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Essay on Happiness

List of essays on happiness, essay on happiness – short essay (essay 1 – 150 words), essay on happiness – for kids and children (essay 2 – 200 words), essay on happiness – 10 lines on happiness written in english (essay 3 – 250 words), essay on happiness (essay 4 – 300 words), essay on happiness – ways to be happy (essay 5 – 400 words), essay on happiness – for school students (class 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 standard) (essay 6 – 500 words), essay on happiness – ways of developing happiness (essay 7 – 600 words), essay on happiness – sources of suffering, happiness and conclusion (essay 8 – 750 words), essay on happiness – long essay on happiness (essay 9 – 1000 words).

Happiness is defined by different people in different ways. When we feel positive emotions we tend to feel happy. That is what happiness is all about. Happiness is also regarded as the mental state of a person in an optimistic manner.

Every person defines happiness in his/her own manner. In whatever manner you may define happiness; the truth is that it is vital for a healthy and prosperous life.

In order to make students understand what true happiness is all about, we have prepared short essays for students which shall enlighten them further on this topic.

Audience: The below given essays are exclusively written for school students (Class 3, 4 ,5, 6 and 7 Standard).

Introduction:

Happiness is a state of mind and the feeling expressed when things are going great. It is what we feel when we get our first car, buy a new house or graduate with the best grades. Happiness should be distinguished from joy. When joy is a constant state of mind, happiness depends on events in our lives.

Importance of Happiness:

The opposite of happiness is sadness which is a state of negativity in the mindset. When we remain sad for an extended period of time it can lead to depression. To avoid this state of mind we must always remind ourselves of happenings in our lives that made us happy.

Conclusion:

Though life throws countless challenges at us on a daily basis, if we drown in those challenges we would definitely become depressed. It is important that we find positive things in our daily lives to get excited about and feel the happiness.

Happiness is a state of mind which makes you feel accomplished in life and having everything in this world without a single reason to repent. Well, although there can be no perfect definition of happiness; happiness is when you feel you’re at the top of the world where a sense of complete satisfaction prevails.

The meaning of happiness is relative and varies from people to people. For some, happiness is when you experience professional success, reunions with family and friends, eating out, reading books or watching good movies. While for others, happiness can be accomplished by some weekend activities which might help you de-stress and get the satisfaction of mind.

If you involve yourself in social activities where you help the needy and provide support to the weaker section of the society, you can experience happiness if not anything else. When a young boy flies a kite, plays with mud, and watches the nature, for him, that is the greatest happiness in the world.

The happiness of mind is often considered quite contrary to jealousy and anger which you experience once you have failed or unaccomplished any desired goal. You should always try to rehearse the ways of keeping yourself satisfied and keeping away from negativity to experience peace and happiness in life. True happiness begins where desire ends!

What is happiness? It is a state of being happy. But it does not mean to be happy all the time. Happiness is a feeling of something good that is happening in our life. We feel happy when we achieve something. But happiness is spread when our dear one is happy as well. Some people find true happiness in playing with their pets, while some may find happiness in staying engaged in creative work.

Happiness is often derived from channelizing thoughts to positive thinking. However, it is not as simple as it may sound.

To achieve the state of complete happiness one has to practice on improving the state of life by:

1. Staying contended in life with what you have. Cribbing and grumbling never lead to happiness.

2. Staying focused on the current life instead of daydreaming of the good days or old days.

3. Stop blaming for something that went terribly wrong in life. The life is all about moving on. Stop worrying and set new goals in life.

4. Being thankful to God for all the good things that you have in your life.

5. Having good people around you who can boost up positivity in your life.

Everyone desires to be happy in life. Happiness cannot be achieved without establishing complete control of one’s thoughts as it is very easy to be carried away by the waves of thoughts and emotions surrounding us. Remind yourself of the good things of your life and be thankful about it.

What is happiness? Some would state that happiness implies being well off. Others would state that for them, happiness intends to be sound. You will discover individuals saying that for them happiness implies having love in their life, having numerous companions, a great job, or accomplishing a specific objective. There are individuals, who trust that the want of a specific wish would make happiness in their life; however, it may not be so. Having true happiness is something which is desired by all.

The Path to Happiness:

There are small things which when incorporated into our daily lives, can lead us to the path of happiness. For instance, instead of thinking about problems, we should actually be thinking about the solutions. Not only will we be happier but we shall also be able to solve our problems faster. Similarly, once in a while, you start the day with the longing to achieve a few targets. Toward the day’s end, you may feel disappointed and miserable, in light of the fact that you haven’t possessed the capacity to do those things. Take a look at what you have done, not at what you have not possessed the capacity to do. Regularly, regardless of whether you have achieved a ton amid the day, you let yourself feel disappointed, due to some minor assignments you didn’t achieve. This takes away happiness from you.

Again, now and then, you go throughout the day effectively completing numerous plans, yet as opposed to feeling cheerful and fulfilled, you see what was not cultivated and feel troubled. It is out of line towards you.

Each day accomplishes something good which you enjoy doing. It may tend to be something little, such as purchasing a book, eating something you cherish, viewing your most loved program on TV, heading out to a motion picture, or simply having a walk around the shoreline. Even small things can bring great levels of happiness in our lives and motivate us for new goals.

Happiness is not what you feel from outside, rather it is something which comes from your inner soul. We should find happiness in us rather than searching for it in worldly desires.

Happiness is defined by different people in different ways. Some find happiness in having a luxurious life while some find it in having loving people around them rather than money. True happiness lies within us and our expectation of happiness. It is something that should be felt and cannot be explained in words.

Even though this simple word has a lot of meaning hidden in it, many fail to understand the real one or feel the real happiness. Finding happiness in the outer world is the main reason for this failure. Nothing can buy you happiness, whether be the favorite thing you desire for or the person you love the most or the career you build, unless and until you feel it within yourself.

Ways to be Happy:

Bring happiness and soulful life to yourself rather than expecting it from the outside world like things, money, etc. Being happy is not as easy as advised to be one happier person. To be content and happy with whatever you have and yourself it takes time and patience. You should practice to be a happier person in all moments and eventually you will notice that no sorrow can sink you down.

Whatever good or bad happened in your past shouldn’t bother your present. Learn to live today with more happiness than yesterday and forget about your past sadness for a harmonious life. Thankfulness to the life you got is another important character you should acquire to be happy. If you compare yourself with someone with better luxurious life, then you will never be happy or content and do it the other way.

Don’t depress your mind with bad and negative thoughts about yourself and around. Try to find every goodness in a situation you face and accept the things that already happened, whether good or bad. Never forget to choose merrier and positive people to be closer to you so that their vibes will also help you in being one merrier person.

Whenever you feel low and depressed never hesitate to go to those around you to find happiness. But be aware of those negative ones that may pull you even deeper into the bad thoughts. Always surround yourself with positive thinking and motivating people so that you can rise higher even from the deepest fall.

Happiness is nothing but a feeling that will be seeded into your soul only if you wish to and nothing other than yourself can indulge this feeling in you. Don’t spoil your life finding happiness somewhere else.

Happiness is a very complicated thing. Happiness can be used both in emotional or mental state context and can vary largely from a feeling from contentment to very intense feeling of joy. It can also mean a life of satisfaction, good well-being and so many more. Happiness is a very difficult phenomenon to use words to describe as it is something that can be felt only. Happiness is very important if we want to lead a very good life. Sadly, happiness is absent from the lives of a lot of people nowadays. We all have our own very different concept of happiness. Some of us are of the opinion that we can get happiness through money, others believe they can only get true happiness in relationships, some even feel that happiness can only be gotten when they are excelling in their profession.

As we might probably know, happiness is nothing more than the state of one being content and happy. A lot of people in the past, present and some (even in the future will) have tried to define and explain what they think happiness really is. So far, the most reasonable one is the one that sees happiness as something that can only come from within a person and should not be sought for outside in the world.

Some very important points about happiness are discussed below:

1. Happiness can’t be bought with Money:

A lot of us try to find happiness where it is not. We associate and equate money with happiness. If at all there is happiness in money then all of the rich people we have around us would never feel sad. What we have come to see is that even the rich amongst us are the ones that suffer depression, relationship problems, stress, fear and even anxiousness. A lot of celebrities and successful people have committed suicide, this goes a long way to show that money or fame does not guarantee happiness. This does not mean that it is a bad thing to be rich and go after money. When you have money, you can afford many things that can make you and those around you very happy.

2. Happiness can only come from within:

There is a saying that explains that one can only get true happiness when one comes to the realisation that only one can make himself/herself happy. We can only find true happiness within ourselves and we can’t find it in other people. This saying and its meaning is always hammered on in different places but we still refuse to fully understand it and put it into good use. It is very important that we understand that happiness is nothing more than the state of a person’s mind. Happiness cannot come from all the physical things we see around us. Only we through our positive emotions that we can get through good thoughts have the ability to create true happiness.

Our emotions are created by our thoughts. Therefore, it is very important that we work on having only positive thoughts and this can be achieved when we see life in a positive light.

Happiness is desired by every person. However, there are very few persons that attain happiness easily in life.

It is quite tough to get happiness in life as people usually link it with the things and the people around them. The simple fact is that happiness usually starts as well as finishes with your own life. All those people who understand this fact easily get the true happiness in their life.

Happiness in Relationships:

There are lots of people who link happiness with the money and there are few others also who link it with the personal relations. It is very important to know that if you are not happy with yourself then, it is not possible to remain happy in your relationship as well.

The problems in the relationship have been increasing speedily and the main cause behind it is the huge amount of expectation that we have from the other individual. We always want them to make us feel happy. For example, some people feel happy if their partner plans a surprise for them or if he/she buy them a new dress. But all these things are not a true source of happiness in life.

Ways of Developing Happiness:

The lack of happiness in the relationship not only exists in couples but also in the relationship of friends, sister – brother or parent-child.

The following are the few ways that help in creating happiness in the relationships:

1. Pay Attention to Yourself:

You should always pay attention to yourself to get happiness. You should not give importance to any other person in your life in comparison to yourself and also expect the same from that person. Giving too much importance to the other and not receiving anything back from them makes a person disappointed and happiness gets lost.

2. Have some Initiative:

You can make the plan of traveling outside yourself. Don’t wait for your parent, partner or kid to take you outside. You can ask them to come along with you if they want. But, if they decline your offer then, don’t get discouraged and carry on your trip plan along with full happiness.

3. Provide some Space:

It is necessary to provide some amount of space to every individual and spend some time with oneself. It helps in creating happiness.

Happiness is Necessary for Good Life:

It does not matter that whether you are a working expert, a schoolchild, a retired person or a housewife, happiness is necessary for everybody to live a good and happy life. Happiness is essential for an individual’s emotional comfort. A person who is not fit emotionally will feel an impact on his complete health that will drain very soon.

Unluckily, despite the fact that happiness is tremendously necessary, people do not give so much importance to all those habits which can keep them happy. They are so excessively captivated inside their professional lives as well as other nuts and bolts of life that they overlook to relish the happy memories of their life. It is also the main reason that problems like anxiety, stress, and depression are increasing gradually in people’s lives today.

Happiness is an internal feeling. It is a healthy emotion. Happiness helps us to stay fit both mentally and physically. Happiness helps in lowering stress and keeping away from any health issues. The reason of happiness may be different for different person. You just need to find out what actually makes you happy. So, if you want real happiness in life then, you need to understand that only you can make yourself happy.

“There is no way to happiness, happiness is the way” this sentence has been attributed to Buddha. Well, at least that’s what it says on one sticker in my dorm room. The fact is that man has occupied himself with the path to happiness for millennia. Something happened during our evolution that made us deeply question the purpose of our existence. People like Buddha are part of the answer, or at least they try to give us the answer.

Since these questions have troubled us there have been many who sought to answer them and by doing so, they formed philosophies and religions. The search for earthly happiness will make many do incredible deeds but if this energy is used in the wrong way it can cause great suffering. How can we know which recipe for happiness is the best one and what we should devote our time and attention to? The trick is, there is no right answer and as the first sentence of this essay states, there is no way to be happy because being happy is the way. That’s how I got my head around this problem, let me explain some more.

Source of Suffering:

At the expense of sounding Buddhist, when you think about most of the things that make us unhappy are material in nature. They are the things that we really do not need but they make us feel happy. This notion is not just something the wise man from the 6 th century BC India expressed but many more have said this before and after him. Socrates and Jesus to name just a few.

What I find interesting in the struggle for happiness is the paradox present in the instructions to reach it. One has a  thought all through life to be good and hard working so he can get the things he wants and needs later on in life but then as you start to struggle for the money you realize that your life is turning into a money grabbing game. So, the source of happiness and stability becomes the source of all your anxiety and aggression. Naturally, we can see how some people thought that all material things stand on the path to our happiness.

But what about the immaterial, what if you are in love with someone you are not supposed to love? The above instruction would tell you to surrender your heart’s desire and you will be free from constraints. Is this happiness? Or is it the struggle to do and achieve the impossible the real source of happiness?

Source of Happiness:

People often forget that they are animals and like all of them they have a logic to their nature and their own specific needs. Like all the other animal’s people are caught in the struggle for existence and sometimes surviving the day can be a real ordeal if you get caught in the wrong circumstances. Men has made himself safe from most of the things that could have harmed him in nature but in doing so he forgot what he has made.

