HUMAN HAPPINESS - ITS NATURE & ITS ATTAIMENT
VOLUME I: THE NATURE OF HAPPINESS
CHAPTER 3
WHAT IS HAPPINESS?
Over the years that I've lectured in psychology, I've opened my talks with a simple, yet extremely profound, question.I build the introduction this question by telling those assembled that they are about to ponder "the most significant question humanity has ever asked itself," that the question is surely the most significant question they will ever consider in their lifetime, and that the answer could well change the direction of their lives from that day forward.
Moreover, I represent to them how central the question is in philosophical, theological, and psychological thought since the dawn of recorded history - how the sagest minds have grappled with the question throughout many thousands of years - how the question forms the core of modern social and political life...
WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN LIFE
It's most profound, "What is the most important thing in life?"
One might think, given the gravity of the question, that people might take quite a while arriving at an answer to it. But, surprisingly, most people come-up with an answer in seconds! And indeed, not only do most people come up a quick answer, but more remarkably, they usually come up with the same answer!
What is the most important thing in life? In several hundred informal polls I have taken with student and adult audiences (and dozens more reported in more formal research and opionion polls) the most common response is "happiness!"
Indeed, of the many thousands polled over the years, "happiness" is the most popular answer to this extremely significant question. More than 50% of respondents, in the groups we've questioned, pick this.
Other good answers are mentioned by a minority of respondents. Among the four, most typical, runner-up answers are "love," "success," "good health," and "my religion." But "happiness" is, by far, the most popular response.
Even for those who don't pick happiness as #1, hardly one in a hundred doesn't include it in their top three or four choices.
No, happiness is critically important to every human being. Most hardly have to debate about it. The answer comes to them instantaneously...
Such simple polling investigations show that the average individual intuitively understands what psychology has always known: happiness is among the most fundamental of all Human goals.
Happiness, as we shall come to see, is the main psychological point to our lives. It is universally sought after and hoped for. It is so good to feel, so satisfying to possess, so basic to our every living moment, so a much a desired part of of our lives and the lives of those we care about, it cannot be denied. Everyone wants it. Everyone dreams of finding it.
But, that's where it stops...
Despite the fact that happiness is critically important. Despite that it is one of the most fundamental of Human concerns. Despite the finding that most people want it more than anything else... Most of us hardly ever think about it!
It's a rather sad situation for poor "happiness." It spends its life ignored, taken for granted, rarely questioned, and hardly pondered. When forced to think about it, everyone says it's important; but when queried further, the average person doesn't know anything about it -- or even what it is!
For example, before you took the quiz in the last Chapter, did you have any idea how happy you were compared to others? Had you really thought much about your happiness in the past? Could you have defined happiness? Were you aware of what actually makes you happy? Did you know what contributes to the happiness of others? Probably not.
The surprising thing about happiness is how little people know about it. Happiness is largely un-understood. Not mis-understood, un-understood. Misunderstanding means we have heard about a topic, but have interpreted it incorrectly. Un-understood means that we know nothing of it at all.
Happiness may be the ultimate Human paradox. As I was quoted years ago:
"The one thing people want most in life, is the one thing they know nothing about." (guide to audio tapes).
We want happiness, but we know nothing about it. This is far from a happy state of affairs!
This Chapter starts with the basics: an understanding of the basic nature of happiness.
THE IMPORTANCE OF HAPPINESS
Psychological theorists -- as well as the great philosophers -- have long recognized happiness as the ultimate human goal. And, certainly, as we've seen, everyone else, on a gut level, knows this too.
But though happiness is the choice of the majority, how can we say it is the most important? Certainly, there are many possibilities to consider...
The great writers and thinkers have offered many options through the ages: the allegiance to a Grand Cause, the serving of Humanity or a God, the search for idealized Love, the seeking of Truth and Beauty, service to one's Country, the development of one's Ultimate Potential are but a few.
In more personal terms, the ideals are endless. "Love," "success," "religion," and "good health" are, as we pointed-out above, often mentioned. But, to a lesser extent the surveys show that anything from "creating a great painting" to "my hound-dog" can be mentioned as the most important thing in life to someone, somewhere.
For some, things like "self-satisfaction," "inner peace," or "contentment" would be the most important. Others mention their children, their family, or their marriage. Some say "money" or "power." Others stress the attaining of goals. "World peace" is commonly expressed; and others feel feel that things like "faith" or "hope" are most important.
