happy who have their minds fixed on some object other than their own happiness then he uses the happiness of others, then on the improvement of mankind, and finally he explains that people find happiness by doing what they enjoy to do. Mills purpose is to try to get the people to see that doing stuff for others can also make you happy. In order to accomplish this he wrote this article. He creates a informative tone for the Harvard students.

    Read More

  • John Stuart Mill: Exploring 19th Century Utilitarianism

    1388 Words  | 3 Pages

    First, Mill establishes the foundation of his theory by addressing how we should seek happiness in our lives. He says, “The happiness which forms the utilitarian standard of what is right in conduct is not the agent’s

    Read More

  • What Is Happiness In John Stuart Mill's In Pursuit Of Unhappiness

    853 Words  | 2 Pages

    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,

    Read More

  • Dalai Lama Analysis

    1160 Words  | 3 Pages

    Happiness has always been a desirable goal throughout our lives, but each actions we take might just affect the happiness of others. When humans seek happiness, we always seek for things that make us feel alive, or things that brings us the greatest comfort. Our contentment comes with the act of selfishness since we choose to prioritize our happiness above all other. We willingly classify happiness in two different types of meaning, both physical and mental happiness. People ought not be in title to happiness because it is classified in general as a physical desire by many people. Contentment is always known to be a physical satisfaction in life instead of a self-inducing satisfaction for life.

    Read More

  • John Stuart Mill's 'The Pursuit Of Unhappiness'

    708 Words  | 2 Pages

    Have you ever wondered what makes you happy? Well one person has and his name is John Start Mill. Mill, he believed he knew how a person could be happy. He believed one way to be happy was through not focusing on one’s own happiness. Mill believed the only people who are happy are the ones who focus on others before themselves. Mill also explained that people who focus on enjoyments of life will soon find them insufficient. Mill’s idea allowed people to question what truly brings happiness to their lives and that is because he believed he knew why people are happy. John Stuart Mill’s argument about his formula to being happy is correct, because pastors follow by the same principals of putting others before themselves, I have experienced it myself when I saw the outcome after helping my siblings with every-day responsibilities, and it can better a person by showing them how happiness can be found in helping others rather than only helping themselves.

    Read More

  • John Stuart Mill: The Paradox Of Happiness

    653 Words  | 2 Pages

    John Stuart Mill writes in a publication in the 1800s about the subject of happiness. John is a philosopher who is trying to say in this quote that happiness is a byproduct of what we strive to achieve in our lives everyday, whether that be doing what’s right in our mind or just having fun partaking in one of our hobbies. Many have pondered this question and have come up with varying conclusions. Some believe that a state of happiness is a choice, when it in fact it is more complex than that. In order to achieve happiness however, we must be indirect about it as happiness cannot be a conscious feeling, and in order to achieve it in the first place, we need to pursue things other than our own happiness to become happy. (Brink 89)

    Read More

  • A Comparison of John Stuart Mill and Immanuel Kant's Ethical Theories

    3195 Words  | 7 Pages

    Mill made a distinction between happiness and sheer sensual pleasure. He defines happiness in terms of higher order pleasure (i.e. social enjoyments, intellectual). In his Utilitarianism (1861), Mill described this principle as follows:According to the Greatest Happiness Principle … The ultimate end, end, with reference to and for the sake of which all other things are desirable (whether we are considering our own good or that of other people), is an existence exempt as far as possible from pain, and as rich as possible enjoyments.Therefore, based on this statement, three ideas may be identified: (1) The goodness of an act may be determined by the consequences of that act. (2) Consequences are determined by the amount of happiness or unhappiness caused. (3) A "good" man is one who considers the other man's pleasure (or pain) as equally as his own.

    Read More

  • John Stuart Mill's 'A Crisis In My Mental History: One Stage Onward'

    848 Words  | 2 Pages

    In John Stuart Mill’s autobiography A Crisis in My Mental History: One Stage Onward, Mill opines that when a person sets happiness as an expectation or life goal, he or she is normally left discontent and unsatisfied. He argues that the easiest way to feel happy is to not focus on trying to be happy. Furthermore, Mill states that there are plenty of things in life that can lead to our enjoyment and make us blissful if only our goal is not to find happiness from them. He closes by stating that this is a great life philosophy for anyone who is sensible. John Stuart Mill is correct because trying to find happiness leads to discontent but bliss comes to a person when they are not focused on finding happiness.

    Read More

  • Kant's Desire To Be Good And Just Being Good

    711 Words  | 2 Pages

    At least, not to actively try to acquire happiness as an end goal, but rather to let the good will bring happiness as a byproduct. “On the other hand, it is a duty to maintain one’s life; and, in addition, everyone has also a direct inclination to do so.” This quote from Kant touches the idea that while it is important to be morally dutiful to others, it is also important to focus on bringing happiness to yourself. Here, I agree with almost everything on this point. I definitely agree that acquiring happiness for yourself is important. The only thing I disagree with Kant on is that I believe that it is possible to actively find personal

    Read More

  • Comparing Happiness through Social Media

    912 Words  | 2 Pages

    People concentrate on where they stand compared to other people to determine their happiness. What they do not realize is that they are seeing other people’s highlight moments but they don't see the struggle they went through. People who are successful and happy didn't just wake up one day and achieve their goals. For example, someone who has an expensive sports car went through a great deal of hard work to acquire that car. They overcame a protracted and tedious journey to be where they are. Yet, people are still unhappy with the way their lives are. They do not realize that the work you put into the whole process is what makes you appreciate your goal when you achieve it. These comparisons blind us to the actual process of reaching our goals.

    Read More

  • Reflections on Hedonism

    616 Words  | 2 Pages

    I agree with Mill’s hedonistic view of happiness. Mill believes that pleasure is a fundamental value because it promotes happiness, and diminishes the feelings of pain and unhappiness. The objections to hedonism are invalid because it is always better to be intelligent and consciously aware of everything in one's life, as opposed to being content and selfish, mimicking the lifestyle of a pig whose pleasures have all been satisfied.

    Read More

  • The Key to Success Is Being Happy

    962 Words  | 2 Pages

    In “Happiness and Success”, Laura Huckabee-Jennings explains how achieving success and materialistic possessions have nothing to do with happiness. People may be able to accomplish a goal and be successful, they become happy, but that is not happiness. The moment when people become happy about the goal they just overcame, they will be feeling temporary happiness, therefore they won’t be happy for long. People will begin to look for more goals to overcome in order to feel the euphoria. Happiness is an ongoing state of mind according to Huckabee-Jennings, one creates the state of mind and anyone can create happiness in any kind of situation good or bad. Achievements and success will only be an addiction for over-achievers and they’ll continue to look for goals in order to feel happy. Until people make achievements part of their core-values, happiness will be built into peoples achievements.Anyone who naturally attracts people can attract success because of their happiness.

    Read More

More about How Does John Stuart Mill Define Happiness

Open Document