Think about the present from a historical perspective. Even a hundred years ago most people lost up to 80% of all their children to diseases, clean water was a rarity for most of our existence, and people actually had to labor to make food and to have enough to feed their family all through the year. The fact is we have a lot to be grateful for in the present age and the fact that some of us are unhappy because we do not have all our heart’s desires is just a symptom of collective infancy. Having all of your loved ones around you, with a roof to shelter under and with lots of delicious food is the only source of happiness man needs everything else should just be a bonus.

Happiness cannot be found by rejecting everything that is material or by earning more money then you can spend. The trick is to find balance by looking at yourself and the lives of people around you and by understanding that there is a lot to be grateful for, the trick is to stop searching for a path and to understand that we are already walking on one. As long as we are making any type of list of the prerequisite for our life of happiness, we will end up unsatisfied because life does not grant wishes we are the ones that make them come true. Often the biggest change in our lives comes from a simple change of perspective rather than from anything we can own.

Happiness is the state of emotional wellbeing and being contented. Happiness is expressed through joyful moments and smiles. It is a desirable feeling that everybody want to have at all times. Being happy is influenced by situations, achievements and other circumstances. Happiness is an inner quality that reflects on the state of mind. A peaceful state of mind is considered to be happiness. The emotional state of happiness is mixture of feelings of joy, satisfaction, gratitude, euphoria and victory.

How happiness is achieved:

Happiness is achieved psychologically through having a peaceful state of mind. By a free state of mind, I mean that there should be no stressful factors to think about. Happiness is also achieved through accomplishment of goals that are set by individuals. There is always happiness that accompanies success and they present feelings of triumph and contentment.

To enable personal happiness in life, it is important that a person puts himself first and have good self-perception. Putting what makes you happy first, instead of putting other people or other things first is a true quest towards happiness. In life, people tend to disappoint and putting them as a priority always reduces happiness for individuals. There is also the concept of practicing self-love and self-acceptance. Loving oneself is the key to happiness because it will mean that it will not be hard to put yourself first when making decisions.

It is important for an individual to control the thoughts that goes on in their heads. A peaceful state of mind is achieved when thoughts are at peace. It is recommended that things that cause a stressful state of mind should be avoided.

Happiness is a personal decision that is influenced by choices made. There is a common phrase on happiness; “happiness is a choice” which is very true because people choose if they want to be happy or not. Happiness is caused by circumstances and people have the liberty to choose those circumstance and get away from those that make them unhappy.

Happiness is also achieved through the kind of support system that an individual has. Having a family or friends that are supportive will enable the achievement of happiness. Communicating and interacting with the outside world is important.

Factors Affecting Happiness:

Sleep patterns influence the state of mind thus influence happiness. Having enough sleep always leads to happy mornings and a good state of mind for rest of the day. Sleep that is adequate also affects the appearance of a person. There is satisfaction that comes with having enough sleep. Enough rest increases performance and productivity of an individual and thus more successes and achievements are realized and happiness is experienced.

Another factor affecting happiness is the support network of an individual. A strong support network of family and friends results in more happiness. Establishing good relationships with neighbors, friends and family through regular interactions brings more happiness to an individual. With support network, the incidences of stressful moments will be reduced because your family and friends will always be of help.

Sexual satisfaction has been established to affect happiness. It is not just about getting the right partner anymore. It is about having a partner that will satisfy you sexually. There is a relationship between sex and happiness because of the hormones secreted during sexual intercourse. The hormone is called oxytocin and responsible for the happiness due to sexual satisfaction. Satisfaction also strengthens the relationships between the partners and that creates happiness.

Wealth also plays a significant role in happiness. There is a common phrase that is against money and happiness: “money cannot buy happiness” is this true? Personally, I believe that being financially stable contributes to happiness because you will always have peace of mind and many achievements. Peace of mind is possible for wealthy people because they do not have stressors here and then compared to poor people. Also, when a person is wealthy, they can afford to engage in luxurious activities that relaxes the mind and create happiness. For a person to be wealthy, they will have had many achievements in life. These achievement make them happy.

A good state of health is an important factor that influences the happiness of individuals. A healthy person will be happy because there are no worries of diseases or pain that they are experiencing. When a person is healthy, their state of mind is at peace because they are not afraid of death or any other health concerns. Not only the health of individuals is important, but also the health of the support system of the person. Friends and family’s state of health will always have an impact on what we feel as individuals because we care about them and we get worried whenever they are having bad health.

Communication and interactions are important in relation to an individual’s happiness. Having a support system is not enough because people need to communicate and interact freely. Whenever there are interactions like a social gathering where people talk and eat together, more happiness is experienced. This concept is witnessed in parties because people are always laughing and smiling in parties whenever they are with friends.

Communication is key to happiness because it helps in problem solving and relieving stressors in life. Sharing experiences with a support system creates a state of wellbeing after the solution is sought. Sometime when I am sad, I take my phone and call a friend or a family member and by the time the phone call is over, I always feel better and relieved of my worries.

Happiness is an important emotion that influences how we live and feel on a daily basis. Happiness is achieved in simple ways. People have the liberty to choose happiness because we are not bound by any circumstances for life. Factors that influence happiness are those that contribute to emotional wellbeing. Physical wellbeing also affects happiness. Every individual finds happiness in their own because they know what makes them happy and what doesn’t.

Emotions , Happiness , Psychology

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Essay on Happiness in Life

Students are often asked to write an essay on Happiness in Life in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Happiness in Life

Understanding happiness.

Happiness is a feeling of joy, satisfaction, and contentment. It’s the positive emotion we feel when our needs are met or our desires are fulfilled.

Importance of Happiness

Happiness is crucial in life. It keeps us healthy, boosts our immune system, and makes us more creative. It also improves our relationships with others.

Finding Happiness

We find happiness in various ways. It can be through spending time with loved ones, pursuing hobbies, or helping others. Remember, true happiness comes from within, not from material possessions.

Happiness as a Choice

Happiness is a choice. We can choose to be happy by focusing on the positive aspects of life and maintaining a positive attitude.

250 Words Essay on Happiness in Life

Understanding the concept of happiness, the role of positive emotions.

Positive emotions play a significant role in fostering happiness. They enable us to appreciate the present, build resilience, and create a positive outlook towards life. They also enhance our ability to cope with adversity and maintain a sense of well-being, thereby contributing to our overall happiness.

Significance of Relationships

Relationships are another critical aspect of happiness. They provide emotional support, a sense of belonging, and a platform for sharing joys and sorrows. Quality relationships, whether familial, platonic, or romantic, contribute to a sustained sense of happiness.

The Pursuit of Meaning

While pleasure and positive emotions contribute to happiness, the pursuit of meaning is equally important. Engaging in activities that align with our values, interests, and passions provides a sense of purpose and fulfillment, thereby enhancing our happiness.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, happiness in life is not a destination, but a journey. It’s a dynamic state, influenced by one’s emotions, relationships, and pursuits. It’s about finding joy in the little things, cherishing relationships, pursuing meaningful activities, and maintaining a positive outlook. Ultimately, the key to happiness lies within us, and it’s our responsibility to unlock it.

500 Words Essay on Happiness in Life

Introduction: the concept of happiness.

Happiness, a seemingly simple concept, is a multifaceted and deeply personal idea. It is a universal goal that everyone strives to achieve. Yet, its definition varies widely among individuals, cultures, and societies. Philosophers, psychologists, and scholars have long explored the nature of happiness, its sources, and its significance in our lives.

The Pursuit of Happiness

The pursuit of happiness is a journey rather than a destination. It’s about finding joy in the journey itself, not just the end goal. Happiness is a dynamic process that evolves and changes with our experiences, perceptions, and personal growth. It is not a static state to be achieved, but a continuous process that needs to be nurtured and cultivated.

Many of us believe that happiness is tied to external factors such as wealth, success, or relationships. However, studies have shown that our circumstances account for only about 10% of our happiness levels. The rest is determined by our genes and, importantly, our actions and attitudes. This implies that we have significant control over our happiness.

Happiness and Wellbeing

Practices for cultivating happiness.

Cultivating happiness requires conscious effort. Practices such as mindfulness, gratitude, and positive thinking can significantly enhance our happiness. Mindfulness helps us live in the present moment and appreciate it, while gratitude shifts our focus from what’s wrong in our lives to what’s right. Positive thinking, on the other hand, helps us maintain an optimistic outlook on life, even in challenging situations.

Conclusion: The Essence of Happiness

In conclusion, happiness is a deeply personal and complex phenomenon. It’s not just about feeling good, but also about growing emotionally, being satisfied with life, and building meaningful relationships. It is an ongoing journey of self-discovery and personal growth. By understanding the nature of happiness and consciously adopting practices that cultivate it, we can enhance our wellbeing and lead more fulfilling lives.

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

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Happiness Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on happiness.

Happiness is something which we can’t describe in words it can only be felt from someone’s expression of a smile. Likewise, happiness is a signal or identification of good and prosperous life. Happiness is very simple to feel and difficult to describe. Moreover, happiness comes from within and no one can steal your happiness.

Can Money Buy You Happiness?

Every day we see and meet people who look happy from the outside but deep down they are broken and are sad from the inside. For many people, money is the main cause of happiness or grief. But this is not right. Money can buy you food, luxurious house, healthy lifestyle servants, and many more facilities but money can’t buy you happiness.

And if money can buy happiness then the rich would be the happiest person on the earth. But, we see a contrary image of the rich as they are sad, fearful, anxious, stressed, and suffering from various problems.

In addition, they have money still they lack in social life with their family especially their wives and this is the main cause of divorce among them.

Also, due to money, they feel insecurity that everyone is after their money so to safeguard their money and them they hire security. While the condition of the poor is just the opposite. They do not have money but they are happy with and stress-free from these problems.

In addition, they take care of their wife and children and their divorce rate is also very low.

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Happiness Comes from Within

As we now know that we can’t buy happiness with money and there is no other shortcut to happiness. It is something that you feel from within.

In addition, true happiness comes from within yourself. Happiness is basically a state of mind.

Moreover, it can only be achieved by being positive and avoiding any negative thought in mind. And if we look at the bright side of ourselves only then we can be happy.

Happiness in a Relationship

People nowadays are not satisfied with their relationship because of their differences and much other reason. But for being happy in a relationship we have to understand that there are some rules or mutual understanding that keeps a relationship healthy and happy.

Firstly, take care of yourself then your partner because if you yourself are not happy then how can you make your partner happy.

Secondly, for a happy and healthy relationship give you partner some time and space. In addition, try to understand their feeling and comfort level because if you don’t understand these things then you won’t be able to properly understand your partner.

Most importantly, take initiative and plan to go out with your partner and family. Besides, if they have plans then go with them.

To conclude, we can say that happiness can only be achieved by having positive thinking and enjoying life. Also, for being happy and keeping the people around us happy we have to develop a healthy relationship with them. Additionally, we also have to give them the proper time.

FAQs about Happiness

Q.1 What is True Happiness? A.1 True happiness means the satisfaction that you find worthy. The long-lasting true happiness comes from life experience, a feeling of purpose, and a positive relationship.

Q.2 Who is happier the rich or the poor and who is more wealthy rich or poor? A.2 The poor are happier then the rich but if we talk about wealth the rich are more wealthy then the poor. Besides, wealth brings insecurity, anxiety and many other problems.

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1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology

Philosophy, One Thousand Words at a Time

Happiness: What is it to be Happy?

Author: Kiki Berk Category: Ethics , Phenomenology and Existentialism Words: 992

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Do you want to be happy? If you’re like most people, then yes, you do.

But what is happiness? What does it mean to be “happy”? [1]

This essay discusses four major philosophical theories of happiness. [2]

1. Hedonism

According to hedonism, happiness is simply the experience of pleasure. [3] A happy person has a lot more pleasure than displeasure (pain) in her life. To be happy, then, is just to feel good. In other words, there’s no difference between being happy and feeling happy.

Famous hedonists include the ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus and the modern English philosophers Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill. [4] These philosophers all took happiness to include intellectual pleasures (such as reading a book) in addition to physical pleasures (such as having sex).

Although we associate being happy with feeling good, many philosophers think that hedonism is mistaken.

First, it’s possible to be happy without feeling good (such as when a happy person has a toothache), and it’s also possible to feel good without being happy (such as when an unhappy person gets a massage). Since happiness and pleasure can come apart, they can’t be the same thing.

Second, happiness and pleasure seem to have different properties. Pleasures are often fleeting, simple, and superficial (think of the pleasure involved in eating ice cream), whereas happiness is supposed to be lasting, complex, and profound. Things with different properties can’t be identical, so happiness can’t be the same thing as pleasure.

These arguments suggest that happiness and pleasure aren’t identical. That being said, it’s hard to imagine a happy person who never feels good. So, perhaps happiness involves pleasure without being identical to it.

