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Happiness,theHardWay|GreaterGood

Happiness, the Hard Way

ByDarrinM.McMahon|May1,2009|1Comment

Doyouwanttobehappy?Thenfocusonmakingotherpeoplehappy,arguesDarrinM.McMahon.

IthinkitisprobablyfairtoassumethatmostAmericanstodayconsiderhappinessnot
onlysomethingthatwouldbenicetohave,butsomethingthatwereallyoughtto
haveand,moreover,somethingthatswithinourpowertobringabout,ifonlywe
setourmindstoit.Wecanbehappy,wetellourselves,teethgritted.Weshouldbehappy.We
willbehappy.
Thatisamodernarticleoffaith.ButitisalsoarelativelyrecentideaintheWestwhichdates
fromthe17thand18thcenturies,atimethatusheredinadramaticshiftinwhathuman
beingscouldlegitimatelyhopetoexpectinandfromtheirlives.Peoplepriortothelate17th
centurythoughthappinesswasamatterofluckorvirtueordivinefavor.Todaywethinkof
happinessasarightandaskillthatcanbedeveloped.Thishasbeenliberating,insomerespects,
becauseitasksustostrivetoimproveourlotsinlife,individuallyandcollectively.Butthere
havebeendownsidesaswell.Itseemsthatwhenwewanttobehappyallofthetime,wecan
forgetthatthepursuitofhappinesscanentailstruggle,sacrifice,evenpain.
Rootsofhappiness
Languagerevealsancientdefinitionsofhappiness.ItisastrikingfactthatineveryIndo
Europeanlanguage,withoutexception,goingallthewaybacktoancientGreek,thewordfor
happinessisacognatewiththewordforluck.HapistheOldNorseandOldEnglishrootof
happiness,anditjustmeansluckorchance,asdidtheOldFrenchheur,givingusbonheur,good
fortuneorhappiness.GermangivesusthewordGluck,whichtothisdaymeansbothhappiness
andchance.
Whatdoesthislinguisticpatternsuggest?Foragoodmanyancientpeoplesandformany
otherslongafterthathappinesswasnotsomethingyoucouldcontrol.Itwasinthehandsof
thegods,dictatedbyFateorFortune,controlledbythestars,notsomethingthatyouorIcould
reallycountuponormakeforourselves.Happiness,literally,waswhathappenedtous,andthat
wasultimatelyoutofourhands.AsthemonkinChaucersCanterburyTalesdeclares:
AndthusdoesFortuneswheelturntreacherouslyAndoutofhappinessbringmentosorrow.
Inotherwords,thewheeloffortunecontrolsourhappenstance,andhenceourhappiness.
Therewere,ofcourse,otherwaysofthinkingabouthappiness.ThosewhohavestudiedGreekor
RomanphilosophywillknowthathappinesswhattheGreekscalled,inoneofseveralwords,
eudaimoniawasthegoalofallClassicalphilosophy,beginningwithSocratesandPlato,then
takenupevenmorecentrallybyAristotle,thenfeaturedprominentlyinallthemajorschools
ofClassicalthought,includingthatoftheEpicureans,Stoics,andsoforth.Intheirview,
happinesscouldbeearned,aperspectivethatanticipatesourmodernone.
Butthereisacrucialdifferencebetweentheirideasofhappinessandours.Formostofthese
Classicalphilosophers,happinessisneversimplyafunctionofgoodfeelingofwhatputsasmile
onourfacebutratheroflivinggoodlives,livesthatwillalmostcertainlyincludeagooddealof
pain.ThemostdramaticillustrationofthisistheRomanstatesmanandphilosopherCiceros
claimthatthehappymanwillbehappyevenonthetorturewrack.
Thatsoundsludicroustoustodayandperhapsitisbutitverynicelycapturesthewaythe
ancientsthoughtofhappiness,notasanemotionalstatebutasanoutcomeofmoral
comportment.Happinessisalifelivedaccordingtovirtue,Aristotlefamouslysays.Itis
measuredinlifetimes,notmoments.Andithasfarmoretodowithhowweorderourselvesand
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ourlivesasawholethananythingthatmighthappenindividuallytoanyoneofus.
Giventhesepresuppositions,theancientstendedtoagreethatveryfewwouldeversucceedin
beinghappy,becausehappinesstakesanincredibleamountofwork,disciplineanddevotion,and
mostpeople,intheend,aresimplynotuptothetask.ThehappyarewhatAristotlecallshappy
few.Theyare,ifyoulike,theethicalelite.Thisisnotademocraticconceptionofhappiness.
AftertheGreekandRomantraditions,wehaveJewishandChristianideasabouthappiness.In
theprevailingChristianunderstanding,happinesscanoccurinoneofthreecircumstances.It
canbefoundinthepastinalostGoldenAge,intheGardenofEdenwhenAdamandEvewere
perfectlycontent.ItcanberevealedinthefuturethemillenniumwhenChristwillreturnand
theKingdomofGodwillgenuinelybeathand.Orwecanfindhappinessinheaven,whenthe
saintsshallknowtheperfectfelicity,asThomasAquinasputsit,thepureblissofunionwith
God.Strictlyspeaking,thisisthehappinessofdeath.
AndsointhedominantChristianworldview,happinessisnotsomethingwecanobtaininthis
life.Itisnotournaturalstate.Onthecontrary,itisanexaltedcondition,reservedfortheelect
inatimeoutsideoftime,attheendofhistory.Thisistheoppositeoftodaysegalitarian,feel
goodnowconceptionofhappiness.
Happinessrevolution
Enterthe17thand18thcenturies,whenarevolutioninhumanexpectationsoverthrewthese
oldideasofhappiness.ItisinthistimethattheFrenchEncyclopdie,theBibleoftheEuropean
