Over the past two decades, the positive psychology movement has shed light on many issues in psychology such as happiness, human potential for growth.
This movement argues that psychologists should not only study mental disorders but also understand what makes life worth living. The father of positive psychology, Martin Seligman, describes happiness as frequent positive experiences, such as joy, euphoria, and contentment, mixed with feelings of meaning and purpose.
Happiness experts say that happiness is not a stable, immutable trait but is flexible and we can work towards. Recent studies show that psychological flexibility is a key to happiness.
For example, our willingness to face emotional experiences and our ability to endure tough times can allow us to move on to more meaningful lives. Studies have proven that the way we deal with life events affects our happiness more than the events themselves.
Happiness is a constant positive experience.
Short-term stress, sadness, and anxiety doesn’t mean we can’t be happy in the long-term.
Philosophically, there are two paths to happiness, namely “hedonistic” and “eudaimonic”.
The first (hedonistic) approach holds that in order to live a happy life, we must maximize pleasure and minimize pain. This view satisfies people’s desires, but is often short-lived. If we see happiness in the “hedonistic” sense, we must keep looking for new joys and experiences to “cultivate” our happiness. On the other hand, we also try to minimize unpleasant feelings to keep our mood high.
Meanwhile, the second direction (eudaimonic) suggests that we should live for the greater good . We should pursue meaning and potential through kindness, fairness, honesty, and courage. In the “eudaimonic” direction, we strive for meaning, using our strengths to contribute to something bigger than ourselves. This can lead to unpleasant experiences and emotions at certain times, but often leads to deeper joy and contentment.
So, leading a happy life is not about avoiding difficult times, but about facing adversity in a way that allows you to grow from the experiences themselves.
Towards a happier life is the development of each individual.
Research shows that going through hard times can be good for us, depending on how we deal with it. Difficulties can make us more resilient and guide us into action in life with big decisions, such as changing jobs.
Often after people experience hardship, illness or loss, they describe a happier and more meaningful life. There is even a term to describe this phenomenon called “post-traumatic growth” .
Other than a fleeting sense of joy, leading to a happier life is personal growth through the search for meaning. It’s about accepting life with all its ups and downs, enjoying the positive emotions, and harnessing the lessons from failure to reach our fullest potential.