Can a comfortable life make us happy?

21 March, 2013

These days, as an area of study under positive psychology, 'happiness' is regarded as an emotional state of well-being characterized by pleasant feelings of self-satisfaction and joy. The study of happiness aims at identifying different points of view of happiness and classifying them into various categories and come up with the ways to create happiness. According to management science, anything that can be defined in specific and measurable terms can be invariably action-planned, executed and achieved.

Various studies indicate that there are biological, psychological, religious, and philosophical sources of and dimensions to happiness. Accordingly, the researches in positive psychology, based on scientific method, are trying to define happiness and devising methods helpful to attain it.

An area of positive psychology called 'happiness economics' suggests that measures of public happiness should be used to supplement more traditional economic measures when evaluating the success of a public policy. According to happiness economics, money can't buy much happiness; however, it can create happiness when used in certain ways for better social bonding and mental well being.

A Harvard Business School study by Dunn, Aknin and Norton concludes that spending money on others actually makes us happier than spending it on ourselves. "Beyond the point at which people have enough to comfortably feed, clothe, and house themselves, having more money - even a lot more money - makes them only a little bit happier," points out the study.

Besides extrinsic pleasures related to sensual gratifications, living standards, comforts and accomplishments, happiness can also be attained through 'flow' or engagement in a challenging or self-satisfying activities; 'relationships' or social bonds that are equitable and mutually supportive; and 'meaning' or a perceived quest or belonging to something bigger, observes psychologist Martin Seligman.

Here is my ABC verse on happiness

A: Accomplishment of a predefined tangible goal

B: Bonding with a social group and feeling of being wanted and being recognized for contribution

C: Chasing of bigger aim of life of self-realization

D: Development and practice of human values, optimism and positive feelings

E: Engagement in personally meaningful, worthwhile, creative or challenging activity