One cannot argue that each of these things is not important. So, which among them is the most important? How can it be decided?
By simply forcing a choice!
Imagine, for a moment, that some magical being appears to you. The proverbial "Genie in a bottle," so to speak. Legend says he'll offer you three wishes, but this particular genie has something even more intriguing in mind. He claims to be tired of just giving-out any three wishes people come-up with, because most people make such frivolous and self-defeating selections. Therefore, in recent years, he's changed his strategy...
Now, he offers choices instead!
Based on his years of granting wishes, he's reduced these choices to a few of the most highly-prized, human desires, to give us mortals a better chance. But the mischief in him still remains. The choices, we find, are totally exclusive. If we chose one, we lose the other completely. There's no half-way solution. He's going to offer us choices between some of the most desired things in life. The one we pick will be ours in abundance. But the one we reject, we'll have not at all...
"Here is your first choice," the Genie offers, "between happiness or success!"
"I'll grant you one -- but not the other."
"If you choose success, I'll make you one of the most successful persons in history. Cover stories in magazines, newspapers, and television will continuously herald your fame and achievement. You'll win a Nobel Prize every year. World leaders will be envious of your accomplishments. Everyone in your family and community will admire you. And any endeavor you choose to undertake will flourish."
"But if you choose success, you'll not have happiness. Oh, you'll be surrounded with international acclaim, boundless success will be yours, but I'll see to it that you'll never experience a happy moment again."
"On the other hand, if you choose happiness, I'll make you one of the happier persons whose ever lived. Every day, from now until the end of your life, will be filled with sunshine, joy, and contentment. But you'll never be all that successful. You'll just be a happy person."
Your mind is whirling. "Why can't I have both," you think. It's a tough decision, but would you really take success knowing you'd never have a happy day again?
"I'll give you another choice," the genie says, sensing your hesitation. "This time between happiness and money..."
"I'll grant you all the money you ever dreamed of, if that's what you choose. You'll be the richest person on earth. Every nation's currency will have your face on it. Every person's paycheck will be automatically endorsed over to you. The stock market will call you up every day, just to find out what you want to buy or sell to yourself."
"But if you choose money, you'll never know a happy moment again. Oh, you'll bask in the trappings of luxury, with all the power and influence money can buy -- but, as you lie in your gold-lined, basement swimming pool, filled with pearls and precious gems, you'll be utterly and completely miserable."
"On the other hand, if you choose happiness, I'll grant you happiness forever! Every day will be filled with sunshine, joy, elation, and bliss. But you'll never have much money again. You'll live like a pauper, but you will be happy."
"Now this isn't fair," you think, "I can't imagine being happy without money." Again you mind is awash in indecision. "Maybe I can take the money," you're thinking, "and fool the Genie! I might be happy anyway..." But if you knew for certain you couldn't fool the Genie, would you really pick the riches, knowing you'd never be happy again?
After a moment or two, you've decided. Yet as you open your mouth, the Genie stops you...
"Hold," he says, "there's one last choice I can offer you. That's a choice between happiness and love."
You can have all the love you ever dreamed of, or all the happiness you ever dreamed of -- but you can't have both...
If you select love, I'll make you fall in love with the person of your dreams, and that special person will be insanely "in love" with you. You'll marry soon, and spend the rest of your lives together. But if you choose love you'll never know a moment of happiness again. Oh, you'll be with the one you've always desired, but every minute you spend with them will be utterly and completely miserable.
The other choice; is happiness. If you select it, every day you live will be filled with inner-peace, bliss, and contentment. You may never have romantic love in your life -- Mr. or Ms. "Right" may never come your way, but you will be happy, no matter what happens."
It's hard for most of us to imagine being miserably unhappy with great wealth, success, or love. Equally, it's just as difficult imagining being happy without any of those things. Thus such choices as the genie offers seem quite unnecessary and fantastic in real life. And indeed, as we've already seen, they are fantasy. Love, money, success -- all contribute to happiness. In real life, you don't have to choose. The good things in life tend to go together.
But what if they didn't?
The point the genie is trying to make, however, is one of importance. If you had to choose between the many fine things in life -- knowing you could have none of the others -- which would you choose? Money is nice; success is great; love is wondrous. But would you sacrifice all chance for happiness by choosing these other things? It's doubtful.