2. Virtue Theory

According to virtue theory, happiness is the result of cultivating the virtues—both moral and intellectual—such as wisdom, courage, temperance, and patience. A happy person must be sufficiently virtuous. To be happy, then, is to cultivate excellence and to flourish as a result. This view is famously held by Plato, Aristotle, and the Stoics. [5]

Linking happiness to virtue has the advantage of treating happiness as a lasting, complex, and profound phenomenon. It also explains how happiness and pleasure can come apart, since a person can be virtuous without feeling good, and a person can feel good without being virtuous.

In spite of these advantages, however, virtue theory is questionable. An important part of being virtuous is being morally good. But are immoral people always unhappy? Arguably not. Many bad people seem happy in spite of—or even because of—their unsavory actions. And a similar point can be made about intellectual virtue: unwise or irrational people aren’t always unhappy, either. In fact, some of these people seem happy as a direct result of their intellectual deficiencies. “Ignorance is bliss,” the saying goes!

But virtue theorists have a response here. Maybe some immoral people seem happy, on the surface; but that doesn’t mean that they are truly happy, at some deeper level. And the same thing can be said about people who lack the intellectual virtues: ignorance may lead to bliss, but that bliss isn’t true happiness. So, there seems to be some room for debate on these issues.

3. Desire Satisfaction Theory

According to the desire satisfaction theory, happiness consists in getting what you want—whatever that happens to be. A happy person has many of her desires satisfied; and the more her desires are satisfied, the happier she is.

Even though getting what you want can be a source of happiness, identifying happiness with desire satisfaction is problematic.

To start, this implies that the only way to become happier is by satisfying a desire. This seems wrong. Sometimes our happiness is increased by getting something we didn’t previously want—such as a surprise birthday party or getting stuck taking care of a neighbor’s cat. This implies that desire satisfaction is not necessary for happiness.

Desire satisfaction is not always sufficient for happiness, either. Unfortunately, it is common for people to feel disappointed when they get what they want. Many accomplishments, such as earning a degree or winning a tournament, simply don’t bring the long-lasting happiness that we expect. [6]

So, even if getting what we want sometimes makes us happy, these counterexamples suggest that happiness does not consist in desire satisfaction. [7]

4. Life Satisfaction Theory

According to the life satisfaction theory, happiness consists in being satisfied with your life. A happy person has a positive impression of her life in general, even though she might not be happy about every single aspect of it. To be happy, then, means to be content with your life as a whole.

It’s controversial whether life satisfaction is affective (a feeling) or cognitive (a belief). On the one hand, life satisfaction certainly comes with positive feelings. On the other hand, it’s possible to step back, reflect on your life, and realize that it’s good, even when you’re feeling down. [8]  

One problem for this theory is that it’s difficult for people to distinguish how they feel in the moment from how they feel about their lives overall. Studies have shown that people report feeling more satisfied with their lives when the weather is good, even though this shouldn’t make that much of a difference. But measuring life satisfaction is complicated, so perhaps such studies should be taken with a grain of salt. [9]

5. Conclusion

Understanding what happiness is should enable you to become happier.

First, decide which theory of happiness you think is true, based on the arguments.

Second, pursue whatever happiness is according to that theory: seek pleasure and try to avoid pain (hedonism), cultivate moral and intellectual virtue (virtue theory), decide what you really want and do your best to get it (desire satisfaction theory), or change your life (or your attitude about it) so you feel (or believe) that it’s going well (life satisfaction theory).

And if you’re not sure which theory of happiness is true, then you could always try pursuing all of these things. 😊

[1] This might seem like an empirical (scientific) question rather than a philosophical one. However, this essay asks the conceptual question of what happiness is, and conceptual questions belong to philosophy, not to science.

[2] Happiness is commonly distinguished from “well-being,” i.e., the state of a life that is worth living. Whether or not happiness is the same thing as well-being is an open question, but most philosophers think it isn’t. See, for example, Haybron (2020).

[3] The word “hedonism” has different uses in philosophy. In this paper, it means that happiness is the same thing as pleasure (hedonism about happiness). But sometimes it is used to mean that happiness is the only thing that has intrinsic value (hedonism about value) or that humans are always and only motivated by pleasure (psychological hedonism). It’s important not to confuse these different uses of the word.

[4] For more on Epicurus and happiness, see Konstan (2018). For more on Bentham and Mill on happiness, see Driver (2014), as well as John Stuart Mill on The Good Life: Higher-Quality Pleasures by Dale E. Miller and Consequentialism by Shane Gronholz

[5] For more on Plato and happiness, see Frede (2017); for more on Aristotle and happiness, see Kraut (2018), and on the Stoics and happiness, see Baltzly (2019).

[6] For a discussion of the phenomenon of disappointment in this context see, for example, Ben Shahar (2007).

[7] For more objections to the desire satisfaction theory, see Shafer-Landau (2018) and Vitrano (2013).

[8] If happiness is life satisfaction, then happiness seems to be “subjective” in the sense that a person cannot be mistaken about whether or not she is happy. Whether happiness is subjective in this sense is controversial, and a person who thinks that a person can be mistaken about whether or not she is happy will probably favor a different theory of happiness.

[9] See Weimann, Knabe and Schob (2015) and Berk (2018).

Baltzly, Dirk, “Stoicism”,  The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy  (Spring 2019 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.).

Berk, Kiki (2018). “Does Money Make Us Happy? The Prospects and Problems of Happiness Research in Economics,” in Journal of Happiness Studies, 19, 1241-1245.

Ben-Shahar, Tal (2007). Happier . New York: McGraw-Hill.

Driver, Julia, “The History of Utilitarianism”,  The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2014 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.).

Frede, Dorothea, “Plato’s Ethics: An Overview”,  The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2017 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.).

Haybron, Dan, “Happiness”, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy  (Summer 2020 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.).

Konstan, David, “Epicurus”,  The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2018 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.).

Kraut, Richard, “Aristotle’s Ethics”, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2018 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.).

Shafer-Landau, Russ (2018). The Ethical Life: Fundamental Readings in Ethics and Moral Problems. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Vitrano, Christine (2013). The Nature and Value of Happiness. Boulder: Westview Press.

Weimann, Joachim, Andreas Knabe, and Ronnie Schob (2015). Measuring Happiness . Cambridge: The MIT Press.

Related Essays

Meaning in Life: What Makes Our Lives Meaningful? by Matthew Pianalto

The Philosophy of Humor: What Makes Something Funny?  by Chris A. Kramer

Virtue Ethics  by David Merry

John Stuart Mill on The Good Life: Higher-Quality Pleasures by Dale E. Miller

Consequentialism by Shane Gronholz

Ethical Egoism by Nathan Nobis

Ancient Cynicism: Rejecting Civilization and Returning to Nature by G. M. Trujillo, Jr.

What Is It To Love Someone? by Felipe Pereira

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Ethics and Absolute Poverty: Peter Singer and Effective Altruism  by Brandon Boesch

Is Death Bad? Epicurus and Lucretius on the Fear of Death  by Frederik Kaufman

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About the Author

Dr. Kiki Berk is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Southern New Hampshire University. She received her Ph.D. in Philosophy from the VU University Amsterdam in 2010. Her research focuses on Beauvoir’s and Sartre’s philosophies of death and meaning in life.

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Essay On Happiness In English [Short & Long]

Essay On Happiness : Every human on this planet wants to be happy and contented. But the thing is the definition of happiness varies from person to person. Many think that happiness is something that comes from within while others believe that happiness is a state of mind.

By the way, whatever people think about happiness. It is a feeling that signals a prosperous and contented life. If you are not happy despite having lots of money and luxury, your wealth is worthless. Hence, it is clear that there is no direct connection between money and happiness.

Short Essay on Happiness | 250-300 Words

Introduction- “Happiness” is something that is loved by all. No one can deny the fact that everyone aspires to a happy life. But happiness has no definite definition because it is not something that can be described in words, it can only be identified by noticing the expressions of a person.

Happiness Is A Choice – There is no definite definition of the term “Happiness”. Different people percept happiness in different ways. Some people think that money can bring happiness while others think it to be wrong. Many believe that happiness is a state of mind whereas many believe that helping others is happiness.

According to Aristotle , happiness consists in achieving, through the course of a whole lifetime, all the goods — health, wealth, knowledge, friends, etc. — that lead to the perfection of human nature and to the enrichment of human life.

Can Happiness Be Measured?- In this modern era, science and technology have invented methods and techniques to measure almost each and every materialistic phenomenon. But measuring emotions and feelings is quite a difficult task, we have not developed any instrument that can measure sadness or happiness.

In short, We can only observe the common expressions to conclude if a person is happy or sad. But we can not measure the level or intensity of that emotion. Only the person knows how much he or she has exposed the feeling. Hence, we can say that happiness comes from within and it is beyond materialism.

Conclusion- At last, No matter how a person defines happiness, everyone wants to be happy. In fact, all our actions done by us have a common goal of achieving the peak of happiness and contentment. Most noteworthy, we can not achieve happiness all alone, We can feel it with our friends and loved ones.

500+ Words Essay on Happiness

Introduction.

Happiness is an end goal for everyone. But we can not draft a definition of happiness that suits everyone. The reason behind this is the varied perceptions of happiness for different people. Happiness is subjective. For some people, it indicates a state of mind; for others, it might imply a standard of lifestyle.

Nevertheless, whatever might be the meaning of Happiness, this is a fact that Happiness is an integral part of our lives. Without happiness, there is no purpose in living and going ahead in life. Do you know the most amazing feature of happiness? happiness is something that multiplies when shared.

is happiness A State of Mind?

When do we feel happy? There are various events in life when we can feel the peak of happiness. For example, when we do what we love or we achieve something that we wanted to, we feel extreme happiness. It is proof that true happiness comes from within and hence it is considered a state of mind .

Most importantly, our preferences and our aspirations change over time and we no longer base our happiness on things we used to previously. Thus, even though happiness is a state of mind we can not sustain it for a long time. Our priorities and aspirations change with time and so is a state of happy mind.

Money & Happiness

If we talk about money, it is a means that was invented for replacing Barter System and making trade easier. With time it became a sign of wealth and prosperity. Today, everyone is obsessed with money. People think that money brings happiness and hence they want more and more money accumulation.

There are many people in the world with loads of money. Do you think they are happy? Happiness does not depend on how much money one has. Yes, money can buy you comfort, money can buy you luxury. But it has no potential of buying happiness. Happiness can’t be bought, it is earned.

Health, wealth, relations & Happiness

There has been conducted a study on happiness and its relation to health, wealth and relationships. You might be shocked to know the outcomes. This study is the longest study ever conducted on happiness. It shows that a person with excellent health is not the happiest, and a person with giant wealth is not the happiest. Then?

The happiest ones were the ones whose relationships were great. But it does not mean you must only focus on your relationships. health and wealth are also vital aspects of life that need care. We are social beings hence our relationships impact us more than anything else.

HOW TO BECOME HAPPY

We know that happiness is impacted by many factors but we can do various practices to become happy. Some of them are given below;

• Be Nice To Others:  As we discussed above that our relationships with others impact the quality of happiness. We must practice being nice to others so as to receive the same behaviour back.
• Escape Negativity: It is impossible to be positive all the time but we can definitely escape the negativity in our life by finding some ways to escape it.
• Find Your Passion:  Passion is something you did not get bored of. On top of that, following your passion give you a great sense of happiness. So, find your passion and follow it.
• Give Your Family and Friends Enough Time: We must spend enough time with our family and friends. In fact, they are the ones we live for. Share your happiness and see it multiply.
• Help Others: Helping the needy is one of the best practices which gives you great happiness. If you help others occasionally, make it your habit and soon you can see the difference.

To sum it up, happiness is one of the most important parts of life. We can also say that achieving a happy life is the goal for each of us. Happiness can only be attained by having optimistic thinking and enjoying life. Furthermore, we must develop a healthy relationships with the people around us for being happy and keeping them happy.

Faq’s

What is happiness.

Happiness is an emotion or a state of mind that gives us pleasure and peace. Happiness gives life worth, without it life has no meaning.

How to increase happiness in life?

We can practice a number of things to be happy in life; Having positive thinking, helping others, following your passion, building good relationships with people, and giving your family and friends time are some best practices which will definitely increase happiness in life.

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Happiness — Happiness Is a Choice

Happiness is a Choice

• Categories: Happiness Personal Development Planning

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Published: Mar 20, 2024

Words: 654 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Table of contents

The power of perspective, the role of personal agency, resilience and emotional regulation.

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Happiness Essay | Essay on Happiness for Students and Children in English

February 12, 2024 by Prasanna

Happiness Essay: There is no one hard and fast definition for the term happiness. Happiness differs from person to person; different people have different perceptions and conceptions of being happy. Whatever that may be, Happiness is an essential feature of human life. Without it, life holds no meaning at all. It is not possible at all for a person to live their lives devoid of joy and Happiness.

The topic of Happiness is of the utmost importance. It is also treated as a crucial and popular topic on which students are asked to write compositions. For the convenience of school students, we have compiled a collection of one extended Essay and one short Essay on the topic of Happiness. Additionally, a set of ten lines on the subject is also provided.

You can read more  Essay Writing  about articles, events, people, sports, technology many more.

