Skip to main content

What is a happy life?

  Who wouldn't want to be able to look back on a long and happy life at the end of their own lives?  But what makes a happy life?  What things should you pay attention to now in order to be satisfied with your own life later? Two different types of happiness In philosophy there is a dichotomy in the concept of happiness. The so-called  hedonism  from antiquity describes the pure feeling of pleasure.  Even today, groups of people are still referred to as hedonists who orientate themselves in life towards the gain of pleasure and see their personal happiness in maximizing moments of pleasure. The second “quality” of happiness is what is known as  eudaemonia  .  It denotes a long, happy period of time, in the best case all of life, which is best described as  satisfaction  based on a happy lifestyle.  This is more about living a good, effective, ethically justifiable life.  The hedonistic moments that embody the love of life are of course important in relation to happiness, but long

What is a happy life?

 


Who wouldn't want to be able to look back on a long and happy life at the end of their own lives? But what makes a happy life? What things should you pay attention to now in order to be satisfied with your own life later?

Two different types of happiness

In philosophy there is a dichotomy in the concept of happiness.

  1. The so-called hedonism from antiquity describes the pure feeling of pleasure. Even today, groups of people are still referred to as hedonists who orientate themselves in life towards the gain of pleasure and see their personal happiness in maximizing moments of pleasure.
  2. The second “quality” of happiness is what is known as eudaemonia . It denotes a long, happy period of time, in the best case all of life, which is best described as satisfaction based on a happy lifestyle. This is more about living a good, effective, ethically justifiable life. The hedonistic moments that embody the love of life are of course important in relation to happiness, but long-lasting happiness, life happiness, so to speak, can only be achieved through a successful lifestyle.

Wisdom

There are countless sayings and wisdom on the subject. They refer to the factors essential to happiness .

For example, Marcus Aurelius described the influence of thoughts on personal happiness:

"The happiness of your life depends on the nature of your thoughts."

Epiket was more concerned with the realistic attitude towards life and letting go of things, or the development of acceptance towards circumstances that cannot be changed:

"The way to happiness is not to worry about anything beyond our control."

Socrates, on the other hand, saw an essential factor in good behavior:

"Real happiness is: doing good."

And encouraged serenity and realistic expectations:

"Remember that human conditions are generally inconsistent, then you will not be too happy in happiness and not too sad in unhappiness."

Aristotle, seeing happiness in the task performed for its own sake, said:

“Happiness seems to lie in leisure. It belongs to those who are self-sufficient. "

He is describing what is now often called flow.

Just as there are many sayings about happiness, there are also numerous quotes that describe avoiding unhappiness as a strategy to increase happiness:

“Comparing is the end of happiness and the beginning of dissatisfaction”

- Søren Kierkegaard

So happiness is often a question of perspective:

“You complain with a dissatisfied spirit that happiness feeds you so meagerly? Set only one goal for your desires, who desires a lot, lacks a lot ”.

- Gotthold Ephraim Lessing

Erich Fromm describes happiness as a bit of work:

"Happiness is not a gift from the gods, but the fruit of an inner attitude."

Albert Schweizer attaches great importance to the conscious perception of happiness:

“Many people know that they are unhappy . But even more people don't know that they are happy. "

Ultimately, it's about learning to love your life and not waiting for the big final act, but learning to see happiness every day:

“Many people miss the little luck while waiting in vain for the big one. The true art of living is to see the wonderful in everyday life ”

- Pearl S. Buck

Tips for a happy life

There are some interesting tips that can make your life happier, even if happiness is individual. It's about actively contributing something to your own feelings, setting the priorities that are important for a successful life and developing sustainable happiness strategies as well as short-term moments of happiness.

1. Develop enthusiasm

Doing many things that bring joy and enthusiasm is a guarantee for happy feelings. It is anchored in modern societies that people believe in personal performance, which often leads to an excessive urge to function and corresponding excessive demands. In everyday life, things are more and more often neglected or neglected that make one personally happy because their significance seems so small under the negative stress. It is very important to do things for their own sake. The energy that comes from joy also helps with other tasks and in reducing stress.

2. Eat, move and sleep

A healthy diet, sufficient exercise and a restful and regular sleep are the physiological pillars for a happy life. Humans are programmed to eat healthy and get enough exercise. When the body gets what it needs, you can create an optimal starting point for happiness. Health is one of the most important factors for a positive attitude towards life.

3. Time for loved ones

Giving the important people a place in life makes you happy. Researchers from Harvard University have found in a long-term study that social relationships and the feeling of being part of a stable, social context are the main main factors for a long and happy life. So it is extremely important to maintain the close relationships in life and to spend a lot of time with the people you love. Togetherness creates happiness.

