Happiness

From Menletter September 2002

By Tim Baehr

What makes you happy? Newsweek recently published an article about the "science" of happiness and had some interesting things to say about research into what makes people happy. Interesting on one level, but a bit ridiculous. Investigations into happiness have been going on probably since men and women gathered in caves and talked around the fire. I wonder if you would agree with the following observations:

Happiness involves the following factors:

1. Knowing the difference between wants and needs. Needs are pretty finite: once you have food and drink, physical safety (usually shelter and clothing), and loving relationships, you've got it made. Wants can expand infinitely. Recognizing wants as nice-to-haves and not got-to-haves can prevent a lot of unhappiness.

2. Selflessness. It's a paradox: for a happy self, get rid of the self. Two interpretations: selflessness through altruism (helping others) and selflessness through surrender - to some greater Being, to a universal Oneness with the universe, etc. When we concentrate only on the self, there's a constant striving for satisfaction, and we don't get much.

3. Beauty. An ability to create or appreciate beauty through music, art, cooking, photography, writing - almost anything done from the heart.

4. Some kind of practice or discipline. We humans, at least, with our churning, thinking brains, need to develop some sense of intentionality about the first three factors. See the article in this issue.

Why do people who seem to have little and who tend to help others seem to be happier than the rich or wannabe rich strivers? When do the strivers know they've arrived?

What about the four factors above? Are they necessary for true and enduring happiness? Are they sufficient? Do they stand the test of time? Are they flexible enough to work across cultures? The big problem is that, for all their simplicity, the factors are very hard to put into practice.

What makes you happy? Not for the next five minutes (a candy bar or a shot of bourbon can do that!), but as a baseline of contentment nearly all the time?