Long and Short Essays on Happiness for Students and Kids in English

Below, you can find a 600-word Happiness essay as well as a 200-word Happiness essay for students and schoolchildren. Long Essay on Happiness is helpful for students of classes 7,8,9 and 10. Short Essay on Happiness is helpful for students of classes 1,2,3,4,5, and 6.

Long Essay on Happiness 500 Words in English

Happiness is subjective. There is no one way in which the term can be defined. For different people, Happiness holds different connotations. For some, it implies a state of mind; for others, it might mean a standard of lifestyle. Each human being is an independent, free-thinking individual. Everyone has an outlook on life that is different from the other. Hence, the definition of Happiness is also variable for people. However, whatever may be the definition of Happiness, there is no denying that Happiness is an integral part of our lives. Without it, there is no point in living or going about in life.

There is a common phrase that goes: “Money cannot buy happiness.” To some extent, it can be heralded as being valid. However, some people may find it to be false. For a specific section of society, Happiness is defined by wealth. These people tend to consider wealth as the measuring rod for their joys in life. For them, Happiness in life comes from material possession and well-being. Riches, money, jewels, gold, and wealth make them happy; they remain content with these in their lives.

For another section of society, wealth does not act as the agent for Happiness in their lives. Many consider Happiness to be a peaceful and calm sense of joy that occurs within one’s mind. For them, it cannot be measured in terms of worldly things. Happiness tends to become a feeling, that can be grasped through the satisfaction of the mind and soul, and not through the pleasure of the body. Happiness, for some, can also imply success. Being ambitious, hardworking, and successful often become ways in which a person obtains Happiness in life.

Whatever be our modes and methods of becoming happy, it tends to keep changing over time. No feeling is absolute. It might happen that the things used to make us comfortable during our childhood, no longer hold the same significance in our lives. This happens because our priorities and our goals change over time. As we grow up, our outlook and vision in life mature, and we no longer base our Happiness on things we used to love previously.

Thus the state of being happy largely depends upon what a particular person wants from life. It depends upon a person’s desires and goals in life. Above all and in most cases, indulging in the things that one loves the most becomes the key to a happy life. Hence, love and Happiness are directly linked. Without love, Happiness does not persist. Likewise, without Happiness, love does not persist.

As mentioned, a variety of things make a variety of people happy. There is no right or wrong way to obtain Happiness. Different people have different methods by which they can derive Happiness. All of them are valid; none of them are false or incorrect. Judging people based on what they love and what they hate is not justifiable. We all have different priorities in life, and not all of those are similar. They can be different, but that doesn’t mean they are wrong. Doing anything that makes one feel happy inside out should be considered as valid and rightful.

Short Essay on Happiness 150 Words in English

The key to happiness lies in doing what one loves. A lot of people end up having a remorseful life, filled with regrets; this happens because they settle for something that they do not genuinely like. Irrespective of what the society imposes on us, we must indulge in only that which makes us feel happy and joyous.

One cannot achieve complete and untainted happiness. Someone can’t dwell in a state of utmost bliss and Happiness. All of us have our fair share of miseries and regrets in life. But there also occurs moments of indefinite and immeasurable joys. We should all cling to those moments of joy and cherish them wholeheartedly to have a happy life in the grand scheme of things.

10 Lines on Happiness Essay in English

• A happy life exudes positivity and joy.
• Different people hold different opinions on Happiness.
• Not everyone has a similar point of interest from which they derive Happiness.
• Happiness is directly linked with love and positivity.
• In an ideal situation, doing what one loves is the ultimate path to absolute Happiness.
• The fulfillment of personal goals and desires makes one happy.
• It is immensely important for a person to lead a happy life.
• Without a happy life, one becomes exhausted and tired of daily routine.
• The feeling of Happiness is not constant. It is lingering.
• Happiness is subjective and cannot be tied to one particular thing alone.

FAQ’s on Happiness Essay

Question 1. How to lead a happy life?

Answer: To lead a happy life, one must dwell in a positive and encouraging environment. Taking up that which one loves doing as one’s profession and source of livelihood is also the key to a happy life.

Question 2. How to stay happy?

Answer: There is no hard and fast method of staying happy. One cannot remain satisfied all the time. We all have our depressing and sorrowful episodes. But life also gives us moments of joy and Happiness.

Question 3. Is Happiness important?

Answer: Yes. Happiness is important. Happiness Is probably the most significant aspect of one’s life.

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What do you mean by happiness? Discuss its importance in human and societal wellbeing.

Topic: Ethics and Human Interface: Essence, determinants and consequences of Ethics in-human actions; dimensions of ethics; ethics – in private and public relationships. Human Values – lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators; role of Family society and educational institutions in inculcating values.

7. What do you mean by happiness? Discuss its importance in human and societal wellbeing. (250 words)

Reference:  Indian Express

Why the question: The article explains the importance of learning to seek happiness by limiting our desires. Key Demand of the question: Explain what you understand by Happiness and explain the importance of it in human and societal wellbeing. Directive: Discuss – This is an all-encompassing directive – you have to debate on paper by going through the details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You have to give reasons for both for and against arguments. Structure of the answer: Introduction: Start with the definition of happiness in general. Body: The answer body must explain that the world is facing unprecedented challenges, be it the pandemic, climate change or terrorism. Humanity’s well-being matters now more than ever. There is a need for a more inclusive, equitable and balanced approach to economic growth that promotes sustainable development, poverty eradication and happiness. Give examples and explain the importance in detail. Conclusion: Conclude with importance of happiness.

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What Is Happiness? – My Essay On Defining Your Happiness

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Updated on July 11, 2023

Happiness is probably the most pursued factor in life, above wealth, health, and good relationships. We all want to be happy, above everything else, right? Who cares about money when you’re not happy? Who cares about friends when you’re not happy with who you are? Who cares about good health if you’re lonely and depressed?

Happiness is the thing that most people want, yet it is one of the most difficult aspects of life to quantify. How do we measure happiness? How do we define happiness? What is happiness!? This is an essay that explores the many different faces of happiness. As you’ll learn, happiness doesn’t have a single universal definition. Its definition is unique for every single human being out there. Including you.

After reading this essay, you’ll know exactly what happiness is, how to define it for yourself, and even how to find it based on actionable advice.

Definition of happiness

Happiness synonyms, different kinds of happiness, a happy balance, why eternal happiness doesn’t exist, why eternal happiness can still be pursued, defining your own happiness, closing words, what is happiness.

Before starting this essay about happiness, we must at least have a broad idea of what happiness is. Let’s first have a look at how happiness is defined across the web.

Definitions of happiness vary quite a bit across multiple sources. Google thinks happiness is defined as follows:

The state of being happy

You can see how Google is pretty vague about the definition of happiness. Furthermore, it quickly follows with a long list of synonyms.

Wikipedia has a much more interesting definition of what happiness is.

The feeling of an emotion such as pleasure or joy, the appraisal of life satisfaction or the quality of life, subjective well-being and eudaimonia.

Lesson learned? It is really difficult to find a universally correct and agreed-upon definition of what happiness really is.

💡 By the way : If you want to start feeling better and more productive, I’ve condensed the information of 100’s of our articles into a 10-step mental health cheat sheet here. 👇

This Cheat Sheet Will Help You Be Happier and More Productive

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Think of all the synonyms that we use to describe feelings that are similar to happiness.

What I like about Google is that it shows synonyms of happiness to people that are looking for its definition.

It’s like they’re saying: “Hey, we don’t know exactly how to define happiness, but here are a couple of concepts that we believe are very much similar!”

The list of synonyms is quite big:

• Contentment
• Satisfaction
• Carefreeness

I think there is a lot we can learn just from the fact that happiness has so many synonyms.

Why? Because these synonyms are all specific variants of what happiness means to me. And I bet you feel the same.

All these different emotions are part of what happiness truly is. And that’s what makes happiness so incredibly difficult to define and measure. It’s a weighted average of all these different synonyms, and the equation of happiness truly changes per person . I’ll even go as far as to say that the happiness equation changes per person per day.

If pleasure makes me happy today, it doesn’t mean that that same amount of pleasure makes me happy tomorrow.

If short-term satisfaction made me happy yesterday, then it won’t necessarily make me happy next week.

What I want you to realize is that your personal definition of happiness is unique. What makes you happy doesn’t necessarily make another person happy. In fact, your definition of happiness is likely a combination of satisfaction, cheeriness, merriment, and jollity.

But the way you personally define happiness will likely change from day to day as well.

And that’s one of the most critical aspects of happiness. That’s also why it’s supposedly so hard to measure and quantify. Here’s an entire article I wrote recently about how difficult it is to define happiness, but you can still try for yourself !

Still with me? Good, because I’m going to add yet another reason why happiness is such a difficult thing to measure!

There are different kinds of happiness. Not just in the way we define happiness, but also in the way we experience it.

As part of this essay, I want to introduce the concepts of short-term and long-term happiness.

Short-term happiness

Short-term happiness is relatively easy to explain. It’s based on small and easy to obtain, yet rather unsustainable happiness. When looking at the list of happiness synonyms, I think the following concepts are clearly centered around short-term happiness:

You see, short-term happiness is based on the release of the chemical dopamine in our brain . This organic chemical is released whenever we are stimulated by things that please us. Some examples are sex, having a laugh with friends, finishing a race, watching a funny video online, or watching an exciting game of football. A more extreme example is drugs.

These things result in short-term happiness because dopamine is released based on a single event. When this event is over, the pleasure is gone. That’s why I consider this to be short-term happiness.

And then there is long-term happiness.

Long-term happiness

Long-term happiness is a little bit harder to explain because it revolves around other concepts of happiness. Instead of joy, pleasure, and ecstasy, the concepts that make up long-term happiness are:

I hope you can spot the difference here. Long-term happiness is created by feeling happy about your purpose in life, the successes that you’ve had and/or the satisfaction of who you are and what you’ve accomplished. Long-term happiness is based on concepts that are not created by a single event. For example, I’m happy at the moment because I’m grateful for the life that I have right now. This happiness is not caused by something I’m doing at this very moment. No, I’m happy because I work hard and have achieved things that I am proud of. I have created a situation in which I am happy by default, without having to rely on single events.

Now that you are aware of these two different kinds of happiness, I want you to picture some scenarios.

• Picture a life in which you spent your youth partying, doing whatever you want to do, using drugs and living without planning for a good future. Sure, you feel pretty happy when doing these things, but you can probably see how this lifestyle will eventually catch up with you, right?

You might have guessed it, but this scenario is focused exclusively on short-term happiness. And the simple fact is that pursuing nothing but short-term happiness does not lead to a sustainable happy life.

Now picture the following scenario:

• You’re in your early twenties and want to become the next Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk. You have great ambitions and are incredibly disciplined and inspired to become everything that you think you can become. You spend an incredible amount of time working on your projects, and you even make sacrifices just for the sake of your goals. You don’t have time for sleep, social activities or relationships. Hell, even your health starts to decline. It doesn’t matter though, because you eventually want to reach your goals, and then you’ll be happy right?

This is another extreme example of happiness. You can probably see how this person is very likely unhappy. He is spending the best years of his life making sacrifices in anticipation of what he eventually wants to become. For a lot of people, this sounds like a logical decision. But to me, this sounds like a huge mistake. You might feel satisfied with the progress you’re making, but are you truly happy? If you get in a fatal car crash tomorrow, would you have any regrets?

I want you to think about this for a moment since a lot of people in industrialized countries have the urge to constantly be planning for the future. And while this is not a bad thing in principle, we often take it too far. As a result, we are constantly sprinting from one deadline to the other. Sure, you want to plan for a happy future, but what’s the point of all of this when you’re not happy in the process itself?

The thing is, these extreme examples are not something that you should want. You can only lead a truly happy life when you actively pursue both short-term and long-term happiness.

It’s important to find out what your perfect balance is.

I’m not here to tell you that you should focus 50% of your attention on short-term happiness and the other 50% on long-term happiness. No. I’m here to tell you that you should be aware of your own happiness. Every single person on this planet has a different definition of happiness. You need to find out what happiness means to you, and how you want to pursue it.

They say happiness is a journey and not a destination. I think happiness can – and should – be both.

For me personally, I often notice how much short-term happiness I’m sacrificing in anticipation of long-term happiness. Some examples:

• I go out for a long-distance training run in the pouring rain because I want to eventually finish another marathon in 3 months. I don’t even enjoy the long-distance run but I think that it will eventually lead to a great finish time, and thus long-term happiness.
• Instead of just playing a videogame, I decide to write an essay about my understanding of happiness. Why? Because I think it will grow my website, which will make me happy in the long run.
• I skip a nice snack because I want to maintain my weight

These are some real examples of how I’ve been sacrificing my short-term happiness for long-term happiness. I want you to think of a couple of examples for yourself. Have you ever made a bad decision that resulted in a decreased level of happiness?

Think about some real scenarios that you’ve experienced and whether you should have acted differently.

I’m not saying that sacrificing short-term happiness for long-term happiness is bad. I just want you to know that you need to find a balance. For example, I do actually want to finish my next marathon within a decent time, but I’m not going to make myself miserable by pushing myself to the limit in preparation. That’s not the balance that I’m after.

The thing is, realizing the difference between short-term and long-term happiness makes it easier for us to pursue happiness in our lives.

Pursue happiness, you ask?

