A Path to Happiness

Abstract

Happiness may be viewed as a subjective state where one feels generally content with their life condition and levels of wellbeing. However, happiness can be a complex and vague topic that requires clarity, questioning and discernment. Important factors that impact happiness include authentic connection, mental illness, cultural values, compassion, gratitude and social support. These factors and others are explored throughout this chapter. A theory titled the “Integrative Theory of Happiness” is proposed that encompasses multiple aspects of wellbeing. A comparison of United States and Latin America cultural values is compared to better understand foundations of happiness. This chapter provides insight, overview and a deeper understanding of some of the most noteworthy factors of happiness from a global perspective.

1. Introduction

Although it may not always be clear, the guiding principle both consciously and unconsciously for many endeavors is happiness. In general, a majority of our behavior is decided by what we think or feel will have the greatest benefit and the least amount of negative consequence. This principle can be applied and understood in a range of circumstances that include situations of absolute poverty and violence, to situations of the most wealthy and privileged. Individuals generally act from a position of doing whatever they believe is most positive for themselves with the least amount of negative consequence. Yet, this positive to negative balance in decision-making and behavior is based on one’s own belief system and understanding. If an individual believes they will feel best through altruistic behavior, they will act in ways they believe are altruistic whenever possible. If one believes they will feel best by being (what they perceive to be) negative, they may act negatively whenever possible. If one believes fame or wealth leads to happiness, they will likely focus on achieving wealth or fame. If one believes sex, relationships, or a certain body image leads to happiness, they may focus on this for their sense of well-being. In some cases, individuals feel that engaging in harmful behaviors such as self-cutting, drug and alcohol abuse, lying, gambling, new relationships, overspending, abnormal eating, etc. is the way to feel happiest. The point is that the individual belief system is the determining factor in the decision-making process [1, 2].

Therefore, investigating one’s belief system is important for identifying the logic and inaccuracies regarding happiness. When one’s belief system is not investigated or questioned, the result can be ongoing, reactive, unconscious behaviors and patterns. Through the use of mindfulness methods, conscious belief restructuring, an ongoing investigation of reactive patterns, and learning information on what actually improves happiness, an individual’s happiness levels can substantially improve. This chapter provides an overview of some faulty and effective cultural belief systems that impact happiness and wellbeing, as well as data on the most important factors for happiness. A general integrative theory of happiness is proposed at the end of the chapter that integrates this data into a more concise framework for understanding [1, 2].

2. Overview on happiness

First, let us discuss what is meant by happiness in this chapter. Happiness here is defined as a subjective state where one feels content with their lives overall and is mostly satisfied by their life condition. However, the experience of happiness can also be cultural in perspective and related to comparing one’s life to that of others. For example, in the United States the cultural philosophy is to define well-being through Gross Domestic Product or GDP, not through Gross National Happiness (GNH) levels. GNH was created by the government of Bhutan and is the method the government uses to measure its population’s well-being and collective happiness. With the creation of the GNH index, Bhutan has become a symbol for prioritizing happiness as part of its society and culture. By contrast, the United States generally stands out as valuing happiness through economic growth, wealth and production. The World Happiness Reports further supports this by demonstrating that the United States highly values money and economic growth as a measure of well-being [3].

In consideration of the different cultural and national approaches to well-being, the Easterlin Paradox is also relevant. The Easterlin Paradox was identified by Richard Easterlin in 1974. He was the first economist to research happiness data. He found that there is a certain point where happiness varies directly with income among and within countries. However, over time happiness does not continue to increase in an upward direction even if income continues to grow. Another way of explaining this is that once an individual is out of absolute poverty or a certain level of poverty in their society, there are more significant factors impacting one’s level of happiness. Income and wealth are not the ultimate determining factors for happiness. However, they are likely the most significant variables in general when an individual is living in absolute poverty [3].

The World Happiness Reports, first initiated in 2012 also further supports data regarding the relationship between income, happiness and absolute poverty. The World Happiness Reports are publications from independent experts and the Sustainable Development Solutions Network in conjunction with Gallup World Poll data. This collection of data is a vital joint assessment and resource for ongoing trends regarding current world happiness levels, relevant findings and aberrations in our understandings of happiness. The data from the World Happiness Reports also demonstrates, in conjunction with the Easterlin Paradox, that once an individual is no longer living in a state of absolute poverty, economics are not the most important factor for well-being and happiness. If one is out of absolute poverty, there are other important factors for happiness such as mental health, authentic connections, and belief systems that become more significant [4, 5].

