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The Science of Happiness

Pelin Kesebir

Center for Healthy Minds

Happiness

“All men seek happiness. This is without exception. Whatever different means

they employ, they all tend to this end …

This is the motive of every action of every man, even of those who hang

themselves.”

Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)

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Is It Possible to Become Happier?

“To be stupid, selfish, and have good health are three requirements for happiness, though if stupidity is

lacking, all is lost.” —Gustave Flaubert (1821-1880)

Is Happiness Justifiable?

• Being happy raises the likelihood of accruing rewards in all the important

life domains, such as relationships, work, and health.

• Our happiness ripples through the social fabric and comes to benefit

many other people.

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Happiness is a way of

traveling, not a

destination.

• An unending parade of pleasantness

• Things constantly going our way

• A destination or a finish line

(the “I’ll be happy when/if ” fallacy)

What Is Happiness Not?

A Healthy Sense of Self

Happiness

Happiness

Positive Emotions

Virtues

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Love Joy

Hope

Serenity

Interest

Gratitude

Kindness

Awe

Pride

Inspiration

Enthusiasm

Positive Emotions

Negative Emotions Serve Adaptive Functions

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What Good Are Positive Emotions?

• Positive emotions open our hearts and minds. • They unlock other-focused

thinking.

• They broaden the scope of our attention, promote open-minded and creative information-processing.

• They facilitate building intellectual, psychological, social, and physical resources over time.

Positive emotions trigger upward

spirals toward happiness.

Love Joy

Hope

Serenity

Interest

Gratitude

Kindness

Awe

Pride

Inspiration

Enthusiasm

For Happiness, We Need an Abundance of Positive Emotions

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A Healthy Sense of Self

Happiness

Happiness

Positive Emotions

Virtues

• Virtues are essential to a happy, thriving, worth-of-living life.

• Possessing and exercising virtue is the only reliable bet for a happy,

flourishing life.

Virtues Virtues

Honesty Forgiveness Courage Justice Compassion

• Virtues are wholesome qualities of the heart and mind.

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Love

Judgment

Hope

Zest

Spirituality

Bravery

Perspective

Kindness

Humility Humor

Gratitude

Love of

Learning Appreciation

of Beauty

Fairness

Honesty

Creativity

Perseverance

Prudence

Teamwork

Leadership

Social

Intelligence

Self-

Regulation Curiosity

Forgiveness

https://www.viacharacter.org/survey/

Love

Judgment

Hope

Zest

Spirituality

Bravery

Perspective

Kindness

Humility

Humor

Gratitude

Love of

Learning Appreciation

of Beauty

Fairness

Honesty

Creativity

Perseverance

Prudence

Teamwork

Leadership

Social

Intelligence

Self-

Regulation Curiosity

Forgiveness

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Love

Judgment

Hope

Zest

Spirituality

Bravery

Perspective

Kindness

Humility

Humor

Gratitude

Love of

Learning Appreciation

of Beauty

Fairness

Honesty

Creativity

Perseverance

Prudence

Teamwork

Leadership

Social

Intelligence

Self-

Regulation Curiosity

Forgiveness

Love

Gratitude

Hope Curiosity

Zest

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• Virtue taken to the extreme can probably only be dangerous in the absence of other balancing virtues.

• What is problematic is not excess virtue, but deficient virtue.

Can One Have Too Much of a Virtue? Can One Have Too Much of a Virtue?

“It’s curiosity.”

A Healthy Sense of Self

Happiness

Happiness

Positive Emotions

Virtues

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• Being content with who we are; accepting ourselves

• An accurate appraisal of our strengths and weaknesses

• Low levels of self-focus and self-centeredness

• Self-compassion

A Healthy Sense of Self

A Healthy Sense of Self

Happiness

Happiness

Positive Emotions

Virtues

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How Can We Cultivate Positive Emotions, Virtues, and a Healthy Sense of Self ?

By cultivating

mindfulness By cultivating

healthy habits of

the body

By choosing the

people we spend

time with wisely

Thank You