Yes! I believe that happiness can actively be pursued and that you can steer your life in the best direction possible by doing this. However, there are a number of people that believe that pursuing happiness is a loser’s game. These people argue that by pursuing happiness , you’ll be more tempted to choose short-term happiness over long-term happiness. This is where the hedonic treadmill will quickly evaporate whatever happiness you’ve created for yourself.

The hedonic treadmill

Imagine something that you would really like to do right now.

What did you think of? Taking a long warm bath? Drinking wine with your friends? Going to an amusement park?

Wouldn’t it be great if you could do that right now? That would definitely have a positive influence on your happiness, right?

Now think about doing that exact thing every day, for the rest of your life, until the day you die.

Do you think you’d still be happy from doing that same thing after the 10th time? Or the 100th time? Or the 1000th time?

The answer is probably no. Even though this example is extreme, the theory of diminishing returns applies here. When repeated, the effect of the same event on your happiness will diminish to zero. That’s because the norms of what defines your happiness are constantly adapting. Your happiness equation transforms with your changing life, whether it’s for better or worse.

One of the best examples of this hedonic treadmill is the following:

Think of a big salary bump. You receive a raise of 50%! Congratulations, you now have money to spend on all kinds of things that make you and your family happy ! Will that happiness sustain into the future? Unfortunately not. Instead of appreciating the luxury of your raise, you will grow accustomed to this extra money and will slowly take it for granted. This adaptation is known as the hedonic treadmill , and it is generally conceived as the arch-enemy of happiness.

Now that you know what this hedonic treadmill is, it might seem like a waste of time to continue reading this essay, right?

NO! While the hedonic treadmill is very much real – I’ll never deny that – I don’t want you to think that greater happiness can’t be achieved. You just need to be willing to actively look for it in the right places.

See, nobody on the internet will be able to define happiness for you. What makes you happy is a constantly changing equation that is unique in every way. Why would you believe some scientist when he or she claims that happiness is impossible to pursue? What does that scientist know about you? Nothing!

It’s up to you to define what makes you happy.

How to find your own happiness

By now, you should know 3 things:

• Your happiness equation is unique. Nobody can tell you what exactly to do in order to be happy.
• You can pursue both short-term happiness and long-term happiness. The key is to find the perfect balance between the two. You can be happy on the journey towards a happy future.
• The hedonic treadmill will diminish the effect events have on your happiness over time.

Let’s combine this knowledge. I want you to realize that you can learn more about your own happiness equation. You can find out what it is that makes you happy.

Got it? Good, because the next step is to define what the difference is between short-term and long-term happiness. You have to find out how much you value your happiness on the journey itself and how much of that happiness you want to sacrifice by investing in a potentially happier future.

Now, what if I told you that a perfect balance between long-term and short-term happiness can limit the effect that the hedonic treadmill has on you?

Yes, by consciously varying the pursuit of short-term and long-term happiness, you can vary the factors in your life in a way that leads to greater happiness. If you are aware of your own happiness equation, you’re able to pursue happiness in the areas where it matters the most.

What I want you to do is consider your personal happiness again for a moment.

Think back at the last week, and remember what things or events had a positive influence on your happiness. Think of the things that really made you smile or feel satisfied with where you were or how you acted.

What came to your mind? Was it work? Was it your relationship? Was it that silly movie you watched? Was it a nice sunny day spent outside? It could be literally anything! What I want most of all now is that you realize how you just measured a part of your happiness.

You see, even though happiness is claimed to be the factor of life that’s the most difficult to measure, you can still measure what is currently part of your happiness equation. It’s simple. For me personally, when I think back to yesterday, I remember that I really enjoyed spending time with my girlfriend, walking through the woods on a sunny day, and just relaxing (a.k.a. doing nothing!)

These are happiness factors that were a vital part of my happiness equation yesterday. It was a weekend day after a long and busy week at work, so I was really trying to find some short-term happiness. The things that I did yesterday were perfect, as it was a very happy day for me.

You should not be surprised if I told you that I was consciously trying to be happy by spending my day doing things that satisfied my short-term happiness.

You can do exactly the same. All you need to do is to define your own happiness.

And with that said, I want to conclude this essay about happiness. Happiness is different for every single human being on this planet. If you arrived at this essay without having a clear idea of what happiness is, I hope you now know that your personal happiness can be defined, measured, and quantified. But only YOU can do this, no one else will be able to tell you what happiness really is. If you are willing to actively pursue greater happiness, I believe you can steer your life in the best direction.

Now it’s time to hear from you! How do you define your own happiness right now? What has been your biggest happiness factor last week? Do you think you can learn from your own happiness?

I’d love to hear all about it in the comments!

Founder of Tracking Happiness, with over 100 interviews and a focus on practical advice, our content extends beyond happiness tracking. Hailing from the Netherlands, I’m a skateboarding enthusiast, marathon runner, and a dedicated data junkie, tracking my happiness for over a decade.

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What Does Happiness Really Mean?

It's not the same for everyone

Verywell/ Jiaqi Zhou

How to Cultivate Happiness

How to be a happier person.

Happiness is something that people seek to find, yet what defines happiness can vary from one person to the next. Typically, happiness is an emotional state characterized by feelings of joy, satisfaction, contentment, and fulfillment. While happiness has many different definitions, it is often described as involving positive emotions and life satisfaction. 

When most people talk about the true meaning of happiness, they might be talking about how they feel in the present moment or referring to a more general sense of how they feel about life overall.

Because happiness tends to be such a broadly defined term, psychologists and other social scientists typically use the term ' subjective well-being ' when they talk about this emotional state. Just as it sounds, subjective well-being tends to focus on an individual's overall personal feelings about their life in the present.  

Two key components of happiness (or subjective well-being) are:

• The balance of emotions: Everyone experiences both positive and negative emotions, feelings, and moods. Happiness is generally linked to experiencing more positive feelings than negative ones.
• Life satisfaction: This relates to how satisfied you feel with different areas of your life including your relationships, work, achievements, and other things that you consider important.

Another definition of happiness comes from the ancient philosopher Aristotle, who suggested that happiness is the one human desire, and all other human desires exist as a way to obtain happiness. He believed that there were four levels of happiness: happiness from immediate gratification, from comparison and achievement, from making positive contributions, and from achieving fulfillment. 

Happiness, Aristotle suggested, could be achieved through the golden mean, which involves finding a balance between deficiency and excess.

Signs of Happiness

While perceptions of happiness may be different from one person to the next, there are some key signs that psychologists look for when measuring and assessing happiness.

Some key signs of happiness include:

• Feeling like you are living the life you wanted
• Going with the flow and a willingness to take life as it comes
• Feeling that the conditions of your life are good
• Enjoying positive, healthy relationships with other people
• Feeling that you have accomplished (or will accomplish) what you want in life
• Feeling satisfied with your life
• Feeling positive more than negative
• Being open to new ideas and experiences
• Practicing self-care and treating yourself with kindness and compassion
• Experiencing gratitude
• Feeling that you are living life with a sense of meaning and purpose
• Wanting to share your happiness and joy with others

One important thing to remember is that happiness isn't a state of constant euphoria . Instead, happiness is an overall sense of experiencing more positive emotions than negative ones.

Happy people still feel the whole range of human emotions—anger, frustrastion, boredom, loneliness, and even sadness—from time to time. But even when faced with discomfort, they have an underlying sense of optimism that things will get better, that they can deal with what is happening, and that they will be able to feel happy again.

"Even people who have experienced terrible trauma can still also experience happiness," says Hannah Owens, LMSW , "though it is important to recognize that it might be more difficult for them to obtain the balance generally associated with overall happiness, and that their happiness might look very different from others' who have not had to deal with such challenges."

Types of Happiness

There are many different ways of thinking about happiness. For example, the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle made a distinction between two different kinds of happiness: hedonia and eudaimonia.

• Hedonia: Hedonic happiness is derived from pleasure. It is most often associated with doing what feels good, self-care, fulfilling desires, experiencing enjoyment, and feeling a sense of satisfaction.
• Eudaimonia: This type of happiness is derived from seeking virtue and meaning. Important components of eudaimonic well-being including feeling that your life has meaning, value, and purpose. It is associated more with fulfilling responsibilities, investing in long-term goals, concern for the welfare of other people, and living up to personal ideals.

Hedonia and eudemonia are more commonly known today in psychology as pleasure and meaning, respectively. More recently, psychologists have suggested the addition of the third component that relates to engagement . These are feelings of commitment and participation in different areas of life.

Research suggests that happy people tend to rank pretty high on eudaimonic life satisfaction and better than average on their hedonic life satisfaction.  

All of these can play an important role in the overall experience of happiness, although the relative value of each can be highly subjective. Some activities may be both pleasurable and meaningful, while others might skew more one way or the other.

For example, volunteering for a cause you believe in might be more meaningful than pleasurable. Watching your favorite tv show, on the other hand, might rank lower in meaning and higher on pleasure.

Some types of happiness that may fall under these three main categories include:

• Joy: A often relatively brief feeling that is felt in the present moment
• Excitement: A happy feeling that involves looking forward to something with positive anticipation
• Gratitude: A positive emotion that involves being thankful and appreciative
• Pride: A feeling of satisfaction in something that you have accomplished
• Optimism: This is a way of looking at life with a positive, upbeat outlook
• Contentment: This type of happiness involves a sense of satisfaction

While some people just tend to be naturally happier, there are things that you can do to cultivate your sense of happiness. 

Pursue Intrinsic Goals 

Achieving goals that you are intrinsically motivated to pursue, particularly ones that are focused on personal growth and community, can help boost happiness. Research suggests that pursuing these types of intrinsically-motivated goals can increase happiness more than pursuing extrinsic goals like gaining money or status.  

Enjoy the Moment

Studies have found that people tend to over earn—they become so focused on accumulating things that they lose track of actually enjoying what they are doing.  

So, rather than falling into the trap of mindlessly accumulating to the detriment of your own happiness, focus on practicing gratitude for the things you have and enjoying the process as you go. 

Reframe Negative Thoughts

When you find yourself stuck in a pessimistic outlook or experiencing negativity, look for ways that you can reframe your thoughts in a more positive way. 

People have a natural negativity bias , or a tendency to pay more attention to bad things than to good things. This can have an impact on everything from how you make decisions to how you form impressions of other people. Discounting the positive—a cognitive distortion where people focus on the negative and ignore the positive—can also contribute to negative thoughts.

Reframing these negative perceptions isn't about ignoring the bad. Instead, it means trying to take a more balanced, realistic look at events. It allows you to notice patterns in your thinking and then challenge negative thoughts.

Avoid Social Comparison

Another way to cultivate happiness and to make sure that you are able to maintain your happiness, Owens says, is to stop comparing yourself to others.

"No two lives are alike, and focusing on what others have is a sure-fire way to feel envy and regret. Focus on the good things in your own life, and you'll be more likely to find contentment in them," she says.

Impact of Happiness

Why is happiness so important? Happiness has been shown to predict positive outcomes in many different areas of life including mental well-being, physical health, and overall longevity.

• Positive emotions increase satisfaction with life.
• Happiness helps people build stronger coping skills and emotional resources.
• Positive emotions are linked to better health and longevity. One study found that people who experienced more positive emotions than negative ones were more likely to have survived over a 13 year period.
• Positive feelings increase resilience. Resilience helps people better manage stress and bounce back better when faced with setbacks. For example, one study found that happier people tend to have lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol and that these benefits tend to persist over time.
• People who report having a positive state of well-being are more likely to engage in healthy behaviors such as eating fruits and vegetables and engaging in regular physical exercise.
• Being happy may make help you get sick less often. Happier mental states are linked to increased immunity.

Some people seem to have a naturally higher baseline for happiness—one large-scale study of more than 2,000 twins suggested that around 50% of overall life satisfaction was due to genetics, 10% to external events, and 40% to individual activities.

So while you might not be able to control what your “base level” of happiness is, there are things that you can do to make your life happier and more fulfilling. Even the happiest of individuals can feel down from time to time and happiness is something that all people need to consciously pursue.

Cultivate Strong Relationships

Social support is an essential part of well-being. Research has found that good social relationships are the strongest predictor of happiness. Having positive and supportive connections with people you care about can provide a buffer against stress, improve your health, and help you become a happier person.

In the Harvard Study of Adult Development, a longitudinal study that looked at participants over 80 years, researchers found that relationships and how happy people are in those relationships strongly impacted overall health.

So if you are trying to improve your happiness, cultivating solid social connections is a great place to start. Consider deepening your existing relationships and explore ways to make new friends. 

Get Regular Exercise

Exercise is good for both your body and mind. Physical activity is linked to a range of physical and psychological benefits including improved mood. Numerous studies have shown that regular exercise may play a role in warding off symptoms of depression, but evidence also suggests that it may also help make people happier, too.

In one analysis of past research on the connection between physical activity and happiness, researchers found a consistent positive link.  

Even a little bit of exercise produces a happiness boost—people who were physically active for as little as 10 minutes a day or who worked out only once a week had higher levels of happiness than people who never exercised.

