Sukha and Ananda (सुखानन्दश्च)
Why does happiness matter?
Offers us meaning and purpose of life. It helps discover new passions, generate curiosity, builds strong coping skill and emotional resources. Tolerate risks and and anxiety, keeps us healthy mentally and physically.
Why important to study happiness scientifically?
To develop more insight, awareness and orientation about ourselves.
to get rid of misconceptions about happiness. ridding about misconceptions of life, career, notions of people, stereotypes of people helps us develop resilience.
supports turbulent life experiences and manage failure
to create happiness for others and thus create our happy surroundings
What are means of happiness?
Social sciences in general, but Neurosciences, Behavioural sciences, and Computational science take advantage of the theory of happiness. Fundamental We share the findings of methodologies of different disciplines.
Guiding philosophies of happiness
Life over career, Context (life experience) over content, attitude (creates a mindset to meet someone, face fears, for overcoming troubles and progressing) over aptitude and choice (helps experience the myriad shades of emotions not just happiness) over compulsion
What makes us happy?
Affluence in bio-psycho-social resource that determine the quality of living and prosperity
Autonomy in freedom to choose or in meaningful physical and mental engagements
Appreciation for life as a whole that determines life satisfaction (subjective wellbeing)
Science or Practice - Both
Genotype or Phenotype - Gene for happiness
Process or outcome - outcome is a target, targets change, process is memory based happiness, outcome is moment based happiness
Thinking or Blinking -
Mind or mindset - primal belief whether world is hostile
Conclusions
Insight (foe self) and awareness (about iothers)
Sustain positve feeling and adapt to stressful experience
Betweenness with interpersonal skill and within-ness
Misconceptions about happiness
Money increases happiness - happiness does not increase after a salary of 75K $ and begins to plateau after a decent salary
Receive a gift - purchasing a gift increases happiness not receiving, biologists and neurologists found a neural link, create happiness for others.