Notes compiled by :

Devanshi Agrawal (B.A - 5D, A1506917324)

Mukta Daga (B.A - 5D ,A1506917332)
Harleen Kaur (B.A - 5D ,A1506917323)
Megha Sood (B.A - 5D ,A1506917375)
Srishti (B.A - 5D, A1506917389)

Happiness
Meaning of Happiness

From this definition, we can glean a few important points about happiness:
1 Happiness is a state, not a trait; in other words, it isn’t a long-lasting, permanent
feature or personality trait, but a more fleeting, changeable state.
2 Happiness is equated with feeling pleasure or contentment, meaning that happiness is
not to be confused with joy, ecstasy, bliss, or other more intense feelings.
3 Happiness can be either feeling or showing, meaning that happiness is not necessarily
an internal or external experience, but can be both.

Happiness is often known by another name in positive psychology research: subjective

well-being, or SWB. Some believe happiness is one of the core components of SWB, while
others believe happiness is SWB.

What Does Self-Happiness Mean?

Although the term is not used very often, “self-happiness” refers to a sense of happiness or
satisfaction with one’s self. It is often associated with self-confidence, self-esteem, and
other concepts that marry “the self” with feeling content and happy.
In general, it means that you are pleased with yourself and your choices, and with the person
that you are.

Happiness vs. Meaning

Happiness and meaning have an even more distinct line between the two. Rarely are
happiness and meaning confused or used interchangeably, and for good reason—they
describe two very different experiences.

“Humans may resemble many other creatures in their striving for happiness, but the quest
for meaning is a key part of what makes us human, and uniquely so.”
-Roy Baumeister et al. (2013)
Unlike happiness, meaning is not a fleeting state that drifts throughout the day; it’s a more
comprehensive sense of purpose and feeling of contributing to something greater than
yourself.
As the quote from Baumeister and colleagues (2013) suggests, there are important
distinctions between the methods of searching for and the benefits of experiencing
happiness and meaning. Scott Barry Kaufman at Scientific American (2016) outlines these
distinctions that Baumeister and his fellow researchers found between the two:
• Finding one’s life easy or difficult was related to happiness, but not meaning;
• Feeling healthy was related to happiness, but not meaning;
• Feeling good was related to happiness, not meaning;
• Scarcity of money reduced happiness more than meaning;
• People with more meaningful lives agreed that “relationships are more important
than achievements;”
• Helping people in need was linked to meaning but not happiness;
• Expecting to do a lot of deep thinking was positively related to meaningfulness, but
negatively with happiness;
• Happiness was related more to being a taker rather than a giver, whereas meaning
was related more to being a giver than a taker;
• The more people felt their activities were consistent with the core themes and values
of their self, the greater meaning they reported in their activities;
• Seeing oneself as wise, creative, and even anxious were all linked to meaning but had
no relationship (and in some cases, even showed a negative relationship) to happiness
(Kaufman, 2016).

Types of Happiness

Happiness is a complex concept that cannot be pinned down to one simple dimension.
Daniel Nettle describes three levels / types of happiness in psychology each representing
different aspects of the positive emotions we strive for as human beings.

Level 1 happiness: Represents momentary feelings of joy and pleasure

The first level of happiness represents short-term positive emotions sometimes referred to as
“simple pleasures”. They can result from a good meal, a hobby we enjoy, watching a good
movie, listening to piece of music we like, sex and so on.It is quite easy to observe this level
of happiness because of the immediate feelings of joy people experience. These types of
emotions are also pretty easy to measure and compare because brain scans show that certain
parts of our brain are active when we have these emotions.

This level of happiness is pleasurable but the good feelings do not last for very long and we
will return to our “baseline” mental state quite quickly.

Level 2 happiness: Represents judgements about feelings

Sometimes referred to as well-being The second level of happiness is more thoughtful and
requires an assessment that goes beyond the momentary feelings of level one. Questions
about happiness and well-being normally works at this level - if you are asked about how
happy you are with your life in general your answer will reflect a level two assessment of
your happiness (probably you are not enjoying a hobby or having sex when asked this
question so level one is out).

Level 2 happiness is also relative in the sense that you compare your situation with other
people as well as how you have felt in the past.

Many studies of happiness in psychology works at this level. If you read about research
saying for example that people in country A are happier than people in country B then most
likely it refers to level 2 happiness measured through various surveys.