Show Gratitude

In one study, participants were asked to engage in a writing exercise for 10 to 20 minutes each night before bed.   Some were instructed to write about daily hassles, some about neutral events, and some about things they were grateful for. The results found that people who had written about gratitude had increase positive emotions, increased subjective happiness, and improve life satisfaction.

As the authors of the study suggest, keeping a gratitude list is a relatively easy, affordable, simple, and pleasant way to boost your mood. Try setting aside a few minutes each night to write down or think about things in your life that you are grateful for.

Find a Sense of Purpose

Research has found that people who feel like they have a purpose have better well-being and feel more fulfilled.   A sense of purpose involves seeing your life as having goals, direction, and meaning. It may help improve happiness by promoting healthier behaviors. 

Some things you can do to help find a sense of purpose include:

• Explore your interests and passions
• Engage in prosocial and altruistic causes
• Work to address injustices
• Look for new things you might want to learn more about

This sense of purpose is influenced by a variety of factors, but it is also something that you can cultivate. It involves finding a goal that you care deeply about that will lead you to engage in productive, positive actions in order to work toward that goal.

Challenges of Finding Happiness

While seeking happiness is important, there are times when the pursuit of life satisfaction falls short. Some challenges to watch for include:

Valuing the Wrong Things

Money may not be able to buy happiness, but there is research that spending money on things like experiences can make you happier than spending it on material possessions. 

One study, for example, found that spending money on things that buy time—such as spending money on time-saving services—can increase happiness and life satisfaction.  

Rather than overvaluing things such as money, status, or material possessions, pursuing goals that result in more free time or enjoyable experiences may have a higher happiness reward.

Not Seeking Social Support

Social support means having friends and loved ones that you can turn to for support. Research has found that perceived social support plays an important role in subjective well-being. For example, one study found that perceptions of social support were responsible for 43% of a person's level of happiness.  

It is important to remember that when it comes to social support, quality is more important than quantity. Having just a few very close and trusted friends will have a greater impact on your overall happiness than having many casual acquaintances.

Thinking of Happiness as an Endpoint

Happiness isn’t a goal that you can simply reach and be done with. It is a constant pursuit that requires continual nurturing and sustenance.

One study found that people who tend to value happiness most also tended to feel the least satisfied with their lives.   Essentially, happiness becomes such a lofty goal that it becomes virtually unattainable. 

“Valuing happiness could be self-defeating because the more people value happiness, the more likely they will feel disappointed,” suggest the authors of the study.

Perhaps the lesson is to not make something as broadly defined as “happiness” your goal. Instead, focus on building and cultivating the sort of life and relationships that bring fulfillment and satisfaction to your life. 

It is also important to consider how you personally define happiness. Happiness is a broad term that means different things to different people. Rather than looking at happiness as an endpoint, it can be more helpful to think about what happiness really means to you and then work on small things that will help you become happier. This can make achieving these goals more manageable and less overwhelming.

History of Happiness

Happiness has long been recognized as a critical part of health and well-being. The "pursuit of happiness" is even given as an inalienable right in the U.S. Declaration of Independence. Our understanding of what will bring happiness, however, has shifted over time.

Psychologists have also proposed a number of different theories to explain how people experience and pursue happiness. These theories include:

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

The hierarchy of needs suggests that people are motivated to pursue increasingly complex needs. Once more basic needs are fulfilled, people are then motivated by more psychological and emotional needs.

At the peak of the hierarchy is the need for self-actualization, or the need to achieve one's full potential. The theory also stresses the importance of peak experiences or transcendent moments in which a person feels deep understanding, happiness, and joy. 

Positive Psychology

The pursuit of happiness is central to the field of positive psychology . Psychologists who study positive psychology are interested in learning ways to increase positivity and helping people live happier, more satisfying lives. 

Rather than focusing on mental pathologies, the field instead strives to find ways to help people, communities, and societies improve positive emotions and achieve greater happiness.

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By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Long And Short Paragraph On Happiness 150, 250 Words

Happiness is a heavenly feeling that emerges from inner peace of mind. It is not a mare term rather it depicts the fulfillment of one’s industry and success. Many people define happiness in different ways. There is some long and short paragraph on happiness that students are often asked wright on the examination paper.  Let’s learn more about happiness.

Table of Contents

Short Paragraph On Happiness 150 Word For Children

Happiness is an unexplainable feeling that is expressed by a smile or facial expression. Happiness is the ultimate stage of psychological peace. 

It is the symbol of success and progressive life. When a person is in a state of love and consolation, the feelings are revealed by happiness. Many psychologists and religious priests try to define happiness for years. But nobody can come to a universal narrative definition of it. Happiness varies from person to person and sometimes it doesn’t last long.

Many of us find happiness in our passion, hobby, or leisure activities. It also depends on the family and financial condition of a person. Wealthy people find happiness in worldly objects whereas the poor want to be happy with solvency. Happiness also comes while a long-cherished dream is fulfilled. The best practice of happiness is eternal happiness that never comes to an end. It derives from the selfless practice of kindness, charity, and care.

Paragraph On Happiness 250 Word For All Class

Happiness is a natural and heavenly feeling of satisfaction. A person feels happy when his wish comes true. It is the blessings of God for which a person craves for his lifelong. People define happiness in their own ways. Some try to be happy with their regular duty whereas some find happiness in doing something new. It is a relative term that depends on the circumstances of the beholder. Human life is full of adversity and everybody needs to fight with obstacles always. In chaotic life, only peace can bring some happiness.

People who practice loyalty, punctuality, and dedication to their duty try to be happy in the fulfillment of their responsibilities. A money-oriented person searches for happiness in luxury and earthly pleasure. At the same time, a cultivator or a passionate gardener becomes happy when they see blooming flowers and harvest in their field. It proves that happiness is not associated with money. It comes from the satisfaction of the heart.

Some people pretend to be happy in front of others while they are fighting a lot of problems. To a young fellow, happiness means spending time with friends while an old wants to stay in the shade of family. Happiness is bliss that spread when it is shared with others. It is such a treasure that makes envious people jealous.  Happiness has a strong power to make people lead a jolly and active life. A happy man can lead a prosperous life and can manage every situation easily with a smile.

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Essay on Happiness for Students in English | 500 Words Essay

December 20, 2020 by Sandeep

Essay on Happiness: Happiness is a blissful feeling within the heart. Money can buy everything, but not happiness. It is essentially a state of mind that can be achieved with a sense of joy and satisfaction of the mind and soul. Hard work, achievements, materialistic gains and possessions, appreciation, etc., bring a lot of happiness. Definition of happiness changes at every stage of our life. The key to a happy life is remaining positive, always irrespective of the situation.

Essay on Happiness 500 Words in English

Below we have provided Happiness Essay in English, written in easy and simple words for class 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 school students.

“Happiness is a gift, and the trick is not to expect it, but to delight in it when it comes”~ Charles Dickens.

What you feel when you buy your first house, meet an old friend, eat your favourite dish, can be interpreted as happiness. It can be referred to as both an emotional and a mental state of contentment. Happiness cannot be described by the use of words. It can only be perceived through someone who feels it. We all need this feeling if we want to lead a good life. The context of happiness is a bit complicated. It can vary between the notions of contentment to an overwhelming sense of joy. Some people confuse joy and happiness.

While joy is a constant state of mind, happiness relies on certain episodes of our lives. Happiness makes us feel alive (like we are at the top of the world). It comes with a quality of complete satisfaction. The meaning of happiness varies from one person to another. We all have our unique definitions for it. For some, happiness is when you complete the last chapter of a classic novel. Some seek it while playing with their pets or watching a good movie. Others might find it on a weekend getaway.

Everyone wants to be happy, but sadly not all of us are. We struggle to find happiness from an outside source. What we don’t understand is that happiness has to be discovered and built from scratch. Our mind is the key for us to decide if we want happiness in our life. No matter what challenges come our way, we must find the faith to be happy. The situations we go through influence our state of being happy.

Factors Affecting Happiness

Our state of being happy can be affected by a couple of factors. Let us take a look at them:

Irregular sleep patterns can prove detrimental to us in the long run. An adequate amount of sleep is needed if we want to be productive. Waking up in the morning after proper six to eight hours of rest makes us feel good. A moral system greatly affects the happiness of an individual. She/he must find a strong morale booster platform. It helps them to deal with the stressful incidences of their life.

Relationships also play a vital role. If you are in a healthy relationship with your partner, you will be in a considerably good state of mind. A healthy body is crucial for a sound mind. If you are ill or if you feel discomfort, you tend to worry. On the contrary, a healthy person lives at ease and comfort without worrying about the painful health conditions.

Can Happiness Be Bought?

People around us might look happy in our eyes. However, deep down, they are dealing with their hardships. Some of them are sad, and some wrestle with depression every single day. Often, people have a misconception that money can solve everything. They think their grief would be resolved, and they would find happiness if they were rich. This is not quite true. Money can surely benefit us with our basic amenities.

It can give us food, shelter, a good lifestyle, recreational opportunities, etc. But it cannot buy happiness for us. If it could, then the wealthiest of the lot would also be the happiest. The reality we experience has a different picture altogether. Rich people deal with fear, anxiety, stress, and not to forget the sadness. They have their battles to fight. Imagine living the life of a rich man for a day. You might have the world’s entire treasure, but you cannot have a sound sleep ever. You might have serious arguments with your friends and families.

Moreover, you would always find yourself troubled about the safety of your wealth. Thus, happiness cannot be bought. There are no shortcuts to finding it. If you have a positive approach in life and choose to act peacefully, you will find what you desire. Our emotions are built on our thoughts. Therefore, it is very important to work on constructive thoughts if we want a clear mind. That way, we would be able to enjoy the little things in life.

Ways to find Happiness

There are a few ways that can induce a state of complete happiness. Some of them are mentioned below:

• Stop complaining about your struggles and look at all the good things that surround you.
• Be thankful for your life and for the privileges you get to have in it.
• Work your way around patience. It takes time to accomplish greater things in life.
• If something goes wrong, do not search for a source to blame. Instead, move on and aim for something better.
• Do not let your past trouble your present. All the misery that you experienced yesterday will teach you how to live today.
• Do not compare your life with someone else’s. You will be filled with jealousy, anger, and dissatisfaction.
• Share good vibes with others. Their smiles will lift your mood, as well.
• Find motivation and goodwill from the people near you. Spend time with the ones who make you feel happy.
• Give more time to yourself. Get to explore your identity. Dream about the things that would genuinely make you happy.
• Self-love and self-acceptance is the key to happiness.
• Stop worrying about the problems. If you have a calm mind, you can easily figure out the solution.
• Find a hobby like painting, music, or writing poetry.
• Last but not least, talk to your family because they are your biggest support system.

Happiness: Personal View and Suggestions Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

Introduction

Personal view about happiness, suggestions on how to be happy, works cited.

Happiness means different things for different people. This notwithstanding, every person is concerned about being happy. Drawing from a study by Radwan (1), defining what happiness is a very difficult task. For certain people, happiness is as a result of being content. It is a unique reaction by a person who feels that everything is going the way he or she desires. To some, it is a feeling that one experiences after attaining set goals.

According to Carlin and Capps (185), most people tend to describe happiness in ways that are quite vivid than definitions of happiness. Despite the fact that people have no problem identifying an expression of happiness when they come across one, no agreement on definitions of happiness exists. This view is also supported by Selin and Davey (294), who argued that defining happiness has been complicated by the fact that no common measurement parameters exist.

A major challenge when it comes to defining happiness has to do with the fact that it has many different faces (Lawrence and Lawrence 6). Despite the huge interest expressed by people in happiness and how to define it, it is very rare that most people will spend time thinking about the concept. Personally, I believe that happiness should be defined as that experience that causes an individual to feel alive. Despite the fact that defining happiness is complicated, there are certain things that can be said about happiness.

First, happiness depends on an individual’s way of looking at things. By and large, what makes one person happy may not trigger happiness in another person. For instance, while money will bring happiness to some people, it may not create happiness for others. Secondly, happiness may be realized by a person who gets what meets a need in his or her life. An individual who is financially insecure may experience happiness when he or she finally gets a job with a stable income. I am also of the opinion that happiness just occurs as people go about their businesses.

I strongly believe that true happiness always comes from within a person. It is a feeling of self assurance. While some people are of the opinion that individuals are the best judges of their own happiness, others are convinced that outsiders are better placed when it comes to judging happiness. Unlike the happiness that is from within, happiness due to external factors is bound to disappear after sometime. For example, any happiness that is as a result of one having all the money he or she desires to have fades away when the money gets depleted. While some people will be happy because they have money and everything else they may require, others are not bothered with material wealth and will be happy with or without money.

In order to maximize happiness, nations and communities should put a number of things into consideration when formulating public policies. Among other things, policy makers should come up with plans to ensure that individuals can get rid of all negative emotions that often lead to unhappiness. It is also imperative for policy makers to see to it that public policies include a training component about happiness. Without a doubt, it is necessary to train everyone about happiness and how to go about getting happiness. As has already been explained, one approach of creating happiness in an individual is to ensure that all bad feelings are done away with. Through training, individuals may also be advised on the best way possible to determine what creates happiness for them.

