Aristotle defined happiness as "the exercise of vital powers along lines of excellence in a life affording them scope".
I really think he's overestimating us.
Happyism.
The study of happiness has indeed become an -ism. Everyone has their say on what makes us happy, and the hardest part is that it's all relative.
Today's DQ was posted late on a Saturday night (yes, your factotum editor doesn't have better things to do than to appease you, dear and unfaithful reader).
So wake up to your Sunday coffee, a swelling feeling of regret and a nice juicy article for your daily nutritional needs.
This article is the most comprehensive one I've read so far on the topic of Happiness.
It's quite a read (so perhaps print it off, read it on a tablet or pop it onto your Kindle) but well worth it.
It goes through centuries of scholarship, including the main milestones, the main theorists and the main studies.
Pretty much, everything you need to know about the topic in rough detail.
One of the most interesting topics of discussion is the quantification of happiness. How can we measure it? What units do we use to measure it?
Well, apparently Happiness = 2.718 utils.
Kant's Seven Virtues are brought up, and Nozick's 'experiment machine' is discussed in great detail. The latter is an interesting conundrum, and is one of those things that is perfect for a late night coffee.
This is a must read, and will definitely, definitely enrich your knowledge of the study of happiness, and just how far we've come (Hint: not far).
READ IT HERE
I really think he's overestimating us.
Happyism.
The study of happiness has indeed become an -ism. Everyone has their say on what makes us happy, and the hardest part is that it's all relative.
Today's DQ was posted late on a Saturday night (yes, your factotum editor doesn't have better things to do than to appease you, dear and unfaithful reader).
So wake up to your Sunday coffee, a swelling feeling of regret and a nice juicy article for your daily nutritional needs.
This article is the most comprehensive one I've read so far on the topic of Happiness.
It's quite a read (so perhaps print it off, read it on a tablet or pop it onto your Kindle) but well worth it.
It goes through centuries of scholarship, including the main milestones, the main theorists and the main studies.
Pretty much, everything you need to know about the topic in rough detail.
One of the most interesting topics of discussion is the quantification of happiness. How can we measure it? What units do we use to measure it?
Well, apparently Happiness = 2.718 utils.
Kant's Seven Virtues are brought up, and Nozick's 'experiment machine' is discussed in great detail. The latter is an interesting conundrum, and is one of those things that is perfect for a late night coffee.
This is a must read, and will definitely, definitely enrich your knowledge of the study of happiness, and just how far we've come (Hint: not far).
READ IT HERE
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