1. Happiness and Happy Schools
1.2 Theoretical Perspectives of Happiness
Prof. Vandana Punia
There are main theories of happiness that try to describe the focus of the question of what makes people feel happy. These are:
1. Hedonistic Happiness: Hedonic happiness is attained through an understanding of pleasure and enjoyment. In the fourth century B.C., the Greek philosopher Aristippus believed that the ultimate goal in our life should be to make the most of pleasure. It means happiness encompasses maximising pleasure and minimising pain.
Characteristics:
Presence of positive mood: Individuals experience feelings of pleasure, joy, and contentment.
Absence of negative mood: Happiness involves minimising feelings of pain, discomfort, or suffering.
Satisfaction with various domains of life: Happiness is achieved through satisfaction in different aspects of life, such as work, relationships, and leisure
2. Eudemonic Happiness: Aristotle, a great philosopher, used this to explain one’s happiness. Instead of simple pleasure or pain, Eudemonic happiness is one’s values or ideals or achieving a goal through effort or struggle. This is a deeper sense of happiness and is also called Psychological well-being. Eudemonic Happiness consists of exercising an individual’s strengths, abilities, talents, values and skills.
- Characteristics:
- Sense of Control or Self-Regulation
- A feeling of Meaning and Purpose
- Feelings of belongingness
- Social contribution
Activity 2
Narrate your Happiness categorizing in Hedonistic Happiness and Eudemonic Happiness.
- What does Hedonic happiness mean to us? Think about your happiness.
- What does Eudemonic happiness mean to us? Think about your happiness.
Examples
- Hedonistic Happiness is like when you’re having a blast playing with your friends at the park or when you get a big scoop of your favourite ice cream. It’s about feeling happy and excited because something fun or yummy is happening.
- Eudaimonic Happiness is when you feel proud of yourself for doing something you worked hard on, like finishing a puzzle or helping your mom with chores. It’s about feeling good inside because you’re doing things that make you feel proud and accomplished.
