The Psychology of Happiness

The Psychology of Happiness and psychologists, in general, define happiness as nothing else that an emotion, a long-term sense of emotional well-being and contentment - a broad "feeling" that one is happy.

Of course there are temporary moods of happiness we all experience from time to time, but “happiness” as found in psychological researches is an overall feeling of satisfaction with life that pervades and abides over longer-time periods. (See: "chronic or habitual emotional level" in Human Emotions)

Happiness is commonly considered by psychologists the main way we can evaluate how well our life is going. As such, how happy a person feels  is perhaps the single, most important piece of information one can know about a person – for it usually tells the whole story. Because of this, happiness should be the most important thing to considering in examining your own life. (Dr. Michael W. Fordyce)

Happiness has been labeled "the most un-understood phenomenon in the world!" because everybody hopes to achieve it, but it seems no one knows anything about it.

Ed Diener, a precursor Positive Psychologist, "The Psychology of Happiness," and considered the "leading authority on happiness (?)", provided many scientific findings on well-being, its benefits and optimum levels as well as some causes for it like temperament, money attitudes, spirituality, good health and longevity.

Martin Seligman, he coined the term Positive Psychology to describe the scientific study of happiness. He describes happiness as being based on three lives - the pleasurable life, the engaged life and the meaningful life. The better each of these lives is lived, the happier the person will be.

Jonathan Freeman affirms "people generally agree about what they mean by happiness. It is a positive, enduring state that consists of positive felling including both peace of mind and active pleasures or joy."

Ruut Veenhoven describes happiness as "the degree in which an individual judges the overall quality of his life-as-a-whole favorably."

So many theories of Happiness!

There are innumerable attempts and theories in Psychology of happiness, to explain nature, reason and formula for happiness.

The "What One Has Theory," see happiness as simply the collected sum of positive circumstances in one's life (i.e. good marriage, great job, good health, financial security, etc.)

The "How One View The World Theory," see happiness being more contingent on a person's perception, or personal evaluation, of such circumstances.

The "Stressors and Successes Theory," see happiness as the balance of positive and negative emotional experiences one has has experienced over the years, or "What You've Been Through Theory."

The "Born to be Happy Theory," pointing to basic genetics as the root of happiness.

Some allocate happiness to basic temperament and disposition that is either learned early in life or inborn, the "Happy No Matter What Theory."

Others say it's due to physiological and biorhythmic changes. The "Naturally Happy Theory."

The "Happiness Skills Theory, " (HST) proposes that state of happiness - subjective sense of well-being - is achieved by: 1) experience, 2) valuation, 3) anticipation, 4) hedonic acquisition , and 5) habit formation.

Others working on the Psychology of Happiness or  Positive Psychology have identify 14 fundamentals for happiness which, as presented by  Dr. Michael W. Fordyce (leading researcher in happiness) in his work "Psychology of Happiness," are the following:

After last two theories, it seems to me, soon we'll need at least 4 more years of college to even aspire happiness!

          See other methods to find happiness (pop up window)

It has always puzzled me how psychology means "study of the soul" from the Greek word "psyche," meaning "the soul." But today, official psychology stubbornly claims that there is no soul and instead study human and animal behavior. This makes as much sense to me as a baker claiming there is no such thing as bread! (See:  The Failure of Psychology)

Psychology explores behavior as well as the underlying physiological and neurological processes to determine overall "mental health" of individuals and his happiness.

The Psychology of Happiness up to now, no doubt, have primarily focused in the personality and circumstantial aspects of happiness, with no attempts to explain its essential nature.

           The Exact Definition of Happiness (pop up window)

For me, psychologist got one basic thing right: defining happiness as nothing else that an emotion. But, they never bother to explain what emotion is, do they?

Other way to Happiness - A better Way

In this web site, our Happyology - The Science of Happiness - goes opposite way psychologists go: we pin-point exactly what happiness is by defining precisely what an emotion is, which in turn allows to determine: first: behavior, and second: all related physiological and neurological responses.

So, let's define: Happiness, Emotion? and Energy?

Our level of happiness should be the most important thing to considering in examining your own life. But, happiness is not the purpose of life.

Our personal happiness is the main way we evaluate how well our life is going. As such, how happy a person feels  is perhaps the single, most important piece of information one can know about a person – for it usually tells the whole story.

This is why...

Your happiness should be the most important thing to considering in examining your own life.

Our Psychology of Happiness' formula for Happiness consist of just ONE STEP:

Increase your frequency!

Increasing your frequency will change your behavior, increase your creative power, and you'll live an exceptional life.

This sounds so amazingly simple. It is! - Yet so devastatingly effective and, it's doable!

Return from Psychology of Happiness to Home Page