Another requirement for an individual’s happiness is the ability for one to think positively. It is therefore important for policy makers to figure out how to encourage people to be positive thinkers even in the face of serious challenges. As pointed out by Radwan (1), being positive opens an avenue for an individual to be hopeful and this in turn leads to a feeling of happiness. For an individual to increase his or her level of happiness, it is necessary to be aware of the things that make him or her happy. Nations and communities can take advantage of this fact to help people to be happy. Policy makers should be tasked with the responsibility of coming up with policies that lead to the creation of an environment that leads to the availability of those things that make people happy.

A number of factors have been identified as having an impact on the happiness of individuals (Selin and Davey 297). They include income, security, democracy, freedom, culture, and values. Although the actual connection between income and happiness is not very clear, research undertaken by some research professionals indicate that the level of an individual’s income has a huge effect on his or her happiness. According to McEachern (180), happiness is a basic human right that cannot be taken away from an individual and improving the economy is one strategy that a nation or a community can adopt to create happiness. Arguably, the same can also be said about democracy and happiness. In addition, culture plays a very important role in determining a person’s level of happiness. For this reason, it is imperative for policy makers to think about integrating these factors in the formulation of policies that are meant to promote happiness in people’s lives. Security is equally important when considering happiness and state governments must see to it that people live in a secure environment. According to Biswas-Diener (76), every development should be geared towards promoting happiness in the society.

Without a doubt, happiness is a very important need for every human being. For this reason, efforts must be made to come up with policies that will create a healthy environment for happiness to be realized. State governments are therefore expected to do everything possible to create an environment where individuals can be free to pursue happiness. Security also plays a critical role in promoting happiness.

Biswas-Diener, Robert. Positive Psychology as Social Change. Amherst, MA: Springer Science & Business Media, 2011. Print.

Carlin, Nathan and Donald Capps. 100 Years of Happiness: Insights and Findings from the Experts. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2012. Print.

Lawrence, Denis And Anne Lawrence. Happiness Makes You Healthy: Research and Practice. USA, Lulu, 2013. Print.

McEachern, William. Macroeconomics: A Contemporary Approach. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning, 2012. Print.

Radwan, Farouk. Definition of Happiness and How to be Happy in Life . 2014. Web.

Selin, Helaine and Gareth Davey. Happiness across Cultures: Views of Happiness and Quality of Life in Non-Western Cultures, Amherst, MA: Springer Science & Business Media, 2012. Print.

• Money and Happiness in Poor and Wealthy Societies
• Acts of Kindness and Happiness in Human Life
• UCLA Students Longitudinal Study
• Happiness: Common and Personal Criteria
• The Key to Happiness and Satisfaction with Life
• If “Love Is a Fallacy,” Are the “Loves” or Romantic Relationships Portrayed in the Story Logical or Illogical (Fallacious)?
• Love Portrayal in Modern Day Film and Literature
• Love Concept: "Butterfly Lovers" and "Love Is a Fallacy"
• Analyzing Love and Love Addiction in Relationships
• The Nature of Humor: What Makes People Laugh
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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IELTS Essay: Happiness

by Dave | Real Past Tests | 25 Comments

This is an IELTS writing task 2 sample answer essay on the topic of happiness from the real IELTS exam

Please consider supporting me on Patreon.com/howtodoielts to receive my exclusive IELTS Ebooks – you can even sign up for private live lessons with me!

Some people think personal happiness is directly related to economic success, while others believe this depends on other factors.

Discuss both sides and give your own opinion.

Many are of the belief that happiness is a result of financial success, while others feel there are more crucial factors. In my opinion, a certain degree of financial stability is a basic requirement for happiness but is less important overall than one’s family and health.

Those who claim that happiness correlates highly with earnings argue that it affords individuals a higher standard of living. A person with a considerable salary is able to buy a nice house, provide for their family, and purchase luxuries ranging from good food and frequent holidays to expensive vehicles and fashionable clothing. Each item taken on its own only contributes a small degree of pleasure, however, such purchases add up to a generally content, comfortable and enjoyable lifestyle. If a person is inclined to equate pleasure with happiness, then there is a legitimate argument to be made for the pursuit of happiness being the pursuit of money.

However, the majority of individuals, wealthy and otherwise, would state that happiness is more a consequence of quality time with family and good health. A comfortable home filled with luxuries is enjoyable but the most sustained happiness comes from relationships. Someone who has lost touch with their family and has frayed interpersonal bonds with their relatives, is not likely to be able to fill such a void with physical possessions. Anecdotally, towards the end of life most people recognize that their happiest moments were spent in the presence of loved ones. Additionally, good health is a more powerful pre-condition for happiness since no amount of wealth can buy relief from chronic suffering.

In conclusion, happiness depends more on one’s relationship with their family and physical health rather than financial success. There are, naturally, exceptions as happiness is subjective and can be defined differently.

1. Many are of the belief that happiness is a result of financial success, while others feel there are more crucial factors. 2. In my opinion, a certain degree of financial stability is a basic requirement for happiness but is less important overall than one’s family and health.

• Paraphrase the overall essay topic.
• Write a clear opinion. Read more about introductions here .

1. Those who claim that happiness correlates highly with earnings argue that it affords individuals a higher standard of living. 2. A person with a considerable salary is able to buy a nice house, provide for their family, and purchase luxuries ranging from good food and frequent holidays to expensive vehicles and fashionable clothing. 3. Each item taken on its own only contributes a small degree of pleasure, however, such purchases add up to a generally content, comfortable and enjoyable lifestyle. 4. If a person is inclined to equate pleasure with happiness, then there is a legitimate argument to be made for the pursuit of happiness being the pursuit of money.

• Write a topic sentence with a clear main idea at the end.
• Explain your main idea.
• Develop it with specific or hypothetical examples.
• Keep developing it fully.

1. However, the majority of individuals, wealthy and otherwise, would state that happiness is more a consequence of quality time with family and good health. 2. A comfortable home filled with luxuries is enjoyable but the most sustained happiness comes from relationships. 3. Someone who has lost touch with their family and has frayed interpersonal bonds with their relatives, is not likely to be able to fill such a void with physical possessions. 4. Anecdotally, towards the end of life most people recognize that their happiest moments were spent in the presence of loved ones. 5. Additionally, good health is a more powerful pre-condition for happiness since no amount of wealth can buy relief from chronic suffering.

• Write a new topic sentence with a new main idea at the end.
• Explain your new main idea.
• Include specific details and examples.
• Continue developing it…
• as fully as possible!

1. In conclusion, happiness depends more on one’s relationship with their family and physical health rather than financial success. 2. There are, naturally, exceptions as happiness is subjective and can be defined differently.

• Summarise your main ideas.
• Include a final thought. Read more about conclusions here .

What do the words in bold below mean? Make some notes on paper to aid memory and then check below.

Many are of the belief that happiness is a result of financial success , while others feel there are more crucial factors . In my opinion, a certain degree of financial stability is a basic requirement for happiness but is less important overall than one’s family and health.

Those who claim that happiness correlates highly with earnings argue that it affords individuals a higher standard of living . A person with a considerable salary is able to buy a nice house, provide for their family, and purchase luxuries ranging from good food and frequent holidays to expensive vehicles and fashionable clothing . Each item taken on its own only contributes a small degree of pleasure , however, such purchases add up to a generally content , comfortable and enjoyable lifestyle . If a person is inclined to equate pleasure with happiness, then there is a legitimate argument to be made for the pursuit of happiness being the pursuit of money.

However, the majority of individuals, wealthy and otherwise , would state that happiness is more a consequence of quality time with family and good health. A comfortable home filled with luxuries is enjoyable but the most sustained happiness comes from relationships . Someone who has lost touch with their family and has frayed interpersonal bonds with their relatives , is not likely to be able to fill such a void with physical possessions . Anecdotally , towards the end of life most people recognize that their happiest moments were spent in the presence of loved ones . Additionally , good health is a more powerful pre-condition for happiness since no amount of wealth can buy relief from chronic suffering .

In conclusion, happiness depends more on one’s relationship with their family and physical health rather than financial success. There are, naturally , exceptions as happiness is subjective and can be defined differently .

For extra practice, write an antonym (opposite word) on a piece of paper to help you remember the new vocabulary:

result of caused by

financial success making money

crucial factors important elements

certain degree some amount of

financial stability have enough money

basic requirement minimum

overall generally

claim argue

correlates highly relates directly to

earnings argue money say

affords can pay for

higher standard of living good quality of life

considerable major

provide for allow for

purchase luxuries ranging from buy nice things including

frequent often

expensive vehicles pricey cars

fashionable clothing nice fashion

item taken on its own thing by itself

contributes adds to

small degree of pleasure a little enjoyment

add up contribute to

generally content overall happy

comfortable easy and nice

enjoyable lifestyle nice living standard

inclined likely to

equate pleasure make enjoyment equal to

legitimate argument clear case

pursuit of happiness trying to satisfy yourself

majority most of

otherwise or this will happen

consequence result

quality time good time spent with

filled with full of

most sustained constant

relationships interpersonal connections

lost touch not talking to, estranged

frayed interpersonal bonds not on good terms with

relatives family members

void absence

physical possessions things

anecdotally from stories

recognize know

spent in the presence of loved ones around family

additionally also

pre-condition minimum requirement

since no amount of wealth as no level of money

buy relief purchase a reprieve

chronic suffering constantly hurt by

depends more on has more to do with

rather than instead of

naturally of course

exceptions cases outside the norm

subjective can be judged individually

defined differently described in different ways

Pronunciation

Practice saying the vocabulary below and use this tip about Google voice search :

rɪˈzʌlt ɒv   faɪˈnænʃəl səkˈsɛs ˈkruːʃəl ˈfæktəz ˈsɜːtn dɪˈgriː   faɪˈnænʃəl stəˈbɪlɪti   ˈbeɪsɪk rɪˈkwaɪəmənt   ˈəʊvərɔːl   kleɪm   ˈkɒrɪleɪts ˈhaɪli   ˈɜːnɪŋz ˈɑːgjuː   əˈfɔːdz   ˈhaɪə ˈstændəd ɒv ˈlɪvɪŋ kənˈsɪdərəbl   prəˈvaɪd fɔː   ˈpɜːʧəs ˈlʌkʃəriz ˈreɪnʤɪŋ frɒm   ˈfriːkwənt   ɪksˈpɛnsɪv ˈviːɪklz   ˈfæʃnəbl ˈkləʊðɪŋ ˈaɪtəm ˈteɪkən ɒn ɪts əʊn   kənˈtrɪbju(ː)ts   smɔːl dɪˈgriː ɒv ˈplɛʒə æd ʌp   ˈʤɛnərəli ˈkɒntɛnt ˈkʌmf(ə)təbl   ɪnˈʤɔɪəbl ˈlaɪfˌstaɪl ɪnˈklaɪnd   ɪˈkweɪt ˈplɛʒə   lɪˈʤɪtɪmɪt ˈɑːgjʊmənt   pəˈsjuːt ɒv ˈhæpɪnɪs   məˈʤɒrɪti   ˈʌðəwaɪz steɪt   ˈkɒnsɪkwəns   ˈkwɒlɪti taɪm   fɪld wɪð   məʊst səsˈteɪnd   rɪˈleɪʃənʃɪps lɒst tʌʧ   freɪd ˌɪntəˈpɜːsən(ə)l bɒndz   ˈrɛlətɪvz vɔɪd   ˈfɪzɪkəl pəˈzɛʃənz ˌænɪkˈdəʊt(ə)li ˈrɛkəgnaɪz   spɛnt ɪn ðə ˈprɛzns ɒv lʌvd wʌnz əˈdɪʃənli priː-kənˈdɪʃən   sɪns nəʊ əˈmaʊnt ɒv wɛlθ   baɪ rɪˈliːf   ˈkrɒnɪk ˈsʌfərɪŋ dɪˈpɛndz mɔːr ɒn   ˈrɑːðə ðæn   ˈnæʧrəli ɪkˈsɛpʃənz   səbˈʤɛktɪv   dɪˈfaɪnd ˈdɪfrəntli

Vocabulary Practice

I recommend getting a pencil and piece of paper because that aids memory. Then write down the missing vocabulary from my sample answer in your notebook:

Many are of the belief that happiness is a r__________f f_______________s , while others feel there are more c__________________s . In my opinion, a c________________e of f_____________________y is a b___________________t for happiness but is less important o________l than one’s family and health.

Those who c________m that happiness c__________________y with e________________e that it a________s individuals a h_____________________________g . A person with a c_______________e salary is able to buy a nice house, p__________r their family, and p__________________s r________________m good food and f__________t holidays to e___________________s and f____________________g . Each i______________________n only c________________s a s_________________________e , however, such purchases a________p to a g______________________t , c_____________e and e____________________e . If a person is i__________d to e_________________e with happiness, then there is a l_________________________t to be made for the p____________________s being the pursuit of money.

However, the m_________y of individuals, wealthy and o___________e , would s______e that happiness is more a c______________e of q______________e with family and good health. A comfortable home f____________h luxuries is enjoyable but the m________________d happiness comes from r_______________s . Someone who has l_____________h with their family and has f__________________________s with their r__________s , is not likely to be able to fill such a v______d with p__________________________s . A________________y , towards the end of life most people r____________e that their happiest moments were s___________________________________s . A_______________y , good health is a more powerful p______________n for happiness s____________________________________h can b______________f from c______________g .

