Not All Happinesses Are Created Equal: 7 Flavors You Might Encounter

What Is Happiness? One of the reasons we struggle to find happiness is that we aren’t quite sure what it is. Imagine two different individuals on a summer’s evening. The first is sitting in the garden trying to finish a crossword before the sun sets, a gin and tonic on the table next to her, deep in thought. The second has just jumped out of a plane and is plummeting toward the earth at terminal velocity, marveling at the views beneath him and shrieking with delight. Which of the two individuals seems happier to you? It depends on what you think happiness is. If you would associate it with words like fun, laughter, euphoria, revelry, exuberance, exhilaration, and thrill, then the skydiver seems happier. He is visibly and audibly expressing pleasure and excitement, whereas the person with the crossword has a mild frown on her face and is biting the end of her pen in consternation. On the other hand, if you think of happiness as involving contentment, serenity, satisfaction, peace, harmony, rest, and bliss, you will be drawn to the crossword person. She is calm and relaxed rather than throbbing with cortisol. She seems at ease with herself. Her contentment is also likely to last much...