Happiness (1)

Love and Happiness

• romantic love: an emotion liberating individuals while also promoting and regulating ways of life

• discourses about love pre-exist our own feelings of love; hence, the personal experience follows uniform, prescribed patterns

• self-help books / programs / influencers shaping these discourses: presenting the self as flawed, imperfect, to be improved in order to attain love/happiness

History of Happiness

• up to the 18th century: Happiness as a religious concept of the afterlife

• Enlightenment period: Happiness as a state to be reached in this life

• United States Declaration of Independence (1776): We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness

Henry David Thoreau, Walden (1854)

• account of two years in a cabin in the

woods (half an hour from town)

• looking for a free, autonomous, spiritually fulfilling identity

• comparing everyday life to slavery: "worst of all when you are the slave-driver of yourself

• wished to live deliberately

• not a search for happiness

• wanted to find out about the positive and negative things in life to know life and give a true account of it

Emma Seppälä (Stanford, now Yale) Six Keys to Happiness and Success (The HappinessTrack, 2016)

1. Live (or work) in the moment. Instead of always thinking about what’s next on your to-do list, focus on the task or conversation at hand. You will become not only more productive but also more charismatic.

2. Tap into your resilience. Instead of living in overdrive, train your nervous system to bounce back from setbacks. You will naturally reduce stress and thrive in the face of difficulties and challenges.

3. Manage your energy. Instead of engaging in exhausting thoughts and emotions, learn to manage your stamina by remaining calm and centred. You’ll be able to save precious mental energy for the tasks that need it most.

4. Do nothing. Instead of spending all your time focused intently on your field, make time for idleness, fun and irrelevant interests. You will become more creative and innovative and will be more likely to come up with breakthrough ideas.

5. Be good to yourself. Instead of only playing to your strengths and being self-critical, be compassionate with yourself and understand that your brain is built to learn new things. You will improve your ability to excel in the face of challenge and learn from mistakes.

6. Show compassion to others. Instead of remaining focused on yourself, express compassion to and show interest in those around you, and maintain supportive relationships with your colleagues and boss or employees. You will dramatically increase the loyalty and commitment of those around you, thereby improving productivity, performance and influence

main differences between Walden and the Happiness Track

Walden:

• to live simply

• know more about life

The Happiness Track:

• about getting ahead in life/career

• happiness → success

• happiness related to productivity