Contents
buddhist Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche in The Joy of Living: Unlocking the Secret and Science of Happiness:
Ultimately, happiness comes down to choosing between the discomfort of becoming aware of your mental afflictions and the discomfort of being ruled by them.
Implications for ethics
The good life, as I conceive it, is a happy life. I do not mean that if you are good you will be happy; I mean that if you are happy you will be good. Unhappiness is deeply implanted in the souls of most of us. (Bertrand Russell)
Quotes
Happiness is the absence of the striving for happiness. (Chuang-Tzu)
The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts. (Marcus Aurelius)
Research
Zain Khan on Twitter summarizes research and insights from Professor Laurie Santos’ popular “Psychology and the Good Life” course (also available online):
- Spend time with friends and family.
- Practice gratitude.
- Practice optimism.
- Incorporate physical activity.
- Make (enough) money.
- Once you have enough, focus on using it to get more control over your time.
A key insight is that happiness (or feelings of well-being) isn’t something to wait for, but something to actively practice.