Genuine Happiness
Authentic and sustainable well-being
What is genuine happiness? What does it mean to be happy? Part of why these questions are hard to answer is because the term “happiness” is colloquially used to describe all sorts of things- from various momentary emotional states of enjoyment to an overall assessment and measure of one’s health, well-being and success in life.
When considering “happiness” as a synonym for the emotion family of “enjoyment”, we can further categorize this family of related states. Dr. Paul Ekman describes at least 16 distinct types of enjoyment. The Atlas of Emotions describes and visualizes enjoyment ranging from sensory pleasures, to peace, relief, and ecstasy.
In wellbeing related research,feelinghappy is also sometimes described as a “positive affect” or “positivity”. Positive Psychology frameworks focus on enjoyable emotions, positive events and influences in one’s life, personal strengths, and “optimal functioning”. Some traditional theories of emotion categorize certain emotions as positive (such as joy or happiness) and others as negative (such as fear, anger or sadness). However, Drs. Paul and Eve Ekman don’t label certain emotions as “positive” and others as “negative”, and instead see how all emotions can be helpful and direct us to consider how our responses to our emotions can be more or less insightful and constructive.
There are also important cultural considerations at play in the conceptualization of happiness. In much of American society, there is often an emphasis on the pursuit of happiness as a primary life goal, equating happiness with success. However, focusing solely on pleasurable emotions may narrow our vision of emotional balance and well-being, missing the significance of experiencing a full range of emotions. Overemphasis on enjoyment can lead to discontent or even shame when individuals feel a more varied emotional landscape, prompting them to ask, “Why am I not happy more often?”
Enduring happiness is different from fleeting feelings of enjoyment. It includes not just high-energy feelings of joy, but also an ongoing experience of fulfillment and life satisfaction. It is more akin to what we may call sustainable happiness or well-being.
Cultivate Genuine Happiness
Cultivating Emotional Balance envisions a “synergy of genuine happiness” in which the combination of mental balance, ethics and wisdom come together to create a sustainable sense of authentic happiness. Through mindful awareness and the cultivation of mental balance, we can apply greater wisdom in choosing how to experience and express emotions, leading to joy and fulfillment from an ethical life.
Altruism, for example, has been well-studied as a source of happiness and fulfillment. Being kind to others naturally sets the mind more at ease and with greater mental balance, leading back into greater awareness and wisdom. Thus a synergy of genuine happiness becomes a reinforcing and growing experience.
To learn more about emotional awareness and cultivating your own sense of genuine happiness, you may be interested in:
- Emotions Revealed: Dr. Paul Ekman’s bestselling book about the nature and expression of our emotions.
- Atlas of Emotions: A free and interactive online tool designed by Drs. Paul and Eve Ekman to help you better understand and describe your emotional landscape, triggers and effects.
Cultivating Emotional Balance: A secular training program created by Drs. Paul and Eve Ekman and other emotion researchers combining insights from Buddhist wisdom traditions, contemplative sciences and modern psychology.