3. Latin America case study

To better understand the differences in data and findings regarding happiness research, it is worthwhile to consider case studies of both positive and negative outliers. Latin America has demonstrated itself to be an unusual and unexpected positive outlier in research on happiness data. A major component identified in Latin America is the priority of happiness and close relationships as a part of purpose and life value. The data from the World Happiness Reports demonstrates that in Latin America there is a focus on happiness, relationships and love as a valuable and worthwhile life endeavor. In general, this may be considered more valuable than the individual attainment of status and wealth. In essence, the belief system regarding happiness is generally different with a greater concentration and focus on daily happiness, love and connection [6, 7, 8].

The greater focus on happiness, love and connection as a daily value in Latin America is in line with some research on mindfulness which highlights that just by noticing things on a day-to-day basis you increase the frequency of the lived experience. For example, the more you focus on anxiety and attaching to feelings of anxiety, the more the anxiety escalates. The more you focus on feelings of sadness and triggers for depressive thoughts and feelings, the more these increase. Our belief system plays an important role in what we focus on and then this becomes more cemented through neuropathways in the brain. The more we have certain types, frequency and concentration of thoughts, the greater the concentration of neuropathways in the brain regarding those thought-forms. Therefore, in the case of Latin America, if there are stronger cultural norms for focusing on happiness, love and connection on a day-to-day basis, this may create more of that lived experience through perception and regular focus [6, 7, 8, 9].

4. United States case study

Another unique case study within the Gallup World Poll data and the World Happiness Reports is the United States. The United States has seen declining levels of well-being for over a decade despite regular increases in GDP every year. The United States case study demonstrates that past a certain level of wealth, happiness and well-being do not continue to increase. Also, as Latin America reflects the importance of family and social support, the United States demonstrates the importance of family and social support in an inverse manner. Specifically, through the issues of loneliness, fragmented social and family relationships, broken social communities and the rise of addiction and mental illness, one can see the important role that relationships, community and connections play in happiness and wellbeing [10, 11, 12].

In the United States, income per person has increased approximately three times since 1960, but happiness and well-being levels have not increased. Most recently, since 2013 per capita GDP has continued to rise but happiness levels have fallen. This is in direct contrast to conventionally held beliefs on the relationship between per capita GDP and wellbeing. It also demonstrates the Easterlin Paradox. The US was ranked 3rd among 23 OECD countries in 2007 for happiness and wellbeing, and fell to 19th of 34 OECD countries in 2016. From 2006 to 2016 the United States level of social support, experience of personal freedom, and amount of charitable donations all declined, while the perception of government and business corruption increased. These factors point to a reality that the falling happiness, mental health and wellbeing levels in the United States are due to a social, not an economic crisis [10, 11, 12].

The data comparing 2006/2007 wellbeing levels demonstrates that repairing social norms and conditions back to 2006/2007 levels would most quickly and reliably create the gains in happiness needed to improve mental health and wellbeing. The issues with social concerns in the United States are not insignificant. Trust in the government is currently at its lowest level in modern history as is the perception of a rise in corruption. Income inequality is at its highest levels in US history with the top 1% experiencing nearly all the gains from economic growth in the last few decades and the lower 50% continuing to experience greater poverty. This phenomenon shows that there is an expanding lower class and a decreasing middle class in the United States. Furthermore, research conducted in the US compared to other countries found that helping behaviors in the US have declined sharply from 2001 to 2011 compared to other developed countries. However, the decline in US happiness levels is not only a social crisis, it is also a health crisis that is being shown in increased mortality rates. This increase in mortality rates is directly associated with drug and alcohol abuse, suicidal ideation, obesity and mental illness [10, 11, 12].

Major factors in the United States contribute to the decline in social and family connections, support, loneliness and isolation. These include the rise in addiction and the addiction crisis in the United States. There has been an ongoing crisis with heroin and methamphetamine use, and currently there is a growing fentanyl overdose crisis. During the COVID-pandemic more Americans died every day from drug overdoses than from COVID-19. Addiction leaves not only a potentially lethal crisis for the individual, but also causes severe damage to families, relationships and society as a whole. It leads to higher levels of crime, violence and greater mistrust among people. It harms society on many levels and contributes to the overall decreasing levels of American happiness. The data shows that improving and repairing social conditions is the most effective way to increase and improve US levels of happiness. This may require changes in government policy and cultural values to successfully achieve [10, 11, 12].

