Summary

The article outlines three key elements for achieving authentic happiness: enjoyment, satisfaction, and purpose, emphasizing that happiness is a byproduct of a meaningful life rather than a pursuit of fleeting pleasures.

Abstract

The "The Simple Road to Happiness" article discusses the misconceptions surrounding happiness, highlighting that it is not found in the accumulation of more but in enjoying less. It introduces the concept of The Hedonic Treadmill, where individuals constantly chase the next big achievement only to find temporary happiness. The author, referencing social scientist Arthur Brooks, suggests that true happiness is derived from a balance of enjoyment, satisfaction, and purpose, rather than from singular, monumental life events. Enjoyment involves creating connections and prioritizing fun, satisfaction comes from appreciating what one has and achieving a sense of contentment, and purpose is found in understanding and embracing one's feelings, even negative ones, to guide personal direction. The article also touches on the importance of gratitude, the acceptance of pain as part of life, and the need to cultivate emotional intelligence to navigate suffering.

Opinions

Happiness is mistakenly equated with achieving big life events or successes, which is a flawed approach as these feelings are transient.
The pursuit of happiness can lead to a cycle of dissatisfaction known as The Hedonic Treadmill, where one constantly seeks to recreate euphoric moments that are inherently unsustainable.
Enjoyment is a crucial component of happiness and is best experienced through meaningful connections with others and by prioritizing time for fun within a structured schedule.
Satisfaction is not about constant success but rather about appreciating and finding joy in what one already possesses, avoiding the trap of perfectionism.
Purpose or meaning in life often becomes apparent during times of tragedy or significant life events, and understanding one's feelings is key to discovering personal purpose.
Gratitude for all experiences, including painful ones, is essential for a well-rounded and happy life.
Emotional intelligence is important for managing suffering, and it is necessary to avoid self-inflicted long suffering by being mindful and present.
The article suggests that the human condition is such that pain and joy are interconnected, and one cannot fully experience joy while trying to suppress pain.

The Simple Road to Happiness

3 Elements for Authentic Joy

“The secret of happiness, you see is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.”

-Socrates

Happiness is not a feeling. Happiness is not a destination. Happiness is not the absence of problems.

The pursuit of happiness isn't complicated. Maintaining happiness is.

Particularly this is true for the busy American adult immersed in chasing goals to exertion to achievement to the celebration and back to emotional homeostasis. Objectifying the big splash leads to a chronic state of misery.

Whew!

The rollercoaster I just described is called The Hedonic Treadmill. The display of utter turmoil attempting to gain a semblance of happiness.

Lottery winners provide us with a perfect example of this notion. A study performed in 1978 by Northwestern University researchers found that lottery winners’ level of happiness drops below the regular baseline after 6 months of winning. Their lives are spent trying to recreate the feeling of euphoria. They cannot.

Allow me to introduce Arthur Brooks. He is a social scientist, prolific author, and teaches at Harvard University as a professor of public leadership.

“The big things never last. The big stuff wears off. Don’t chase the big thing”, says Brooks.

Here are 3 key elements to building a happy life.

“Happiness is a byproduct of living our life in a meaningful way.” -Arthur Brooks

Arthur Brooks states that there are three main macronutrients to happiness. Happiness “isn’t a feeling” but a balance and abundance of the three nutrients. Let’s get to the first key ingredient.

1. Enjoyment-Enjoyment plus connection with people is crucial. The happiest people in their 80s developed the most connections. Human beings that have the most joy also set aside time for fun. They prioritize it as part of their structured schedule.

Using a 24-hour journal is a good method to develop and analyze the amount of joy you process. Journal throughout your entire day the moments that brought you joy.

People assume fun is frivolous instead of essential. Quite the opposite is true. Setting aside time for joyous moments actually has been proven to increase job productivity. Again, applying a balance is key.

2. Satisfaction-We become addicted to success. Satisfaction is achieved, celebrated, and then fades away. This is the concept of The Hedonic Treadmill. Chasing the supernova life event or groundbreaking accomplishment only leads to a stronger hunger for satisfaction.

Humans take for granted what they already have. We exude a tremendous amount of energy striving for perfection. This is what is called a maximizer. Until the maximizer conforms to a satisfied mindset this person will always be unhappy.

“Earned success through work and creating value in your life and the lives of others is a true key to happiness.”- Arthur Brooks

3. Purpose or Meaning. People always remember the tragedies and significant life events when asked ‘what brings them purpose.’ Embrace the feelings of sadness or displacement. Feelings are actually neutral and don’t hold a negative or positive connotation.

Feelings are like a compass. They are the messages that tell us about the direction we need to go regarding purpose and meaning.

For instance, if you feel sad then ask yourself what is not working? Do you feel anxious? What is causing that anxiety in your life? Feelings will tell you what is important and deserve your attention.

Bonus. Humans should be grateful for our experiences. Inherently, the human life cycle is designed to undergo tragic events. There will be times of struggle which is the essence of how we are able to better understand ourselves.

One important thing to remember is that you cannot muffle your pain and still experience the joy. It is a symbiotic relationship. Everone will experience pain.

“I’m not the strongest. I’m not the fastest. But I’m really good at suffering.” -Amelia Boone

We can lessen the impact of suffering that we create for ourselves by being mindful. Stop doom-scrolling on social media. Social media has engineered the broader public to believe that life can be designed. The engineered concept for the best life assumes there is a right answer and a correct way. Life doesn’t work in that sense.

Cultivate emotional intelligence. Allow yourself time to grieve and experience deep sadness during tragic events. Pain is inevitable but long suffering we do to ourselves. Remember that suffering is measured in the distance we travel from our personal truth.

Summation. The three keys to building happiness are 1. Enjoyment 2. Satisfaction 3. Purpose

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I also wrote a relevant article about depression and creating peace within ourselves.

19 Best Practices If You Suffer from Chronic Depression

A window into personal turmoil and my roadmap to peace.

medium.com

*Quoted portions of this article are derived from The Atlantic podcast How to Build a Happy Life and Arthur C. Brooks.