In conclusion, happiness d______________________n one’s relationship with their family and physical health r_____________n financial success. There are, n______________y , e____________s as happiness is s_____________e and can be d_____________________y .

Listening Practice

Learn more about this topic by watching videos from The New York Times YouTube channel below and practice with these activities :

Reading Practice

Read more about this topic and use these ideas to practice :

https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/the-10-happiest-countries-in-the-world

Speaking Practice

Practice with the following speaking questions from the real IELTS speaking exam :

Happy Occasions

• How do people in your country celebrate happy occasions?
• Why do occasions usually make people happy?
• How important is the money spent on the occasion for making people happy?
• Is it a good idea to spend a lot of money on a birthday party?
• Is happiness today the same as it was in the past?

Writing Practice

Practice with the related IELTS essay topic below:

In recent times, economic growth has helped many become richer, both in developed and developing countries. However, those in developed countries are not as happy as they were in the past.

Why is this?

What can be learned from this?

IELTS Essay: Developed Countries & Happiness

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25 Comments

Wonderful website

Thanks a lot!

Hello, in first body paragraph, the sentence ‘contributes a small degree of pleasure…..’ so, in such kind of sentence, when can we use contribute/contributes something or contributes to something? Do both have same meaning?e.g. contributes something and contributes to something?

They are similar – contributes to is adding to a bigger whole – contributes to the economy.

But contributes is the actual thing – contributes resources to the economy.

Great question, Sandra!

Thank you sir for making this clear!

No problem!

In 1st body paragraph, last sentence, if person is inclined to equate pleasure with happiness….. so, aren’t both same? Pleasure and happiness? Should not there be pleasure and wealth instead of pleasure and happiness?

That is a part of the question.

I think most people would say that pleasure is a part of happiness, but not the full equation.

That there are other, more satisfying elements that make up happiness.

It’s a topic for a longer essay, like most IELTS essays, so you can really just touch on it and give an opinion.

Thank you. Your website contains all topics and top notch vocabulary. Best essays .

You’re welcome as always Sandra!

There is an argument about whether individual happiness depends on being rich in money or not. In my opinion, I consider that money is not the main reason for happiness. Although wealth can solve many problems, hope is the core of happiness.

It is not necessary for rich people to worry about their survival. Money can buy more than enough commodities, such as food, clothes, or even an estate, which results in lives without being hungry or homeless. Moreover, rich people can also entertain themselves with powerful computers, new styles of wind coats, and global trips. They enjoy the toppest entertainment in the world, which can bring them happiness indeed. However, rich people may consider money so important that any single missing coin may lead to depression.

A positive attitude decides the happniess from the root. If we consider that a bright future will come, we are not fatigue. For example, a poor young graduate who just received an offer from his first selected company leads to pleasure in the mouth because his future is promising and hopeful. It is also the reason why people with huge fortunes feel happy. Furthermore, a boss of a monopoly may feel pessimistic if the company appears to be breaking apart. It is clear that money does not determine happiness, but hope does.

In sum, money can bring happiness in some cases, but hope is the origin of happiness. As a result, we should try our best to have better lives and fill ourselves with a positive attitude.

Could be a little more academic, Gakki but strong overall.

Also the phrase to begin the 3rd paragraph is a little strange…

Thanks for your feedback! I’ll keep trying.

The root cause of Happiness is TRUTH. If you back to truth Happiness , Health , Wealth success much more back to you!

Sounds about right!

Please give feedback-

People have had different views about the definition of happiness. While some assert that joyousness in life is linked to the level of success a person has achieved, others are of opinion that other possibilities play an important role in determining happiness. This essay will discuss both perspectives in the forthcoming paragraphs. I, however, side with the latter view.

On the one hand, it is nearly irrefutable to say that money can create joyfulness. In other words, money is an instrument which helps people to purchase things which can generate happiness and gratification. It allows people to be content through things, be it material possessions like cars, houses and jewelry, or buying wonderful experiences, such as vacations. Furthermore, when people’s physiological needs have been met, they would likely have achieved contentment in life. Unlike impoverished people, rich people do not have to worry about the means of meeting their basic needs. Therefore, the wealthy populace are assumed to be full of felicity since they have enough opulence to spend on things that bring happy feelings to them.

On the other hand, many people feel that loving familial relationships and excellent health are imperative for people to be joyous. People who have strong family ties are less stressed and generally in better moods because family members are not only caring but also supportive. If someone is going through any difficulties, it is the family that will stand behind them as a strong supporter and try to eradicate the problem. Secondly, people’s health is very significant. A healthy person will not be constantly bothered by pain in various body parts. Despite the fact that money can help to buy medical treatments, it does not guarantee a complete cure. For instance, if a billionaire is suffering from chronic ailments such as cancer, in spite of spending an inordinate amount of wealth, he may or may not be cured fully. Thus, having robust health is essential for people to be happy from within.

In conclusion, although financial success can assist in acquiring materialistic items engendering personal happiness, in my opinion, harmonious family relationships and a healthy body are stronger alternatives that make people’s lives happy.

Sure, Ram – a littl on the long side – try to get it down to about 275 words.

Also some vocabulary is being mis-used like joyous.

Love your examples!

Thanks Dave.

Does happiness is owned nowadays? Although, few people supports that the economic growth drives-in joy in an individual’s lives, others put forward several other sources of happiness. In my view, definitely money is paramount to happiness but certainly, there are few other requisite needs to be fulfilled in human life in order to achieve satisfaction more than happiness alone. 

Supporters of the thought that “money can buy happiness” are generally mistaken for the over assumptions than reality of life. Money is needed in every transaction of materialistic items that is pre-requisite for the survival. Although, happiness is sum of the difference between the expectation and reality to be true, in general. It puts ones at very ease in life when he holds wealth in abundance. Capability to fulfill not just basic needs but also desires brings loads of excitements. But the problem with this approach is that the factors that define happiness keeps changing with time. 

Opponents of the thought that “wealth is happiness” are more likely has defined joy with some other intrinsic caliber of an individual to possess satisfaction. Though, being poor or facing misery is not noble for anyone but to pertain needed balance of everything as a whole is something leads ones to satisfaction. Certainly, there is no match to love for Lord that outweighs any materialistic needs. Moreover, social and emotional support are largely the dominant factor to define satisfaction, therefore the happiness. For an instance, Elon Musk had made a statement on social media that him despite of being a richest person in

In conclusion, Joy cannot always buy or measured with economic development of the person but that comes from inside a character of the person in different forms like satisfaction. 

Opponents of the thought that “wealth is happiness” are more likely has defined joy with some other intrinsic caliber of an individual to possess satisfaction. Though, being poor or facing misery is not noble for anyone but to pertain needed balance of everything as a whole is something leads ones to satisfaction. Certainly, there is no match to love for Lord that outweighs any materialistic needs. Moreover, social and emotional support are largely the dominant factor to define satisfaction, therefore the happiness. For an instance, Elon Musk had made a statement on social media that him despite of being a richest person in the world, feels despaired when not able to make home at dinners with his family.

Good work, Anubhav!

Careful with capitalizing words that are not proper nouns. Nice examples too, but some little grammar mistakes will bring your score down.

Keep working hard!

What is the band score of this essay approximately?

I have written all these essays so they are band 9 examples, Sasan!

Superb! Thanks.

You’re welcome!

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Essay Papers Writing Online

Tips for crafting a concise and informative 250-word essay.

Are you overwhelmed by the task of writing a 250-word essay? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! In this easy guide, we’ll walk you through the process of crafting a concise and impactful essay like a pro.

Whether you’re a student working on an assignment or a professional looking to communicate effectively in a limited word count, mastering the art of writing a 250-word essay can be a valuable skill. With the right approach and some key tips, you can create a compelling and well-crafted piece that gets your point across clearly and concisely.

From planning and outlining to refining your writing, we’ll provide you with the essential steps and strategies to help you tackle this challenge with confidence and produce a stellar 250-word essay.

How to Write a Stellar 250 Word Essay

Writing a stellar 250-word essay requires focus and precision. Follow these steps to craft a well-structured and impactful piece:

• Plan Your Points: Before you start writing, outline the main points you want to cover in your essay. Keep it concise and relevant to the topic.
• Introduction: Begin with a strong opening that grabs the reader’s attention. State your thesis or main idea clearly.
• Main Body: Support your thesis with a few key points. Each point should be clear and concise, using specific examples or evidence.
• Conclusion: Summarize your main points and restate your thesis. End with a strong closing that leaves a lasting impression.

Remember to use clear and simple language, and avoid unnecessary words or information. Proofread your essay carefully to ensure it is error-free and flows smoothly. With these tips, you can create a stellar 250-word essay that showcases your writing skills effectively.

Understanding the Assignment Requirements

Before you start writing your 250-word essay, it is crucial to carefully read and understand the assignment requirements. Make sure you grasp the topic, the purpose of the essay, and any specific instructions provided by your instructor or professor.

Highlight key points such as the essay’s objective, the audience you are writing for, the structure or format required, the style of writing (formal or informal), and any specific guidelines on sources or citations.

• Take note of the word count specified for the essay.
• Clarify any doubts you may have with your instructor to ensure you are on the right track.
• Organize your thoughts and create an outline based on the assignment requirements before you begin writing.

By thoroughly understanding the assignment requirements, you can ensure that your 250-word essay meets the criteria and effectively conveys your message to the intended audience.

Brainstorming and Outlining Your Ideas

Before you start writing your 250-word essay, it’s essential to brainstorm and outline your ideas. This step will help you organize your thoughts and ensure a coherent and well-structured essay.

Start by brainstorming ideas related to the topic of your essay. Jot down any relevant points, examples, or arguments that come to mind. Consider different perspectives and angles that you can explore in your essay.

Once you have a list of ideas, create an outline for your essay. This outline should include an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. In the introduction, briefly introduce your topic and provide some background information. The body paragraphs should expand on the ideas you brainstormed and provide supporting evidence. Finally, the conclusion should summarize your main points and restate your thesis.

By brainstorming and outlining your ideas before you start writing, you’ll set yourself up for success and make the writing process much smoother.

Developing Clear and Concise Body Paragraphs

When writing a 250-word essay, it’s essential to develop clear and concise body paragraphs to support your main argument. Each body paragraph should focus on a single main point and provide evidence to support it. Here are some tips to help you develop effective body paragraphs:

1. Topic Sentence:

Start each body paragraph with a topic sentence that introduces the main idea of the paragraph. This sentence should clearly state the point you will be discussing.

2. Supporting Evidence:

Provide specific examples, facts, or quotes to support your main point. Make sure that the evidence is relevant and directly relates to your argument.

3. Analysis:

After presenting your evidence, analyze it to explain how it supports your main argument. Discuss the significance of the evidence and how it strengthens your position.

4. Transition:

Use transitional words and phrases to smoothly move from one paragraph to the next. This helps to maintain the flow of your essay and connect your ideas cohesively.

By following these guidelines, you can develop clear and concise body paragraphs that enhance the overall structure and quality of your 250-word essay.

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My Unsung Hero

When wil was struggling with depression, a therapist said just the right thing.

Laura Kwerel

Wil Davenport in 2015. Wil Davenport hide caption

The following story includes references to suicide.

This story is part of the My Unsung Hero series, from the Hidden Brain team. It features stories of people whose kindness left a lasting impression on someone else.

In the fall of 2014, Wil Davenport was in a dark place. He had just lost a job he loved, and his mental health began to unravel.

“I just remember feeling such self-destructive thoughts about how I must have done something terrible to lose that job. I must be terrible to have lost that job,” Davenport said.

'I got you, girl': A toll collector's unexpected reply to a driver's tears

By the end of December, he had attempted to take his life, and he admitted himself to an inpatient mental health program.

“I remember for days, even weeks, not feeling like any progress was happening,” Davenport said. “So in between our therapy sessions and whatever else we were doing, I would walk laps inside this locked unit.”

One day, as he was doing his usual circuit around the facility, he noticed one of his therapists walking toward the community room. He thinks her name was Yvette.

“With a wry smile on her face, she looked over at me and she said, ‘I bet I'll beat you to the community room,’” Davenport remembered. “And somehow, that small act triggered something inside of me. And I didn't want to be beaten.”

For the first time in months, Davenport felt he had a purpose. Walking as fast as he could, he raced her to the room — and won. He was surprised and, for the first time in a long time, full of hope.

“I remember sitting down in this therapy session that she was leading shortly thereafter and feeling like a spark of life had been ignited in me by her simple act,” Davenport said.

When an earthquake struck in 1989, Julia locked eyes with a stranger and embraced

His therapist helped him want to live again, Davenport said. And not just to live, but to thrive.

“For that small act and so many other things that she did, I'm just so grateful.”

Today, Davenport is the founder of a leadership consulting business that helps people remove psychological barriers to become more effective at work. Davenport says he has done years of work to improve his mental health, and now, he likes the person he has become.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 for help.

My Unsung Hero is also a podcast — new episodes are released every Tuesday. To share the story of your unsung hero with the Hidden Brain team, record a voice memo on your phone and send it to [email protected].

• mental health
• mental health care