1451 Controlling Happiness

Any discussion of happiness always has to begin with what it is. Everyone knows that happiness exists because we have all experienced it but it’s very confusing. For example, it seems obvious to the poor that money can buy happiness but the rich deny it, which makes defining “happiness” a challenge. There’s also confusion because happiness is so many things; for example, tranquility is happiness, pride is happiness, love is happiness. And so many things induce happiness, at least for a while, making it more mysterious. Plus, repeating the things that made you happy before are not a guarantee; what once brought happiness, may no longer, and what makes one person happy may not do the same for another. Because of this, most philosophers have come to the conclusion that happiness is subjective. However, there are some concrete suggestions on how to achieve happiness. Philosophers know, even if they’re not happy themselves, that the most enduring happiness comes from contentment: satisfaction with one’s achievements, family, memories, health, residence & status in life. Children are the prime example of this; they can be happy no matter what, even despite their particular circumstances such as an ailment or handicap, due to their innocence. Most people envy the happiness of a child and want to know how they can achieve it again. It’s ironic that the most important goal in life, happiness, is so ill-defined, and yet the best understood. Simply scapegoating the happiness question without providing a concrete answer is cowardly and comes from a lack of imagination. We are all organic machines whose mechanisms are scientifically understood. Our brains float in a bath of chemicals that cause every emotion, including happiness; knowing the ingredients and the amount of each, happiness can indeed be measured, which means it can be controlled.