Forcing a choice quickly determines which thing is more important than another. And, considering the hypothetical choices the genie provided, it should be clear that happiness is much more important than these other things. After all, what good is any thing else in life unless we have happiness?
Indeed, let's go one step further. I'll give you a choice between happiness and anything else you can think of. Anything else at all! In abundance! But remember, you won't be happy.
Think of anything you'd rather have? Well, don't answer yet, because I'm not willing to stop at just anything. Let's talk about everything!
Yes, because I'm in a generous mood, I'll give you everything. (Everything, of course, except happiness.)
I'm offering it all! Great success, a loving family, high income, respect from others, more education, top-level social status, a busy social life, lots of travel and fun -- all will be yours. Everyone else will think your life is is next to perfect. Prestige, glamour -- the life-style of the rich and famous -- it's all yours for the asking. The only thing you have to sacrifice is your happiness.
"Or," as the genie offers, "I can just make you a happy person."
Happiness is the most important thing in life simply because, when given a choice, there's little choice at all!
DEFINING HAPPINESS
Comparing happiness to other viable alternatives helps us understand the importance of happiness on an intuitive level. But knowing what happiness is, confirms its importance even more. Thus, what is happiness? How can we define it?
Here we run into a problem. A problem that may partially explain why most people ignore happiness. It is the problem of defining happiness.
Few people know what happiness is, and even fewer can define it.
Do you know what is happiness? Can you define it?
Very few people can answer such questions, so if you're having a rough time with them, you're not alone. To paraphrase The psychologist ( 69 ) noted long ago, "everyone knows what happiness is, but no one can define it."
It's ironical. People talk about how happy (or unhappy) they're feeling all the time. Happiness (in terms of how well life is going) is one of the most common themes of social conversation. How happy we're feeling is the implied part of every social greeting ("Good day," "How are you?" "How you've been?" etc.). Our happiness plays an integral part of our daily lives. Its presence (or absence) effects every aspect of our lives. Happiness, to some degree or another, surrounds us everywhere we go -- even in our dreams. It's pervasive and omnipresent, so why don't we know what it is?
It's not so much that people don't try to define happiness, it's just that most of them are wrong. Everyone has an opinion, and when psychologists ask people to define happiness, they get everything under the sun -- and none of the definitions are right.
Let's look at the two types of answers that are the most common.
The first -- and most popular, by far -- is what we have named "the happiness is a warm puppy definition." Ask the average individual to define happiness, and he or she will reply that "happiness is....", and then go on to describe happiness in a thousand different ways. According to this definition, "happiness is...." just about everything you could imagine. Happiness is: "a good job," "enough income," "achieving my goal," "getting married, at last," "finding meaning in life," "being loved," "graduating form high school," "becoming self-confident," ""good health," "a new car," "winning a million dollars," "a hot shower and a cold beer," and so on. "Happiness is," according to this popular definition, just about anything, anyone, anywhere might think of as making themselves happy.
Obviously, this "happiness is a warm puppy" definition is flawed. Although most people might accept it, happiness cannot be a thousand different things. The flaw lies in confusing causes verses effects: the many things people claim "happiness is..." are actually the things that cause happiness. They are not what happiness is. Even though such things as money, health, success, and love can make us happy, those "things" are not happiness itself.
Imagine for a moment that you're the one person out there that was accidentally sold, through some fluke, my own, personal copy of this book -- in which, as is my custom, I use a hundred-thousand dollar bill as a book-mark. Now don't feel guilty (I'm sure you'll return it to me promptly). But for the moment just savor it.
One hundred thousand dollars. In your hands!
Now, I ask you, "is that happiness?" Not really.
Oh, having the money might make deliriously happy for a while, and the things you might buy with it could make you happy even longer. But actually all you're holding is a simple piece of paper with some printing and writing on it, nothing more. It's not happiness. That dream-house you've always wanted is not happiness either. It's just wood, stone, and plaster. Status isn't happiness; it's just your name on the door and plush carpet on the floor. These are just things.
Things may make us happy, but happiness isn't things.
The "happiness is a warm puppy" idea of happiness is closer to the more ancient and archaic definition of happiness; that of "good or fortunate circumstance " (Websters). Modern usage distinguishes between the feeling and the object, yet nevertheless, there is truth to the idea that good fortune brings happiness. Still, happiness is something quite different than good circumstance.
The second popular definition people give for happiness is much more psychologically sophisticated. And though this second definition is closer to the mark, it too is incorrect.
