The Pursuit of Happiness - Part 1
Obtaining and measuring happiness is something that the UK government has been promoting for a while now. It's rather curious that at this stage of our advancement, the notion of understanding and incorporating something so fundamental as happiness sounds akin to sending probes to the Jupiter to see what's going on there. It just shows us how clueless we are emotionally and spiritually, regardless of our technological advancement. For many people the big questions seems to be something transient and fleeting, such as 'when will Cheryl Cole get back with her cheating footballer ex-husband', rather than what constitutes a happy life.
Fortunately there are people out there who have taken this big question seriously and have researched it. Psychologists Joe Griffin and Ivan Tyrell propose a very common sense conclusion which is that happiness is a function of a person understanding and meeting their emotional needs.
Some of these needs are universal, such as the need for security, friendship, love, status, intimacy, being stretched and challenged, and to achieve a sense of personal meaning. When these needs are met, we are in balance. Now consider what role models does society to look up to for us to emulate? actors, celebrities,sports people, pop and rock stars, and other celebrities who seem to have no discernible talent other than a willingness to do anything to promote their fame.
These people have financial security, fame and fortune, but that's not enough otherwise they wouldn't wreck it all the way we have seen so many of them do. There is a missing 'X' factor to this formula for happiness. If we want to copy what works, we should look to success stories not people who have it all but keep ruining it. If we interview people who have a high rating of self-happiness, then money doesn't actually factor in that highly (once a basic income can match basic necessities). Crucially these people have their own happiness compass which they follow.
Whereas unhappy famous people are always trying to please or impress society at large, trying vainly to stay young and beautiful and make time stand still, truly happy people are clear about their values in life and they follow their values without caring what others think about them. In short they are the measure of their own worth, not what society is trying to tell them they should aspire to be. The first step to happiness therefore begins with breaking free from the unspoken and unelected rules of our tribe. If we aren't clear about our own needs, then there are plenty of others who will tell us how we should live our lives and what we should aspire for.