4. A little unhealthy things for more happiness

Avoiding too much unhealthy food is also important. Smoking, too much alcohol, too much ready-made products and sugar and other things lead to a poorer starting point for happiness. Irregular sleep, too little exercise and too much sitting in front of the television or computer also reduce the level of happiness. Small sins are of course allowed and lead to sensations of pleasure like the piece of cake, but excess makes you unhappy in the long run. There is a fine line between indulging and harming yourself.

5. Meditate

Meditating makes you happy. You have to do it for a while to see the difference. But meditation increases well-being because it promotes the mindfulness of the individual in the respective moment. Being conscious increases the level of happiness, and meditation also increases the degree of neuroplasticity, i.e. the formation and interweaving of cells in the brain. The brain can, so to speak, renew itself. This favors learning processes of all kinds.

6. Help

Help is an enrichment, Socrates already knew that. Doing good is essential because sharing makes us happy. The opportunity to do something for other people, for society or to get involved socially gives you the feeling of being able to contribute to something bigger.

7. Think good thoughts

Exercises for gratitude and for breaking negative chains of thought make you happy or reduce unhappiness. Since our thoughts also determine our emotions and a certain way of acting usually follows from our thoughts, they have a dominant influence on a successful life. It is important to break through the negative thoughts with strategies. These are individual. People who are prone to brooding and more of the less chronic mood should definitely acquire a repertoire of methods to counteract the brooding.

8. Remain realistic

Realism makes you happy. Anyone who sets goals that are unrealistic will not achieve them and can become unhappy as a result. A successful life is one that brings out the best in oneself. If you wish for something totally unrealistic, you not only miss the goal (of life), but all the energy and time are wasted. Since it is important not to feel powerless, a realistic expectation is the best starting point to write a story of success.

9. Looking for challenges

Challenges that are feasible and that positively promote or develop the potential of the individual increase positive feelings.

10. Do nothing

Being active is important for happiness. But do nothing either. Relax, be with yourself, enjoy something and come to rest. Happiness is also balance. It is essential to create an inner balance with external events.

11. Reading

Reading also makes you happy. By reading people can learn from strange lives, immerse themselves in another world and increase their imagination. The brain also enjoys reading as a habit that is happy and also trains the brain.

12. Try something new

Trying out new things makes you happy. It is important to remain flexible and spontaneous in order to increase happiness. Because we humans and get used to everything sometimes dull moments of happiness in everyday life. When we do something new, curiosity and tension create happiness and life feels richer.

13. Be in the now

Happiness and unhappiness are also determined by the time perspective of the individual. Most of the time, unhappiness is associated with mourning or regret for the past or fear about the future. Neither of these takes place in the now. The teaching of mindfulness teaches people to focus on the here and now because the now is actually always neutral.

14. Nature

Excursions into nature have also been shown to be helpful in increasing happiness. In Japan there is what is known as forest bathing. A naturally healing and happy effect is ascribed to the forest. So walking in the fresh air is always a good choice. The feeling of being at home in nature can give people the strength to let go of their everyday life and recharge their batteries.

15. Finding personal values ​​and meaning in life

Finding an answer to the question of which values ​​are personally most important and then aligning your actions with them increases the chance of a happy life. Even people who have found an answer to the question of why they are in the world and who dedicate themselves to a purpose are happier than those who cannot orient themselves.

Even if people don't find meaning in your life, it doesn't matter. Here other things should simply be done to lead a happy life. Because hours of pondering about the meaning of life can be a waste of time, and this time can be used to pursue happiness.

Happy people live longer

Studies of people's longevity have found that they live particularly long if, in addition to the essential health factors, they have fulfilled some of the happiness factors in their life.

For example, researchers have studied the Japanese island of centenarians, Okinawa. The people there lead a community-minded lifestyle with plenty of exercise and a traditional, regular, and healthy diet. If one compares the studies on longevity with those of happiness research , it is noticeable that people in the regions of longevity rate themselves as rather happy. See happiness and longevity as being in a mutually beneficial relationship.

Where do happy people live?

According to the World Happiness Report commissioned by the United Nations, which examines where people are happiest in the world and creates rankings, the northern European countries, Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, Norway and - currently at the top - are always at the top 1 - Finland. According to happiness researchers, this is due to many different factors. Economic security, good educational opportunities, a functioning health system, the relatively high degree of self-determination and the possibility of individual life planning, a healthy relationship between work and leisure and even culturally anchored happiness values ​​play an important role here. The personal happiness of the people in Northern Europe is high.

Conclusion

It has never been so easy to get ideas for a successful life and to be inspired by them. There are innumerable individual possibilities for personal happiness. Everyone can make themselves a little happier every day by asking the right questions about personal priorities and what is really important. The answers to these questions and constant action geared towards these answers set the course for a successful life.


Comments