Level 3 happiness: Represents a higher meaning of life, flourishing and fulfilling one’s
potential
The third level of happiness represents fulfilment at a higher level - achieving one's full
potential. It can be seen as accomplishments with a higher meaning and has to do with self-
realization.

It is related to Maslow's hierarchy of needs where self-actualization is at the top of the

pyramid (following physiological and safety needs and needs for love, belonging and self-
esteem).

Level 3 happiness is more difficult to measure than the other two levels. People high in level
3 happiness live more in harmony with their deeper values and therefore have fewer inner
conflicts because they often feel that what they do has meaning and is contributing to a
greater cause.

According to Daniel Nettle you could say that one is optimally happy at this level.

To summarise: Towards the lower level, happiness is more immediate, sensual, and
measurable. Towards the higher level, happiness is more rational, reflective, and relative.

Two Traditions

Hedonic wellbeing

Hedonic wellbeing is based on the notion that increased pleasure and decreased pain leads
to happiness. Hedonic concepts are based on the notion of subjective wellbeing. Subjective
well-being is a scientific term that is commonly used to denote the ‘happy or good life’. It
comprises of an affective component (high positive affect and low negative affect) and a
cognitive component (satisfaction with life). It is proposed that an individual experiences
happiness when positive affect and satisfaction with life are both high (Carruthers & Hood,
2004).
Eudaimonic wellbeing

Eudaimonic wellbeing, on the other hand, is strongly reliant on Maslow’s ideas of self
actualisation and Roger’s concept of the fully functioning person and their subjective well
being. Eudaimonic happiness is therefore based on the premise that people feel happy if
they experience life purpose, challenges and growth. This approach adopts Self-
Determination Theory to conceptualise happiness (Keyes et al., 2002; Deci & Ryan, 2000).
Self determination theory suggests that happiness is related to fulfilment in the areas of
autonomy and competence.

Positive psychologists view happiness from both the hedonistic and eudaimonic view in
which they define happiness in terms of the pleasant life, the good life and the meaningful
life (Norrish & Vella-Brodrick, 2008). Peterson et al., identified three pathways to happiness
from the positive psychological view:

• Pleasure is the process of maximising positive emotion and minimising negative emotion
and is referred to as the pleasant life which involves enjoyable and positive
experiences.Engagement is the process of being immersed and absorbed in the task at
hand and is referred to as the good life which involves being actively involved in life and
all that it requires and demands. Thus the good life is considered to result from the
individual cultivating and investing their signature strengths and virtues into their
relationships, work and leisure (Seligman, 2002) thus applying the best of self during
challenging activities that results in growth and a feeling of competence and satisfaction
that brings about happiness.
•
• Meaning is the process of having a higher purpose in life than our selves and is referred to
as the meaningful life which involves using our strengths and personal qualities to serve
this higher purpose. The meaningful life, like the good life, involves the individual
applying their signature strengths in activities, but the difference is that these activities are
perceived to contribute to the greater good in the meaningful life.

Eudaimonic (Psychological Wellbeing)

1. Sense of control or autonomy

2. Feeling of meaning and purpose
3. Personal expressiveness
4. Feelings of belongingness
5. Social contribution
6. Competence
7. Personal growth
8. Self acceptance

Positive psychologists view happiness from both the hedonistic and eudaimonic view in
which they define happiness in terms of the pleasant life, the good life and the meaningful
life (Norrish & Vella-Brodrick, 2008). Peterson et al., identified three pathways to happiness
from the positive psychological view:

1. Pleasure is the process of maximising positive emotion and minimising negative

emotion and is referred to as the pleasant life which involves enjoyable and positive
experiences.
2. Engagement is the process of being immersed and absorbed in the task at hand and is
referred to as the good life which involves being actively involved in life and all that it
requires and demands. Thus the good life is considered to result from the individual
cultivating and investing their signature strengths and virtues into their relationships,
work and leisure (Seligman, 2002) thus applying the best of self during challenging
activities that results in growth and a feeling of competence and satisfaction that
brings about happiness.
3. Meaning is the process of having a higher purpose in life than our selves and is
referred to as the meaningful life which involves using our strengths and personal
qualities to serve this higher purpose. The meaningful life, like the good life, involves
the individual applying their signature strengths in activities, but the difference is that
these activities are perceived to contribute to the greater good in the meaningful life.
Ultimately, it is a combination of each of these three elements described above that positive
psychology suggests would constitute authentic and stable happiness (Vella-Brodrick, Park
& Peterson, 2009; Carruthers & Hood, 2004).

