The pursuit of happiness can be a complicated goal to aim for, but the happiness of pursuit might be the sweet spot we’re all looking for. Let me explain.
Happiness And The Happiness Of Pursuit
According to Think Local Act Personal, happiness isn’t a static state; it isn’t something that we can achieve and then stay in, which makes sense. We’re wired in such a way that we’re capable of adapting to both positive and negative changes in our lives, whereby feelings like euphoria, happiness, and even sadness and anger wear off. This is known as hedonic adaptation. We then return to our natural baseline.
This means that treating happiness like an end goal isn’t going to bring the happiness we would like. That doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with the pursuit of happiness, as it’s a legitimate and important endeavour (Haybron, 2013).
The Pursuit Of Happiness
One of the issues with the pursuit of happiness is knowing what we should do to make ourselves happier (Haybron, 2013). It’s not always easy for us to answer, just like quantifying what happiness is can be difficult even in researching happiness.
For example, Vivaldi’s (2014) study found that people escaping the conflict in former Yugoslavia, and moving to Naples, Italy, did so in part to pursue a better quality of life. A pursuit of happiness that most of us will never experience, but it certainly is valid, and should be a human right.
The happiness they hope to find through better access to economic opportunities will differ greatly from the interpretation that if you’re not hurting someone and it makes you happy, then you should do it (Haybron, 2013). That too sounds like a level of freedom we should all have, but then people will always find fault with what counts as not hurting others. But does this level of freedom actually equal happiness?
Positive emotions work as fuel that propels us on the road to happiness. Experiencing love, joy, and gratitude feels good, and also helps build our resilience (Think Local Act Personal). That resilience then helps us navigate the stress of modern life.
But is it healthy to seek out happiness as if it’s the only goal when such feelings of happiness fade? The pursuit of happiness in its raw basic form would be the pursuit of hedonic pleasure, but when has that ever ended well? The pursuit of happiness and the happiness of pursuit are two very different concepts to the pursuit of hedonic pleasure.
As I argued in my article about microjoys, it’s the little moments of joy that can make the biggest difference in our lives. A little moment of joy can be enough to turn a shitty day into an ok day if not a good day.
However, there can also be a downside to the pursuit of happiness when taken to its extremes. As reported by the BBC, the pursuit of happiness can become toxic when we fixate on the idea that we have to be happy all the time.
For example, this can lead to us thinking there’s something wrong with us if we’re not happy in our job, or if our diet doesn’t lead to happiness. Dieting is notorious for causing people to feel miserable (which I can attest to). As for work, we’re not all going to be lucky enough to find a job that makes us happy or gives us a sense of fulfilment and purpose.
The obsessive pursuit of happiness is going to set you up to fail, so it’s not surprising that it’s associated with a greater risk of depression.
The Happiness Of Pursuit And The Hedonic Paradox
According to The World Counts, the Hedonic Paradox (also known as the Pleasure Paradox) states that if your sole goal is the pursuit of happiness for yourself, then this is setting yourself up to fail. After all, it’s impossible to stay happy all the time. They argue that creating other goals where happiness is a side-effect is a more effective way to achieve happiness. Or put another way, this is the happiness of pursuit.
Think about it. We all feel that sense of achievement when we reach our goals and complete steps that lead us to our goals, so why wouldn’t this be a better way to feel happier in our lives? I know I get meaning and purpose from my role as a therapist and as a blogger, but they don’t directly make me happy, yet they can still cause a sense of happiness and contentment.
We all know the feeling of buying something new, like getting a new phone, but that fleeting moment of happiness is soon gone (The World Counts). And you can’t chase that kind of happiness by constantly buying yourself new things, or chasing a high with drugs and gambling. That is why hoping for a hedonic romp through life won’t make you happy for long, but the happiness of pursuit might just scratch that itch for you.
That doesn’t mean you can’t think about happiness, as there are many roads to happiness, and they don’t have to be purely hedonistic. As Haybron (2013) pointed out, if you had the choice between two jobs, one that you know would make you miserable and one that you’d enjoy. Why would you discount your potential happiness when making such a decision?
