The Psychology of Happiness

A relentless inner battle being fought amongst every race, religion and culture, is that which questions what makes a human being happy. Humans often become nostalgic and fantasy prone in effort to spark a sense of joy, but repel or deny the importance of life's small pleasures. Contrary to western belief, factors like wealth, good looks and intelligence contribute to one's confidence and sense of self, but are not the biggest contributors to one's mental …

…concept, a combination of subjective and objective concepts that surround a healthy state of mind. Happiness is not a measure of success, nor is it a judgment of worth, but rather a self-evaluation of positive aspects in one's life that translate to fulfillment and satisfaction. "Feelings of happiness and unhappiness are frames of mind subject to fluctuation from day to day, rather then settled judgments about the quality of our lives." (L.W. Sumner, 1996, pg 57)