What is Happiness?

The dictionary definition of happiness is “a feeling of well-being and contentment.”[i]  Others define happiness as a state of being determined by how satisfied one thinks one is and how much one is growing.  Then again, others feel happiness is a decision – you can only be as happy as you decide to be.

Psychologist Martin Seligman provides the acronym PERMA to summarize Positive Psychology’s correlational findings: humans seem happiest when they have

1. Pleasure (tasty foods, warm baths, etc.),
2. Engagement (or flow, the absorption of an enjoyed yet challenging activity),
3. Relationships (social ties have turned out to be extremely reliable indicator of happiness),
4. Meaning (a perceived quest or belonging to something bigger), and
5. Accomplishments (having realized tangible goals).