John Stuart Mill Happiness

Happiness: a mental or emotional state of well-being defined defined by positive or pleasant emotions. It is a thing many humans search for, but seem to have trouble finding. Philosopher John Stuart Mill is correct when he believes that happiness should not be a direct goal; happiness should come naturally without having to search for it. For example, we as Americans believe that we are given the right to happiness as it is one of the three inalienable rights: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Our nation’s Declaration of Independence also says to pursue happiness to our heart’s content. Many people would agree that you can find happiness in many different places, but should you search for it? John Stuart Mill, an English philosopher,

Thomas Carlyle states “Happiness is our being’s end and aim’ is at bottom, if we will count well, not yet two centuries old in the world” (McMahon). Therefore, Carlyle agrees with most American citizens that people want to live a happy life until the day they die. Mill agrees with Carlyle in saying “I never, indeed, wavered in the conviction that happiness is the test of all rules of conduct, and the end of life” (Mill). Although Mill says it is everybody’s goal, he believes that searching for happiness could make the journey excruciatingly painful as you look far and wide for what makes you happy. Mill states “Ask yourself if you are happy, and you cease to be so” (Mill). Depression could also be caused by looking too hard for happiness and failing to find it, scaring you that nothing in this world can make you

Many authors have created books for self-help to reassure us that we can find happiness within those. “And yet, this January, like last year and next, the self-help industry will pour forth books, promising to make us happier than we are today” (McMahon). If self-help books are pouring out, then it is obvious they are not helping. It is normally natural instinct to find happiness by other people or things, but they will purposely attach to something thinking it will make them happy. McMahon stated “Sociologists like to point out that the percentage of those describing themselves as “happy” or “very happy” has remained virtually unchanged in Europe and the United States since such surveys were first conducted in the 1950’s” (McMahon), but this may not be such a good observation after all. If nothing has changed, that can be a problem. America wants citizens to do things that make them happy, and if the percentage of those happy has not changed in over 60 years, maybe that is not a good sign.
Furthermore, people may be thinking “This person has made me the kind of happy I want to be,” or “This object makes me so happy,” they may be tricking themselves into a false happiness. The self-help books may give tips on how to stay positive, but if so many of these books are being made, then they cannot possibly be making a large difference in your emotions. Happiness should be making you content and at