The second definition goes like this: "happiness is satisfaction," "happiness is fulfillment," "happiness is contentment," etc.. In other words, people often use synonyms of the word "happiness" to define it. The definition, however, falls victim to a fallacy of circular logic. It doesn't define "happiness," it merely describes it using other words that mean essentially the same thing.
Basically, people who use this second, popular definition of happiness, are describing it in terms of how it's experienced.
How, for example, would you describe your experience of happiness? How In our polling, dozens of terms are reported. Words like "contentment," "peace of mind," and "satisfaction," head the list, but other words like "joy," fulfillment," "ecstasy," "bliss," "security," "elation," "well-being," "tranquility, "feeling successful," "a sense of harmony," "euphoria," "excitement," "pleasure," and a "carefree attitude" are often mentioned, as are scores of other terms. But, these words do not really bring us any closer to the definition of happiness, since these words are simply synonymous of happiness. They all describe the same, basic thing.
Yes, there are hundreds of words that describe happiness, and though their precise connotations may be different, studies in psychology suggest that all these states are practically identical on a physiological and experiential level. The particular term we select, is based more on the situation we're in. If we're really excited and happy, we might call the experience "elation." If we're relaxed and happy, we might call it "contentment." If we've happy following the accomplishment of an important goal, we might refer to it as "satisfaction." And, if we experience happiness around a person we care for dearly, we might call it "love." But, on a basic, psychological level, it's all fundamentally the same thing. As one of the original researchers, Alden Wessman, put it, researchers have always defined happiness as being synonymous with such
"... classic terms of joy, felicity, elation, pleasure, and contentment in mind." (130)
In a sense, then, the researchers could just as well have named our field "the psychology of contentment" or "the psychology of fulfillment" -- or any of the other happiness synonyms given above. But "happiness" is the word that is most commonly understood and most widely used for this highly desired thing, and we researchers have, historically, simply followed suit (21, 50, 55, 130).
In recent years, as the research in this area has progressed, many researchers have decided to rename "happiness" using newer scientific labels like "life- satisfaction" or "subjective well-being." Yet no matter what you name it, the essential element in all such scientific definitions is the same thing we commonly know as "happiness" (321, 406).
We still haven't defined happiness, but the two popular definitions we've examined have moved us closer to it. Apparently, things like money, success, and love cause this thing we call "happiness." Words like contentment, satisfaction, and fulfillment describe this thing we call "happiness."
But what is this thing? Here are a few, give-away clues...
First, where is happiness located in time and space?
Is it outside in the parking lot? Is it waiting for you at home? Is is down at the corner tavern? Not really.
Happiness lives exclusively within!
As much as we might like to find it waiting around the corner, happiness occurs only within us. It is not an outside thing -- happiness is an internal experience. It is totally subjective. It is completely psychological.
Second, if it occurs inside us, where exactly does this happen? Is it in your heart? No. In your soul? Closer. In your mind? Closer still.
Actually, psychologists can be quite exact: happiness occurs in the human brain!
Recent advances in neuropsychology have begun to map the actual portions of the human brain which create happiness. Areas in an around the limbic system (one of the more primitive brain formations) appear to be the seat of happy experience. Stimulation in these areas appear to make complex interactions with higher areas of the brain (most notably the frontal lobes of the cerebral cortex) to generate what we humans experience as "happiness."
Our current understanding of brain design cannot provide an exact definition of the intricate biochemical processes which actually create happiness, but there is no dispute that happiness is generated from specific areas of the human brain.
Neurosurgeons have identified these areas and have found that direct chemical or electrical stimulation to these areas produce happiness in its most elated and pure form. Other medical evidence shows conclusively that damage (through accident or disease) or the surgical removal of these areas result in a permanent loss in the capacity to experience happiness. Whatever happiness is, there's little doubt that it is generated in the biochemical workings of our human brain.
Third, how are we aware of happiness when it occurs?
The most simple answer is: we feel it!
Yet, where exactly do we feel it? The experience of happiness is not quite like the feeling we get when we accidentally touch a burning stove. Nor is it like the the feeling we sense when we're caught in a driving rain storm. These "feelings" come from the outside.
Happiness, however, is an internal experience. It is like a thought, a dream, or an idea. We "feel" it in our consciousness. The experience of happiness is a conscious experience. It is part of our awareness -- a state of mind, so to speak.