Like anything in life, it’s about finding a balance, rather than denying yourself pleasure for the sake of it. There’s nothing wrong with treating yourself to a slice of cake now and then, but having cake at every meal would be problematic. So enjoy your hobbies and interests without feeling guilty for doing so, as they’re important to our wellbeing.
The Happiness Of Pursuit And Cultivating Happiness
Positive psychology has shown us the benefits of engaging in activities like practising gratitude, journaling, and acts of kindness. But there’s also something else to consider: entering the “flow” state. The “flow” state is where we can become so focused and absorbed by something that we might not notice the passing of time and stuff like hunger cues (Think Local Act Personal).
This state is recognised as a form of happiness and is best achieved when your skills match the challenge at hand, ideally doing something you enjoy. I often go into this state when writing my articles for my blog.
As I’ve already stated, acts of kindness are beneficial to our wellbeing, but we don’t always realise that this is a form of happiness as well. By fostering empathy, cooperation, and community spirit, we can not only get the benefits of feeling happy through that kindness (Think Local Act Personal) but so can those around us. And with the recent far-right riots in the UK, we can certainly do with more of that kindness at a community level. Not that there haven’t been such acts of kindness in response to those racially motivated riots.
Summary
The pursuit of happiness can mean different things to different people. For some, it might be to prioritise enjoyment while, for someone else, it’s about providing a better life for their loved ones. But often, it’s the happiness of pursuit, the journey, that brings us long-lasting happiness rather than happiness as an end goal.
As always, leave your feedback in the comments section below. Also, please share your experiences with the happiness of pursuit in the comments section below as well. Don’t forget, if you want to stay up-to-date with my blog, you can sign up for my newsletter below. Alternatively, click the red bell icon in the bottom right corner to get push notifications for new articles.
Lastly, if you’d like to support my blog, then there are PayPal and Ko-fi donation payment options below. You can also become a member of Unwanted Life. For more information, check out the membership options here. Until next time, Unwanted Life readers.
References
Haybron, D. M. (2013). The proper pursuit of happiness. Res Philosophica, 90(3), 387-411. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Daniel-Haybron/publication/270733125_The_Proper_Pursuit_of_Happiness/links/56059ec408aea25fce33f1bc/The-Proper-Pursuit-of-Happiness.pdf.
Vivaldi, E. (2014). The Pursuit of Happiness. Roma Rights, (1), 53-60. Retrieved from https://www.errc.org/uploads/upload_en/file/roma-rights-1-2014-going-nowhere-western-balkan-roma-and-eu-visa-liberalisation.pdf#page=53.
I absolutely LOVE this post! That is so good to flip the idea, and it hugely resonated with me!
It made me realise I’m really happy pursuing my challenge of trying 52 new things each year. Whilst it always feels like a happy accomplishment when I achieve the goal, it’s the journey along the way – the joy that’s found from the mixture of things I try, the passionate people I meet, the learning that comes with it and the self discovery, that all makes me happy, but it’s a by-product of the pursuit of my challenge! And you are sooooo right, we definitely need more acts of kindness.
Thank you so much for sharing, and for giving us another way of thinking about happiness – it’s very much appreciated.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience, and good luck with trying your 52 new things each year. It sounds like a great idea
Excellent article as always! I love being in the flow state, and it is true that time passes so quickly when in it. There are ways to get yourself there, such as meditative techniques while working, done by listening to music or something. I totally agree that happiness as a goal is harmful, we all live in a vibration and that vibration is on waves, we cannot possibly always be riding high, because we need balance ultimately. We live on a see-saw of emotions, and that is how it should be. I think that if you find your true purpose then you are on the road to happiness, and as you say, the journey is far more rewarding than the destination. Keep up the solid work.
Finding something that gives you purpose comes with more than the happiness of being able to do that, but a feeling of contentment you don’t often get, which has a very positive effect on your quality of life. Thanks for commenting