The question of what happiness really means and how it can be achieved has been a topic of deep human thought since Greek philosophers such as Aristotle and Plato began to discuss the true meaning of “eudaimonia,” the Greek word for happiness.
They said the experience of happiness is satisfying and pleasurable but in order to be truly happy in life, pleasure should not be the ultimate goal. They believed that an excess of materialism or physical pleasure would ultimately lead people away from happiness, instead of to it.
A study reported in the most current issue of “Scientific American: Mind,” shows that these Greek philosophers were right in suggesting that happiness does not follow financial success.
The study found that though the average American’s wealth has tripled since 1950, happiness rates have not followed the same trend, but rather have remained unchanged, which illustrates the human tendency to habituate to material goods and return to a set point of happiness after their basic human needs have been met.
“You may feel very happy when you receive a great gift, but after about 24 hours you return to your normal level of happiness,” said Emeran Mayer, a professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences.
This set point of happiness has been recently shown to be genetically determined by another study, which found significant similarities in happiness levels of identical twins who were raised in different environments.
Whether someone wins the lottery or loses a loved one, their happiness always returns to its inherent point, said Laura King, professor of psychological sciences at Missouri University.
For some people, happiness is easily achieved.
“In terms of becoming happier, I don’t exactly strive for it because I naturally feel happy,” said Semi Lee, a third-year English and classics student. “I remain happy because I surround myself with people who are usually happy and avoid conflicts and stress.”
But people can also increase their set point of happiness by engaging in certain exercises and cognitive practices.
Staying away from negative emotions and concentrating on the positives is an effective way to change that inherent point on the ladder of happiness, said Dr. Martin Seligman, professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and the founder of a newly emerging field called “positive psychology,” which focuses on positive human emotions.
He said it is necessary to set important goals and create meaningful relationships with people.
Dr. Ed Diener, professor of psychology at the University of Illinois, found that the top 10 percent of the happiest students share one major thing in common: spending time with close friends and family.
“The best way to be truly happy is to have friends and work toward your goals,” said Whitney Brammer, a second-year psychology student. “Instead of thinking about happiness, people should just do it.”
At UCLA’s Student Psychological Services, Director Dr. Elizabeth Gong-Guy makes the same suggestion.
Gong-Guy said the center’s services help many students build social networks by getting them involved in student activities that suit their interests, as well as directing some to take Life Skills 101, a course offered to all students.
“By developing certain life skills that will change your environment, you can make an enormous impact on how you experience your life,” she said.
Dr. Kenneth Mazey, a professor of clinical psychology at UCLA and a private clinical practitioner, said he advises people to take an active role in their own lives because doing so is essential to finding happiness.
“It is through taking action that we can really change our environment and become happier,” he added.
For Natalie Carlos, a second-year psychology student, living in the moment and engaging in personally meaningful activities is the surest way to achieve a lasting sense of fulfilment in life.
“Reaching the personal goals of having friendship and love is how I would define reaching happiness,” Carlos said.
Setting goals with the intent of achieving materialistic gain does not have long-term effects, but goals directed toward helping others and saving the world make people happy in the long run, King said.
Happiness, as Aristotle and Plato said, is not the equivalent of pleasure or achieving material success in life. Happiness is a way of perceiving the world with positivity, action and optimism, King said.
Happiness should not be thought of as some sort of ultimate outcome, King said. Happiness is first and foremost a means to achieve your goals by having happiness as a cushion that will break your falls in life and allow you to stand back up even stronger, she added.
Even though happiness is genetically determined, King said, the environment and the approach you take in life can dramatically change these predispositions.