Make your time on earth count.
In Pursuit of Happiness? Look For Meaning Instead
The happiness industry is a multi-billion dollar industry. But are we any happier than before? Maybe what we’re looking for is something much deeper.
The last twenty-five years have seen an explosion in The Happiness Industry. This began with the emergence of a new domain of psychology in 1998 called Positive Psychology by Martin Seligman — Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania.
He was reacting against the field of psychology’s tendency to focus on mental illness, negative thinking and maladaptive behaviour.
Since then, thousands of books and articles have been written, movies made, and countless talks have been given on happiness. The self-help industry is now a multi-billion dollar industry. Preaching happiness is good business.
There’s even a global index for happiness to assess the well-being of the citizens of a country as if happiness was the ultimate yardstick of the well-being of an individual.
Where are we at now?
The fact that it’s in the American Declaration of Independence, “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” shows that this unalienable right to happiness goes way back to July 4th, 1776.
For all we’ve done to pursue happiness, it’s questionable if we’ve come close to that goal. Surveys show we are less happy than before — anxiety and depression are rising in the US amongst all population segments — even before the pandemic.
What makes you happy?
I started talking to people about what made them happy during my travels. Most moms told me they were happy if their kids were happy. Many others said they were happy as long as they had good health.
People were eager to rattle off what made them happy — walking in nature, spending time with loved ones, and listening to music were typical responses.
Happiness must happen, and the same holds for success: you have to let it happen by not caring about it.” ― Viktor E. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning.
Maybe it’s not happiness we’re after, but something more.
Happiness is an emotion. And emotions can be tricky and unreliable. Researchers from Stanford University, Harvard Business School and The University of Houston found that chasing happiness could make you more unhappy.
And that could be because many of us have got it all wrong. Maybe what we’re pursuing is something more profound. And perhaps, more meaningful. Something that gives us a deeper sense of fulfillment and not just a temporary happiness high.
That same research found that the trouble with happiness is if it’s only for personal gains. And when it’s focused merely on self.
Finding meaning instead of pursuing happiness.
According to social psychologist Roy Baumeister:
“What sets human beings apart from animals is not the pursuit of happiness, which occurs all across the natural world, but the pursuit of meaning, which is unique to humans”
There is a difference between happiness and meaningfulness. Happiness tends to be temporary and associated with a personal pursuit. Meaning is something and is associated with something greater than ourselves.
A study conducted by Barbara Fredrickson of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and Steven W. Cole of the ULCA School of Medicine found that “happiness derived from leading a life full of purpose and meaning seemed to protect health at the cellular level, while happiness derived from pleasure or self-gratification did not.”
Bringing it all together
In our constant pursuit of instant gratification and a fleeting sense of happiness, we may be missing the bigger picture.
Numerous studies have shown that people find greater fulfillment in the service of others. Especially when it’s something they’re passionate about.
Pursue what gives you meaning, and you will stumble upon happiness. Maybe it is true: that it is better to give than to receive.
“The pursuit of meaning, not happiness, is what makes life worthwhile” — Tom Rath —
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