Can one learn happiness? : Ramesh Shrestha

 

Happiness is the perfection of human nature. Since man is a rational animal, human happiness depends on the exercise of his reason – Aristotle 

Science of happiness 

Happiness is an outcome of a complex product of physical, emotional, and psychological factors interacting with specific hormones (dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin and endorphins), secreted by various glands in our body, the study of which scientists call neuroscience. The concept of happiness is subjective and is difficult to define and quantify, yet it is the most coveted state of mind which everyone would like to have, possibly for ever. 

Art of happiness 

In ancient times, happiness was defined as people living with an appropriate lifestyle which gives pleasure, knowledge, wealth, friendship and ‘life well-lived’ with rational principles and life functions performed well; happiness is the ultimate purpose of human existence (this is the abbreviated definition of happiness according to Aristotle in Nicomachean Ethics). Life then was perhaps simpler than our world today?  

In our society, the environment we live-in has changed dramatically with too many external factors which influence the idea of ‘pleasure’, ‘knowledge’ ‘wealth’ ‘friendship’ and ‘life well-lived’. 

All these concepts are relative in nature as their values and importance are contextual in different time, space and cultures. People’s pleasure is often associated with food, wealth, good health, good family relationships and having reliable friends. All these elements are external in nature that could change. 

Similarly, given our interconnected world and evolving technology it is difficult to define how much and what constitutes knowledge. On issues of wealth, the question is how much money makes people happy? Is there an upper limit? In reality the value of money is lost after a certain amount of wealth accumulation, but amassing of wealth continues by all means, including illegal means. In our Capitalist economy sky seems to be the upper limit. The idea of equity and inequality never gained much traction in global debate when we talk about economy and wealth.

Social media has given people a wide range of possibilities to develop friendship circles. As someone says, people seem to have many more virtual friends than real friends. Are these people happy?  

What does it mean to ‘life well-lived’. In those days ‘life well-lived’ possibly meant having adequate food and clean environment – requirements for basic survival. For people now with so many choices on everything one can imagine and with so many personal, familial, national and global issues affecting their daily life ‘life well-lived’ has just too many intervening factors to take into account. 

Given all these factors the idea of happiness is never a stable state in today’s world. But it is still essential for people to aim for a constant state of happiness to avoid depression and other mental health issues. How do we learn to be happy? Can happiness be actually learned? 

May be, but subject to one’s rationality 

Based on several studies on happiness at the individual level, many authors conclude that happiness can be learned or achieved with some sort of level-headedness. The catch is that it requires rationality and logic in our decision-making processes, which is often confounded by too many issues including greed and choices surrounding us. At the individual level people have the authority to decide what makes them happy. At the international level we may or may not be in a position to influence in finding a solution but we can try and not be disappointed such as impacts of climate change or inflation which affects us all. 

A review of the summary of various happiness studies tells us that we have to resist the temptation of wanting more of everything. As a rational being (are we?) we have to fight greed and be grateful and enjoy what we have and stop thinking what we don’t have and stop expecting more. Let us not be bullied by the hollow media and intrusive technology which have taken residence in our sixth sense dictating our neurons. We must stop expecting technology to solve all human problems. We need to learn that there is a speed limit in pursuit of happiness. Searching for happiness is a source of unhappiness in itself. Happiness is made and not found. The 21st century life has become a rat race. Achieving happiness would be a little easier if everybody slows down a bit because our rat race will never end. The place to be happy is here and the time is now. 

Happy is the man who renounces everything that places a strain on his conscience. - Unknown

Ramesh Shrestha can be contacted via: ramesh.chauni@gmail.com

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