How the Pursuit of Happiness Transforms our World
I get criticized by many who think me shallow because of my philosophical and practical interest in happiness. But, my response is ever the same. If not happiness than what alternative are you proposing?
Current research demonstrates that happy people are more generous, altruistic, forgiving, healthy and loving then those who might be considered unhappy. Anecdotally, I have observed that many conflicts that erupt personally and globally seem to occur between fearful and unhappy people. Fear goes hand in hand with unhappiness, wouldn’t you agree?
Why would you not want to be happy? I can’t think of any rational reason except being genetically predisposed to unhappiness. If you suffer from severe depression and anxiety happiness can seem a lost cause or an unattainable state. But, I assure you that is not necessarily true.
Once again current research being done on happiness suggests that 50% of our happiness is related to genetic factors. I certainly was not born into the world a happy person. I have struggled with depression and anxiety my entire life. I have been diagnosed with a mild form of bi-polar disorder known as cyclothymia. Being upbeat and cheery does not necessarily come natural to me. But, than upbeat and cheery is not necessarily the essence of happiness. Thus, we may have an obvious motivation behind my obsession with happiness. Guess what, I am actually a pretty upbeat person despite some various challenges. But, I have worked at it. I have struggled to reset my programming as it were.
I have learned some important lessons about happiness. Happiness is not a shallow pursuit. In fact, the pursuit of such a state is inherent behind our American ideology and serves as a somewhat metaphysical foundation behind the founding of our democratic republic. Additionally I have learned that happiness does not mean you will not experience, sadness, despair, boredom, anger, fear and other so-called negative emotions. Happiness is not what the marketing professionals on Madison Avenue tell us it is. Happiness is also not about success without the experience of disappointment and setbacks.
The biggest distinction I have developed so far is that each one of us has a genetically set predisposition toward happiness. In other words we have a “range of happiness” we can experience. My high end happiness will not necessarily be the same as your high end of your happiness scale. It doesn’t need to be. Simply ask yourself two questions. Are you as happy as you could be? If the answer is no then ask: would like to be happier?
Living effectively is working with what you have. As noted above 50% is genetic. But, surprisingly life circumstances which includes things such as, age, gender, ethnicity, marital status, income, health, occupation and religious affiliation account for 20-30%. The startling revelation is that somewhere up to 20% of your happiness is dependent upon your thoughts and actions. Your state of mind is more directly under your influence than you may realize. Abraham Lincoln said, “People are just as happy as they make up their minds to be.”
The findings from the emerging discipline of positive psychology and neurological science are supporting what New Thought teachers, from Ralph Waldo Trine, the Fillmore’s, Goldsmith, Holmes and many others have been teaching for well over 200 years now. A golden key in New Thought that will open the door to happiness is that circumstances mean very little. So while research may assign a whopping 30% to circumstance, that can be overridden by our thoughts and actions.
Many of us know of genuinely happy people who enjoy this sublime state despite their life circumstances. They don’t let societal standards or other people dictate how happy they choose to be. This tends to suggest that happiness is not about material things and creature comforts. My experience in discussing happiness is that those who find the topic shallow often have a shallow definition of happiness that needs to be examined. Many often seem to be responding to what the media and consumer culture of our age passes off as happiness or, at least, what we need to be happy.
The happiest I have been so far in my life was when I had next to nothing. For four years I lived in a shabby, run down pay by the week motel. All I had was a few clothes and a few boxes of books. After losing everything else I felt a lot more free and hopeful than I could ever remember being in my life. In the following years I have accumulated more stuff and taken on the trappings of a respectable adult life. Currently, I am not nearly as happy as I could be or have been. Stuff and respectability have complicated my life unnecessarily at times.
I have clarity on this issue of happiness. It’s not about stuff. It’s not about money, although I worry about it, sometimes a little too much. Don’t misunderstand; there is nothing wrong with money and stuff. But, in a grander Buddhist mindset I have come to experience greater happiness when I don’t let my possessions possess me. This is still a tough lesson that I have not quite mastered.
Yet, I still have bills to pay. I still would rather sleep under my own roof then under a bridge or in a shelter (I have done both). And I enjoy wearing a nicely tailored suit on occasion. It is permissible and not immoral at all to enjoy some of the finer things that life has to offer as those “finer things” occur to you.
I have yet to see poor people lead other poor people out of poverty. The give up all my worldly possessions to live among the poor and serve them ideal is only noble in our minds. The practice of it has yet to rid the world of the woes caused by poverty. To solve this problem we need a new zeitgeist. I propose the pursuit of happiness. Because when you know what makes you happy and you move toward it your heart will open to others and from this place of joyful empathy a newfound generosity will emerge. Empathy and generosity will transform the world where religion and legislation have not.