Happiness Definition

It turns out that there is not one simple happiness definition. In fact researchers in the field suggest that it is a rather difficult word to define. Here are three definitions from leading psychologists.

Firstly, Michael Fordyce asks the question can you define happiness. he argues that few people he has interviewed can easily answer that question. However he suggests that

"it is nothing more than an emotion. Psychologists define it as a longer-term sense of emotional well-being and contentment - a general "feeling" that one is happy."

Happiness then is an overall feeling of satisfaction with life that pervades over longer-time periods.

Whilst it is a happiness definition which we can all probably identify with, two further definitions help us to understand a bit more clearly what happiness is and perhaps where it comes from.

Happiness Definition: Three Levels

John Nettle, in his book "Happiness. The science behind your smile." suggests that there are three levels to understanding happiness:

Level 1 is our momentary feeling, our sense of joy and pleasure.

Level 2 reflects our judgements about feeling, relating to our sense of wellbeing and satisfaction.

Level 3 is associated with quality of life, and conveys the idea of flourishing and fulfilling one's potential.

Nettle argues that the more generally understood meaning of happiness relates to levels 1 and 2. This is in contrast to Martin Seligman who published his ground-breaking book: "Authentic Happiness". In this landmark book, Seligman illustrates that happiness encompasses all three of Nettle's levels, but he emphasises the importance of level 3.

Happiness Definition: Pleasure, Goodness and Meaning

Seligman agrees with Nettle's sense that happiness is an unwieldy term to try and define. Which explains why he too has defined happiness by three distinct routes.

Seligman describes how "authentic" happiness can be achieved by combining and balancing three approaches to life:

The pleasant life: a life that successfully pursues the positive emotions about the present, past, and future.

The good life: (or the engaged life) using your signature strengths to obtain abundant gratification (activities we like doing) in the main realms of your life.

The meaningful life: using your signature strengths and virtues in the service of something much larger than you are.

If we combine and balance these, we're likely to find authentic happiness, in a full life. In particular Seligman stresses that recent research has shown that

"the most satisfied people are those who orient their pursuits toward all three, with the greatest weight carried by engagement and meaning."

You can read more about Michael Fordyce's happiness definition and his excellent discussion of happiness.

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