The paradox of happiness
Happiness is a universal concept of which we all desire with its different flavors and nuances. Now, there is a complex path in identifying the meaning of happiness, the means to achieve it and its purpose. Disciplines such as philosophy, religion, science and art make attempts to describe it and it is clear that there is not always a consensus. This indicates that if you want to be happy there is an assignment and responsibility to study happiness because otherwise you may want a happiness that is not known; and if it is not known it is not possessed. In one of my writings I talked about human suffering and its impact on life. There is no life without suffering because suffering is part of it. So the important questions are:
A philosophy of happiness
Some consider happiness to be a pleasant state of mind; others identify it as a deep feeling of well-being and fulfillment. On the other hand, could it be that happiness is a utopian state as Freud said? For Aristotle, happiness was the natural and ultimate end of all sensible actions (Tejedor, 2014). This ethical view of happiness is called eudaimonism . On the other hand, we see hedonism , a concept worked very well by Epicurus. Hedonism is identified as the doctrine based on achieving pleasure and avoiding evil and suffering. As it should be noted, both concepts cover happiness in two different paradigms. The first, from a teleological paradigm where happiness is an end. The second, from a utilitarian paradigm where happiness is what matters.
An ethics of happiness
The German philosopher, Immanuel Kant presented that happiness is clearly subject to deontological ethics. According to Kant, human beings do what is right because it is their duty regardless of its consequences. This branch of ethics is very different from utilitarianism where you do what is useful and practical, not what you should. It is evident, after exploring these concepts, the correlation that ethics has with happiness.
Happiness and positive psychology
Positive psychology has studied happiness through the concept of well-being or “well-being”. Within well-being, hedonic well-being and eudaimonic well-being are considered (Delle et al., 2010). Hedonic well-being is considered “daily happiness” that includes moods, emotions, and life satisfaction. On the other hand, eudaimonic well-being is different from the first because it considers other variables such as the meaning and purpose of life together with the resources and abilities to achieve them. As you can see, the first has its focus on the present states of emotions and the second on the ends and purposes.
The paradox of happiness
After taking a panoramic route in the search for the meaning of happiness, it seems that there is a challenge in applying a methodology to be happy. I think many are looking for formulas to achieve happiness. In this search, some think that happiness is intrinsic to human nature, that is, it is already within us and we just have to find it. Furthermore, others present a dilemma when they cannot reconcile happiness with a state of pain and suffering in the face of life's circumstances. Then in those precise moments that the paradox of happiness becomes evident.
When we talk about a paradox we are referring to a rhetorical paradox which refers to ideas that seem to be in opposition but are not. According to Angela Duckworth, the number one predictor of happiness is friendship. Furthermore, studies indicate that happiness is highly correlated with the attitude of gratitude. It seems to indicate that the paradox of happiness is that the more you look for happiness, the less likely it is to be found. It seems that happiness is the consequence of practicing gratitude and maintaining systems of relationships sustained in friendship. Of course, these are correlations from which the direct causes of happiness cannot be totalized or presented, however, they point to strong evidence. In this search it is essential for me to consider Christian spirituality, I ask myself, is it God's desire for us to be happy? Is happiness a human whim where we find justifications for immediate gratifications?
Happiness according to the Christian faith
Christian spirituality offers an answer about happiness and the means to achieve it. In Psalm 1 the author offers a detailed list to achieve esher, a Hebrew word to identify happiness and joy (Strong, 2002). The psalmist states:
Psalm 1
Happy is the man who does not follow the counsel of the wicked, nor walk in the path of sinners, nor make common cause with those who mock God, but sets his love on the law of the Lord and meditates on it night and day. . That man is like a tree planted on the bank of a river, which bears its fruit in its season and its leaves never wither. Everything he does turns out well! The same does not happen with the wicked, because they are like chaff blown away by the wind. Therefore the wicked will fall under the judgment of God and will have no part in the community of the righteous. The Lord guards the path of the righteous, but the path of the wicked leads to disaster.
It is evident that, for the Christian faith, the person who knows the will of God and walks towards it is happy. In my opinion, it is a happiness based on virtue. Virtue is sensible actions based on reasoning. However, the difference is that it is a virtue that is not intrinsic to human nature because it is revealed as an act of grace on the part of God. Finally we see the paradox of happiness , following the will of God is the greatest virtue and on that path being happy is inevitable.
References:
Delle Fave, A., Brdar, I., Freire, T., Vella-Brodrick, D., & Wissing, M.P. (2010). The Eudaimonic and Hedonic Components of Happiness: Qualitative and Quantitative Findings. Social Indicators Research, 100 (2) , 185–207.
God speaks today, Psalm 1.
Margot, JP. (2007). The happiness. Philosophical Praxis , 25 , 55-79.
Weaver, C. (2014). Moral theology in Kant: on virtue and happiness. Factótum Philosophy Magazine , 11 , 81-87. Strong, J. (2002) Strong's New Concordance. Nelson Group.
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