what is happiness?

Question

how the heck do u measure a man's happiness level? Are the factor influencing it includes money, social status, health or anything else? Its just something that popped out of my mind today?

Answer 1

i believe happiness to a state when one is completely in harmony with ones self and surroundings with nothing else added. relaxing in a state of tranquility and being full of vibrant energy.

many people gets a slight taste of such a state or feeling, whenever they become successful or rich so to speak, the reason is they attach success and money as their survival.
when they don't have to concern themselves with bills and travel payments anymore, the contented feeling is associated with happiness. however when is the contented state for a while the feeling of emptiness returns on another level so they set yet another objective.

happiness is not so easily achieved, but when you do achieve it, you become independent of you material self with a sound knowledge of how to handle it. you can have or not have money, but when you attain happiness you are also successful, at which time you will be guided by the forces for use of a better word. another thing is if one has any idea of what happiness is then money can help to liberate one from the everyday responsibilities in order to travel the path that leads to h'piness. temporary h'piness is different for different people, h'piness complete is the same for all. just varied pathways of achieving it.

Answer 2

Happiness is generic, and is applied to almost
every kind of enjoyment except that of the animal
appetites. It ia a state of well-being
characterized by emotions ranging from contentment
to intense joy. These include: bliss, joy, joyous,
carefree, jubilant, exultant, cheerful, playful,
amused, fun, glad, gay, gleeful, jolly, jovial,
delighted, euphoric, ecstatic, thrilled, elated,
enraptured, comfortable, harmonious, and
triumphant. Societies, religions, and individuals
have various views on the nature of happiness and
how to pursue it.

Only saint-like persons, who feel that they are no
longer interested in the external world, think
that happiness is within. For many persons,
nothing can make them happy. Our minds are as
different as our finger prints - no two are alike.
Listening to loud music makes one happy and makes
another unhappy. Hence, there can be no single
definition for happiness. It is probably
impossible to objectively define happiness as
humans know and understand it, as internal
experiences are subjective by nature. Because of
this, explaining happiness as experienced by one
individual is as pointless as trying to define the
color green such that a completely color blind
person could understand the experience of seeing
green.

As a state and a subject, it has been pursued and
commented on extensively throughout world history.

"Call no man happy till he is dead." - Aeschylus

"Happiness is a positive cash flow." - Fred Adler

"Many persons have a wrong idea of what
constitutes true happiness. It is not attained
through self-gratification but through fidelity to
a worthy purpose." - Joseph Addison

"True happiness arises, in the first place, from
the enjoyment of one's self, and in the next, from
the friendship and conversation of a few select
companions." - Joseph Addison

Happiness is often associated with the presence of
favourable circumstances such as a supportive
family life, a loving marriage, and economic
stability. Kali Yuga, the age of darkness, is the
time when these favourables are difficult to find.

Unfavorable circumstances - such as abusive
relationships, accidents, loss of employment, and
conflicts - diminish the amount of happiness a
person experiences. In all nations, factors such
as hunger, disease, crime, corruption, and warfare
can decrease happiness. However, according to
several ancient and modern thinkers, happiness is
influenced by the attitude and perspective taken
on such circumstances.

From the observation that fish must become happy
by swimming, and birds must become happy by
flying. Aristotle points to the unique abilities
of man as the route to happiness. Of all the
animals only man can sit and contemplate reality.
Of all the animals only man can develop social
relations to the political level. Thus the
contemplative life of a monk or professor, or the
political life of a military commander or
politician will be the happiest according to their
own psyche.

The following is the self-reported positive affect
(i.e. positive emotion) during the day by 909
employed women in USA:

Activities and their positive effect index:

Intimate relations 5.10
Socializing 4.59
Relaxing 4.42
Pray/Worship/Meditate 4.35
Eating 4.34
Exercising 4.31
Watching TV 4.19
Shopping 3.95
Preparing food 3.93
On the phone 3.92
Napping 3.87
Taking care of
my children 3.86
Computer/Email/
Internet 3.81
Housework 3.73
Working 3.62
Commuting 3.45

Interaction with partners:

w/ friends 4.36
w/ relatives 4.17
w/ spouse/Significant
other 4.11
w/ children 4.04
w/ clients/customers 3.79
w/ co-workers 3.76
w/ boss 3.52
alone 3.41

Further, happiness is not entirely psychological
in nature - it has got a biological basis too. The
neurotransmitter dopamine is involved in desire
and seems often related to pleasure. Pleasure can
be induced artificially with drugs. Use of drugs
is not some thing new, it has been used by many
including Sanyasis since millenia.

Answer 3

Happiness means different things to different people. Some people are happy with love, others are happy with money and or power, and some aren't happy unless thay can have it all. There is no way to measure it. Oh and I forgot the most important thing, most people are happy just to be treated nicely and be excepted by others. : )

Answer 4

The late journalist Leanita McClain once famously said, "Happiness is a club that will not let me enter." Tragically, she killed herself.

Her words are poignant though: For some people, happiness is like an exclusive club. You're either in or you're not. You are part of that population that is fulfilled, content and purposeful, or you're not.

Answer 5

It is a feeling and is not someting physical. It feels the opposite of depression. See site below for more extreme happiness according to top psychologists.

Answer 6

I think some factors are faith, health, and success with personal goals, as well as successful relationships.

Answer 7

the quality or state of being contented in all elements important to one's life, such as finance, health, religious belief, etc....

Answer 8

if u ask urself if i could go back and redo my life would i and u say no then u are happy

Answer 9

Sometimes people that have it all don't have happiness.Some people are just optimistic .