How To Be Happy
How to be Happy
Introduction
Throughout history many have tried to find what makes the “good life”. One key consideration when discussing what makes the “good life” is happiness. Many have tried to define happiness or how to achieve it, such as Aristotle in The Eudemian Ethics. Happiness seems to be subject to personal interpretation, but what makes people happy or leads to happiness seems to be rooted in human interaction and habit. People who consider themselves to be happy have strong family and friend networks. (Happy, 2011)(Fleeson, 2002). Another attribute that leads to a happy person is resilience. The better one is able to recover from a bad situation the happier they will be. Financial status, to a degree, plays a part in happiness. Aristotle examines happiness as consisting of three parts: wisdom, virtue, and pleasure. He comes to the conclusion that the one aspect that truly matters is virtue. Living through Aristotle’s definition of a virtuous life is part of leading a happy life. Without the right virtues that Aristotle speaks about you can lead a very unhappy life even while being resilient. Happiness is rooted in resilience and virtue.
The Problem
Happiness can have many definitions. What one person considers to be happiness does not necessarily carry to another person. This is the problem with finding a definition for happiness. One can only look to see what makes them happy as an individual. Aristotle quoted “call no man happy while he lives, but only when his life has reached full completion.” (The Eudemian Ethics). This concept about happiness seems to be true in some sense but for there to be people who die happy, there must be people who are living happiness. People may feel happy, but this feeling can be brought on in many different ways. So an all-encompassing definition for happiness is not possible. One can only find what gives them the best chance at happiness. So what makes happiness? This is an age old question. Many people
Introduction
Throughout history many have tried to find what makes the “good life”. One key consideration when discussing what makes the “good life” is happiness. Many have tried to define happiness or how to achieve it, such as Aristotle in The Eudemian Ethics. Happiness seems to be subject to personal interpretation, but what makes people happy or leads to happiness seems to be rooted in human interaction and habit. People who consider themselves to be happy have strong family and friend networks. (Happy, 2011)(Fleeson, 2002). Another attribute that leads to a happy person is resilience. The better one is able to recover from a bad situation the happier they will be. Financial status, to a degree, plays a part in happiness. Aristotle examines happiness as consisting of three parts: wisdom, virtue, and pleasure. He comes to the conclusion that the one aspect that truly matters is virtue. Living through Aristotle’s definition of a virtuous life is part of leading a happy life. Without the right virtues that Aristotle speaks about you can lead a very unhappy life even while being resilient. Happiness is rooted in resilience and virtue.
The Problem
Happiness can have many definitions. What one person considers to be happiness does not necessarily carry to another person. This is the problem with finding a definition for happiness. One can only look to see what makes them happy as an individual. Aristotle quoted “call no man happy while he lives, but only when his life has reached full completion.” (The Eudemian Ethics). This concept about happiness seems to be true in some sense but for there to be people who die happy, there must be people who are living happiness. People may feel happy, but this feeling can be brought on in many different ways. So an all-encompassing definition for happiness is not possible. One can only find what gives them the best chance at happiness. So what makes happiness? This is an age old question. Many people