Philosophy And happiness

Written By Colēgia

Philosophy and happiness are much more interconnected than we may expect. Finding ways to change how we review our thinking along with seeing things in a different light can work wonders for our well-being. Today we want to discuss the relationship between both of these concepts and why they're important.

Thinking About What Makes us Happy

Philosophy trains us to be aware and mindful of our thoughts. It prompts us to delve deeper into why we view things the way we do, along with questioning how we feel about things. We can use this to think about happiness as well. Asking what makes you happy is good as it helps us critically look at the things we value. Does your happiness revolve around the things you own or possessions? Do relationships and bonds have an influence over your happiness? What about personal self-worth? Each of these is good to consider as we need to think about the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that contribute to our happiness. Intrinsic happiness comes from things that provide us value from within, such as being able to put your best foot forward on a project. Extrinsic happiness comes from rewards such as receiving a gift for doing something well. Both of these have a large impact on our happiness and it’s good to keep a healthy balance with them.

“Philosophy trains us to be aware and mindful of our thoughts.”

Where Does Happiness Come From?

Happiness can be a complicated subject to talk about as it can come and go. Some people view happiness as a state of mind, others view it as an emotion that we experience. The origin of it is something that is inherently personal and can be different depending on the person. Taking time to think about this is necessary as many of us may react differently when happy. For example, one person’s idea of happiness may be the feeling of being content with all of their emotions. Another person’s idea of happiness can involve spreading generosity to others to help share that feeling. Regardless of how you choose to express it, going within to see where those feelings come from is good to help you see how it affects you.

“Some people view happiness as a state of mind, others view it as an emotion that we experience.”

A Self-sustaining Mindset

Changing how we view happiness and how to better incorporate it into our life can help us adopt a more self-sustaining mindset. There are many emotions that we will experience throughout our lives such as sadness, anger, and happiness. Thinking about how each of these ties into each other is good as they all encompass the human experience. There will be times where we may need to take a step back to assess and think about our thoughts. We need to channel our inner philosopher at times as this can let us critically review whether we are reacting appropriately to something or to review the thoughts of others. Using rational thought while also being aware of our emotions is one way to adapt this self-sustaining mindset. Happiness can empower us to do many things and using it in conjunction with our other emotions can let us lead a more fulfilling life.

Colēgia

Colēgia

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The Humanistic Perspective