Personal Essay: The Meaning Of Happiness

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The ‘meaning’ of happiness Here are a few simple questions that I often hear as I go about my everyday life. Innocuous, harmless, conversational, compassionate they may be; they are also, I believe, extremely indicative of our perception and understanding of happiness. Why not take a few moments to ponder these simple queries? ‘When was the last time you were happy?’ ‘What makes you happy?’ ‘Are you happy?’ ‘How happy are you?’ ‘Are you really happy?’ ‘When was the last time you were really happy?’ So what, if anything, can we deduce from what is being asked in these and similar questions with which we are all so familiar? Perhaps the most striking realisation for me is that people generally regard happiness as being some ‘thing’ that somehow operates…show more content…
So, and in short, we accept the issue for what it is. It is immutable, and our response to this unwanted intrusion into our life is to find the most appropriate way of coping, such that we are not emotionally, physically, mentally, or spiritually harmed or destroyed. As we have already discussed in relation to our happiness profile, any change in any of the elements over which we do have some control, has a parallel impact on other elements in our life: • Chasing more money leads to less time being available for the family, perhaps; • Studying every evening to improve our education and skills may lead to increasing rows and arguments with the ‘spouse’; • Socialising in the pub every evening causes a reduction in disposable cash with which to improve the home and may also cause friction within the family

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