Habits of Happy People

1.Create your own happiness (don’t sit back and wait for it). Every second you waste
waiting for happiness is a second you could have been using to create it. The happiest
people aren’t the luckiest, wealthiest, or best-looking; the happiest people are those who
make an effort to be happy.

2. Surround yourself with the right people. Happiness is contagious. Surrounding

yourself with happy people builds confidence and stimulates creativity, and it’s flat-out fun.

3. Get enough sleep When you sleep, your brain literally recharges.This ensures that you
wake up alert and clear-headed. Your energy, attention, and memory are all reduced when
you don’t get enough quality sleep.

4. Live in the moment. You can’t reach your full potential until you learn to live your life in
the present.

5. Learn to love yourself. Studies have shown that practicing self-compassion increases the
number of healthy choices you make, improves mental health, and decreases your tendency
to procrastinate.

6. Appreciate what you have. Taking time to contemplate what you’re grateful for isn’t
merely the “right” thing to do. It also improves your mood .
7. Exercise. Getting your body moving for as little as 10 minutes releases GABA, a
neurotransmitter that makes your brain feel soothed and keeps you in control of your
impulses

8. Forgive, but don’t forget. Happy people live by the motto “Fool me once, shame on
you; fool me twice, shame on me.” They forgive in order to prevent a grudge, but they never
forget.

9. Get in touch with your feelings. Attempting to repress your emotions doesn’t just feel
bad; it’s bad for you. Learning to be open about your feelings decreases stress levels and
improves your mood

10. Concentrate on what you can control. Rather than dwelling on the things you can’t
control, try putting your effort into the things that you can.

11. Have a growth mindset.

WHAT MAKES PEOPLE HAPPY?

1) MEDITATING EVERYDAY- Meditation is one of the most effective ways to

embark on a path of stillness and mindfulness, which, in turn, gives your mind a
much needed break from all those worries and anxieties occupying it.

2) DON’T HOLD ON GRUDES- Forgiving and forgetting is absolutely necessary

when it comes to happiness. Holding a grudge means that you're hanging on to anger,
resentment, pain and other negative emotions that are roadblocks to happiness. By
letting go of these emotions, you free yourself from negativity so there's more space
for positive emotions to get in.

3) SPENDING MORE MONEY ON OTHERS- One of the reasons is that it creates

social connections. If you have a nice car and a big house on an island by yourself,
you are not going to be happy, because we need people to be happy. But by giving to
another person, you are creating a connection and a conversation with that person,
and those things are really good for happiness.

4) THEY ARE BUSY, BUT NOT RUSHED- feeling "rushed" can lead to stress and
unhappiness. At the same time, people struggle with finding that happy medium of
being just busy enough. Some studies suggest that a healthy work-life balance is key,
since boredom can be burdensome.

5) SURROUND YOURSELF WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE- when you surround

yourself with other people who are happy and supportive, you will be able to build
self-confidence, boost your creativity and just have more fun in general. On the other
 end of the spectrum, hanging out with negative people means you are just another
member of their pity party and that's exhausting and not much fun

6) CELEBRATE ON OTHER PEOPLE’S SUCCESS-It's no secret that that having

both a rich social life and healthy relationships is an important component to
happiness. But, happy people nurture and improve their relationships through "active
and constructive" responding, which includes celebrating the success of those around
them.

7) OPTIMISTIC- Bad things happen to all of us even the happiest and most upbeat
people on the planet. The thing is, they don't complain, whine or let pessimism
become a self-fulling prophecy. They remain optimistic by focusing on solutions to
the problem and reflecting on what they are grateful for.

8) GET ENOUGH OF SLEEP- Getting quality sleep is absolutely necessary. If you

need a refresher, sleep deprivation can negatively impact your health, productivity
and ability to cope with stressful situations.

The Relationship Between Mental Health and Happiness

When happy people are healthier, have better relationships, make friends more easily, and
find more success in life, it’s easy to see why happiness and mental health are related.

The sources that contribute to happiness are the same as those that provide people with a
buffer or protection against mental illness, which explains the close relationship between the
two.

A recent study explored the association between happiness and mental health in college
students and found that a relatively strong, positive correlation connects the two factors
(Shafiq, Nas, Ansar, Nasrulla, Bushra, & Imam, 2015). This correlation held, even when
gender and socio-demographic variables were added to the mix.

The close tie between mental health and happiness is reason enough to make happiness an
important priority for parents, educators, researchers, and medical professionals alike, along
with the simple fact that we all like to feel happy.