Our mind is continuously absorbed with a never-ending parade of memories, ideas, sensations, words, and perceptions. Indeed, the conscious awareness of ourselves, our bodies, our mind, our past learning, the world we live in all combine to provide us with a sense of self as an individual person. Our consciousness creates personal existence itself. The famous dictum of Rene Descart, "Cogito Ergo Sum" ("I think, therefore I am"), means, in essence, that withought consciousness there is no sense of even being alive.
Finally, the last clue. If happiness is just a state of mind, what kind of state of mind is it?
There are many states of mind, and happiness is just one of them. For example: is happiness a thought? Not exactly. Is it a memory? Not always. Is it something we see or touch? Definitely not. Is it an idea or a concept? No, not really. However, we can be certain that happiness can accompany any of these other mental states. Certain thoughts, memories, or things we see can make us happy, it's true. But not all do. Thus happiness is something a little different. But what?
In fact, happiness is part of a very special category of mental experiences that includes such positive things as joy, pleasure, satisfaction, and contentment. This special category also includes some rather unpleasant things like fear, anger, jealousy, bitterness, sadness, melancholy, anxiety, loneliness, and frustration. This special type of consciousness is the only one that adds any color or flavoring to life. There is a word for this special category of mental experiences. That word is emotion (or feelings).
Thus happiness occurs inside each of us. It is specifically located in the brain. We experience it consciously -- it is a state of mind. But it is a special type of mental state, the one we call emotion.
IT'S AN EMOTION !
Happiness is just an emotion. Nothing more and nothing less. Happiness is a positive emotion, or felling, described by words like contentment, a sense of well-being, satisfaction, etc.
So, there we have it defined. Happiness is a pleasant emotion. "A feeling of well-being and contentment," according to the dictionary. Yet as simple as that is, that positive emotion -- happiness -- is the most important thing in life. In fact, an a biologically and a psychological level (possibly even on a philosophic level), happy emotion may not only be the most important thing in life, it a may be the whole point to life.
CAN HAPPINESS BE THE POINT OF HUMAN EXISTENCE?
Psychology reveals that understanding human motivation is remarkably simple. We live, on a basic psychological level, simply to seek happy, pleasant emotions and sensations and to avoid negative, painful emotions and sensations. Human psychology, as complex and intricate as it appears, can easily be reduced to that basic proposition. Every human endeavor or behavior pattern is aimed simply to achieve happy emotion and minimize negative emotion. Though human behavior often seems very complicated, elaborate, ambivalent, and often "irrational," the point to it all is emotion. Yes, the point to life is how we feel!
But what else explains things better? After all, what good is a close marriage unless it makes you feel happy? What good is a nice income unless it leads to happiness and satisfaction? Why achieve a goal if it didn't make you feel fulfilled? Why be in love unless it makes you feel good? What good is a good meal, or warm bed, or a secure shelter unless it provides good, comfortable feelings? What good is moral behavior unless helps you feel good and decent? What's the point to hard work unless it pays you dividends of secure happiness and self-satisfaction? What good are beliefs and values if they don't provide a sense of meaning and the comfort of understanding? What good is fun if it isn't "fun"?
What good is anything unless it makes us happy?
It may not be the most satisfactory explanation of existence, but happy emotions offer the best practical explanation of it. For without emotion, existence, as we know it, would not be possible. Our lives would be so barren, sterile, and empty, there would be no point to it. Nothing would be good, nothing would be bad. Nothing would bring pleasure; nothing would bring pain. Nothing would have any value. Nothing would hold any meaning. Nothing would matter at all.
As we proceed in this discussion, it is important to clarify one point. When we suggest that happiness is the point to human existence we say this exclusively from a psychological perspective. Nothing in this book should be interpreted to exclude religious or metaphysical views on this issue. Indeed, it is neither the intention or scope of this book to deal with such deeply philosophical issues. What this book forwards is simply the psychological point to life, not the religious. The latter, as it should be, is a matter for you to decide based on your personal beliefs. Hopefully, however, you will the analysis presented herein compatible with whatever religious belief you hold. After all, is not happiness one of the major rewards in living according to one's religion? And is not happiness what God wishes for us all?