Enlightenment,declaresinitsarticleonhappinessthateveryonehasarighttobehappy.Itisin
thistimethatThomasJeffersondeclaresthepursuitofhappinesstobeaselfevidenttruth,
whilehiscolleagueGeorgeMason,intheVirginiaDeclarationofRights,speaksofpursuingand
obtaininghappinessasanaturalendowmentandright.AnditisinthistimethattheFrench
revolutionaryleaderSt.JustcanstandupduringtheheightoftheJacobinrevolutioninFrance
in1794anddeclare:HappinessisanewideainEurope.Inmanywaysitwas.
WhentheEnglishphilosopherandrevolutionaryJohnLockedeclaredattheendofthe17th
centurythatthebusinessofmanistobehappy,hemeantthatweshouldntassumethat
sufferingisournaturallot,andthatweshouldnthavetoapologizeforourpleasureshereon
earth.Onthecontrary,weshouldworktoincreasethem.Itwasntasintoenjoyourbodies,his
contemporariesbegantoargue.Itwasntgluttonyandgreedtoworktoimproveourstandards
ofliving.Itwasntasignofluxuryanddepravitytopursuepleasuresoftheflesh,andwhatever
otherkindaswell.Pleasurewasgood.Painwasbad.Weshouldmaximizetheoneandminimize
theother,yieldingthegreatesthappinessforthegreatestnumber.
Thiswasaliberatingperspective.StartinginLockestime,menandwomenintheWestdaredto
thinkofhappinessassomethingmorethanadivinegift,lessfortuitousthanfortune,less
exaltedthanamillenariandream.Forthefirsttimeinhumanhistory,comparativelylarge
numbersofpeoplewereexposedtothenovelprospectthattheymightnothavetosufferasan
unfailinglawoftheuniverse,thattheycouldandshouldexpecthappinessintheformofgood
feeling,andpleasureasarightofexistence.Thisisaprospectthathasgraduallyspreadfromthe
originallyrathernarrowuniverseofwhitementoincludewomen,peopleofcolor,children
indeed,humanityasawhole.
Thisneworientationtowardshappinesswas,asIsay,liberatinginmanyrespects.Iwouldargue
thatitcontinuestoliebehindsomeofourmostnoblehumanitariansentimentsthebeliefthat
sufferingisinherentlywrong,andthatallpeople,inallplaces,shouldhavetheopportunity,the
right,tobehappy.
Unnaturalhappiness
Butthereisadarksidetothisvisionofhappinessaswell,onethatmayhelpexplainwhyso
manyofusaresnappingupbooksabouthappinessandcomingtohappinessconferences,
searchingforanemotionthatweworryisabsentfromourlives.
Forallitspleasuresandbenefits,thisnewperspectiveonhappinessasagivenright,tendsto
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imaginehappinessnotassomethingwonthroughmoralcultivation,carriedoutoverthecourse
ofawelllivedlife,butassomethingouttherethatcouldbepursued,caught,andconsumed.
Happinesshasincreasinglybeenthoughttobemoreaboutgettinglittleinfusionsofpleasure,
aboutfeelinggoodratherthanbeinggood,lessaboutlivingthewelllivedlifethanabout
experiencingthewellfeltmoment.
Dontgetmewrong,thereisnothingbadaboutfeelinggood.ButIwouldsuggestthat
somethingofvaluemayhavebeenlostorforgotteninourtransitiontomodernideasof
happiness.Wecantfeelgoodallthetimenor,Ithink,shouldwewantto.Norshouldwe
assumethathappinesscanbehad(maybeabetterword?)withoutacertaindegreeofeffort,
andpossiblyevensacrificeandpain.Thesearethingsthattheoldertraditionsknewinthe
WestandtheEastalikeandthatwehaveforgotten.
Today,scienceisrediscoveringthevalidityofancientperspectivesonhappinessthatthereare
importantconnectionsbetweenhopeandhappiness,forexample,orbetweengratitudeand
forgivingandhappiness,altruismandhappiness.Scienceisoftenpaintedasbeingopposedto
mattersofthespirit,butnewdiscoveriesbyresearcherslikeMichaelMcCullough,Robert
Emmons,andmanyothersremindushowimportantnonmaterialistic,spiritualcultivationisto
ourhappinessandwellbeing.Itisallthemoreimportanttoreviveandcultivatethisolder
wisdomtoday,giventhatsomanyofusassumethatweoughttobehappyasamatterof
course,thatthisisournaturalstate.
Indeed,ifyouthinkaboutit,thisideaofhappinessasanaturalstatecreatesacuriousproblem.
WhatifImnothappy?DoesthatmeanthatImunnatural?AmIill,orbad,ordeficient?Is
theresomethingwrongwithme?IstheresomethingwrongwiththesocietyinwhichIlive?
TheseareallsymptomsofaconditionthatIcalltheunhappinessofnotbeinghappy,anditisa
peculiarlymoderncondition.
Tocurethiscondition,wemightfocuslessonourownpersonalhappinessandinsteadonthe
happinessofthosearoundus,forrelentlessfocusononesownhappinesshasthepotentialto
beselfdefeating.The19thcenturyphilosopherJohnStuartMilloncesaid,Askyourselfwhether
youarehappy,andyouceasetobeso.Whetherthatisreallytrueornot,Idontknow.But
giventhatweliveinaworldthatasksthisquestionofuseveryday,itisaparadoxworth
pondering.

AboutTheAuthor
DarrinM.McMahon,Ph.D.,isaprofessorof
historyatFloridaStateUniversityandtheauthor
ofHappiness,AHistory.Thispieceisbasedona
talkhedeliveredatthe2008"HappinessandIts
Causes"conferenceinSanFrancisco,co
sponsoredbytheGreaterGoodScienceCenter.

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