About Happiness
Greek philosophers and Rumi on how to keep the soul happy
What makes us happy ?
When and how are we happy ?
Where ?
With whom are we happy ?
Such questions about happiness are asked at least once in a lifetime. We do evaluations and measurements of our happiness; occasionally we may reach a conclusion : somewhat happy, sometimes happy, more or less happy in the past, at present, or will be happy in the future… We get to remember the times we were at the peak or we may fantasize a possible future happiness.
Sometimes we measure it with what we have, sometimes we measure it as an extent of our expectations being fulfilled, or simply as obtaining what we desire. We make our happiness guesses in proportion to sustaining our goals – spiritual, material, professional, etc. It is a matter of balancing the equation, the result of feeding in the right variable predicts our happiness level.
Robert Frost refers to this calculation as follows:
Happiness makes up in height for what it lacks in length.
Philosophy, ontology, spirituality and psychology all emphasize and discuss the subject of happiness. In Greek philosophy, eudemonia is used for happiness together with aretê meaning virtue. According Democritus:
Happiness, lies in the soul, not in the possessions.
For Socrates:
Virtue is the means for the goal of happiness. A virtuous person tries to advance spiritually whereas the happy person feels the advancement.
Aristotle makes an an analogy to happiness :
As it is not only one sparrow or one fine day which makes spring, it is not a moment or one short day that makes happiness.
Research in psychology defines happiness beyond the hedonistic pleasures; as a life lived in accord with one’s values and goals. As long as a person has one or more goals to work towards in life, he is opt to find his personal meaning and be content says Martin Seligman, known with his books on positive psychology. On the other hand, the way we approach life events also affects our happiness. Sonia Lyubomirsky‘s research findings show the components of happiness as follows :
50 % genetics
10 % circumstances
40 % intentional
Being able see the good even in a seemingly negative event, accepting the outcome as is after having doing what one could possibly do, setting up realistic expectations from oneself and others, bearing a positive intention; all of which contribute to one’s happiness up to 40% !
Rumi, the timeless poet, reassures how to maintain happiness across the wheel of time :
Keep your heart pleasant, patience attains
For the lovers’ prayer holds everywhere
While unhappiness does not remain but pass
Have no doubts –the wheel of fortune turns
Duygu Bruce