Students of psychology and biology inevitably come to grips with the question of "why." Why do living creatures behave as they do? Indeed, why do they behave at all? Psychology, over time, is coming more and more to see that emotions -- especially if we include under the definition of emotion things like physical pain and pleasure are the key to understanding "why." And, as psychology discovered the emotional key to "why," they have more easily come to an understanding of other major psychological processes: learning, memory, maladjustment, motivation, mental health, thinking, etc. Basically, the only explanation for behavior is emotion. Without it there would be no behavior. Mother Nature understood, early on, that without emotions, striving, active life would not succeed.
It is obvious from a study of human brain anatomy that the emotion centers are located at the very core of all psychological and bodily functions, and further, that the emotional structures are one of the basic things our human brain shares with all advanced animal life. The emotions are no accident. Nature has provided them for us, to help us survive, and better yet, to help us "want" to survive.
LIFE WITHOUT EMOTIONS
Can you imagine life without emotion? What would you do? According to modern psychology, you'd probably do nothing!
Imagine yourself as a person with no emotions whatsoever. You don't hate anything. You don't love anything. Nothing scares you -- nothing thrills you. You never get excited -- you never get depressed. You're never elated; you're never sad; you're never angry; you're never entertained. You don't even feel the most rudimentary emotions of pleasure of pain. Basically, you don't feel anything about anything.
Now imagine all this, and further imagine that somehow you find yourself sitting on a railroad track with a huge freight-train barreling full speed towards you. Your life is in imminent danger! Doom is only a minute away! Yet you're just sitting there, completely uncaring and unmoved.
Fortunately, however, a friend of yours spots you there -- a friend who feels normal emotion -- and he rushes toward you (feeling alarm and panic) in an attempt to save your life.
"Hey," your friend exclaims, "don't you see that train? It's going to kill you." But you don't move, you don't even acknowledge him. "Don't you want to live?" your friend pleads.
"Want?" you think, "I have no wants."
"You'll get hurt!" Your friend says.
"Hurt?" you think, "I feel no pain. Nothing hurts."
"Well, do it for me!" your friend says, "don't you care about my feelings?"
"Care? About your feelings? I don't even have any myself."
"What about your family?" your friend pleads. "Don't you love them?"
"Love?" you think, "what is that feeling?"
"Hey, think about all the fun you'll miss."
"Fun? What's that?"
Your friend sits back a minute, and decides to take a more logical approach. "Look, you, there will be no meaning in your demise."
"Meaning? What is that?" you ask. Nothing has meaning without emotion.
"Look dummy," your friend says in exasperation, "That train is going to kill you, it's going to keep you from the ones you love and care about, and what's more, letting it happen is not meaningful, it's not even logical!!!"
"Logical? What is logical?" you ask.
And now your friend is totally stymied. It was becoming obvious to him that emotional appeals wouldn't work on you, the person with no emotion, but why did the logical appeal fail? After all, emotional thinking and logical thinking are opposites, aren't they?
Well, strangely enough, they are not. Even logical and rational thinking is, in the final analysis, based on emotional values. As cold and impartial as logical thinking appears to be, even it is founded on emotional underpinnings. What, for example, is logic? It is only an objective, non- passionate way of evaluating how practical or useful a particular strategy is in achieving one's goals. But why would one want to achieve a goal in the first place? The answer is: only for emotional reasons.
So there you remain sitting on the railroad track, as your emotional friend tries to think of his next entreaty... And the train rolls right over you!
Yes, without emotion, we humans would not survive very long. There would be no reason to act at all. There would be no desire, no need, no joy, no fear, no pain, no pleasure, no meaning, no basis for judgement -- there would be nothing at all. As William James, the father of modern psychology put it years ago, "our mental lives would be truly dead and insignificant if the emotions were stripped away."
Yet, with a few pleasant and unpleasant emotions built in, you have a hopping, active, striving organism. Emotions turn on our switch, so to speak. They provide the spark of Life.
Psychology finds that emotions and feelings are at the very core of all psychological processes. Emotion is at the heart of every human behavior: they goad us into action, they motivate and sustain our effort along the way, and they provide the felt reward when we arrive at our goal. And happiness is the finest emotional reward of all.
We'll return to a more detailed discussion of emotion in later chapters of this Volume. But for now, let's end with one fundamental idea. Happiness exists simply because, without it, the human organism just wouldn't function. The great philosophers and thinkers over the centuries often pondered about happiness, attempting to determine why it existed and the function it might serve. Their answers were often quite complicated and metaphysical. Yet, psychology sees happiness in a simpler way:
Happiness is Nature's basic incentive for living.