5. Mental health: a significant happiness variable

Aside from the above discussed variables, the most significant variable according to the World Happiness Reports for happiness is mental health. Mental illness is a worldwide health phenomenon. Mental illness does not only occur in wealthy countries as has been stereotypically believed. The most recent data from the World Gallup Poll and the World Happiness Reports demonstrates that the vast majority of individuals with mental illness live in low and middle-income regions of the world. The majority of these mental health conditions relate to anxiety and depression disorders. In 2013, at least 1 in 10 people suffered globally from these conditions at any one time. These numbers are even higher today. Furthermore, the 2013 statistic is likely to be lower than actual prevalence rates given stigma and cultural considerations in reporting, the understanding of mental illness and availability of access to data [13, 14].

Child and adolescent behavior and mental health issues further contribute to prevalence rates with an additional estimated 100 million cases worldwide. Prevalence rates are significant between countries but there is much less variation when groups of countries are clustered together by income level. In 2013, the World Health Organization estimated that 7.1% of adults in high income countries suffered from depression, 7.6% in upper middle-income, 6.4% in lower middle income and 6% in low income. The data also reflects that among those with depression, there is a much higher number of women than men. Depression represents the greatest disability factor according to the World Health Organization. This data has been further supportive in identifying a relationship between mental illness and national levels of happiness. In Western, Eastern and Central Europe, those who suffer from anxiety and depression experience 12–14 years of lived disability due to their condition [13, 14].

A major consideration in the incredible burden of mental illness is the lack of adequate mental health care and treatment for those who are suffering. There is a significant worldwide treatment gap between identified need and actual service provision. In 2013, the treatment gap for schizophrenia for example was approximately 32%. However, even more telling, for all other conditions including more commonly identified issues such as anxiety, depression, and alcohol dependence, the treatment gap was greater than 50%. Worse than this, even when disability due to mental illness is severe, the treatment gap is still very significant. In 2013, only 10–30% of severe cases received services in low and middle-income countries compared to 25–60% in high income regions. The countries with the highest rates of treatment services included the United States, Spain, and Belgium for severe, moderate and mild mental illness [13, 14].

This treatment gap has severe consequences for society. Untreated mental illness creates major costs to society that come not only in monetary form but also through strained use of the healthcare system, lost productivity, educational underachievement, increased levels of violence, addiction, crime, less effective use of resources, breakdown of social and family relationships, worsening physical health and obesity, and lower overall development of human and societal potential. Treatment for mental illness has important implications for life expectancy, quality of life and the burden of disability. For example, admittance to the hospital for mental health reasons improves life expectancy by an estimated 15–20 years [13, 14].

Despite its demonstrated significance for health, economic and societal outcomes, no country in the world spends more than 15% of their health budget on mental healthcare. Mental health is one of the greatest factors for one’s levels of happiness and is connected to one’s closest relationships, experience of love, family and support. Positive outlier countries such as England and Wales spend close to 15% of their health budget on mental health. They have seen major improvements in years and cost due to disability as a result of increased access and use of mental health services. The mental health programs in England and Wales have demonstrated that there are low-cost and effective mental health treatments that can be made widely available. There is now a significant body of evidence for the societal and economic harm caused by the lack of mental health treatment in a population. It is economically progressive and increases national happiness levels to incorporate large scale mental health programs [13, 14].

6. Authentic connection: a significant happiness variable

Another important variable for happiness is authentic connection and relationships. One of the most significant studies for understanding happiness has been the Harvard Study of Adult Development. This is one of the world’s longest running studies on adult development and the factors that contribute to health and happiness. In 1938 during the Great Depression, researchers created the Harvard Study of Adult Development with Dr. Grant and Dr. Glueck. This was a study intended to track the happiness and health of adults throughout the lifespan. The first cohort consisted of 268 Harvard sophomores all approximately 19 years old, Caucasian, male and from the Harvard classes of 1939–1944. The second cohort consisted of a group of 456 Caucasian men from Boston neighborhoods. The men in the second cohort were selected at ages 11–16 years by Drs. Sheldon and Eleanor Glueck and many were from lower-income neighborhoods and families. At present, a majority of these participants have passed away and the study is being continued through participation from their children and grandchildren. With the original Harvard and Boston City cohorts there was physical and mental health testing done every 2 years, 5 years and 5–10 years. The participants completed questionnaires every 2 years on their physical and mental health, job enjoyment, the quality of their marriages, and other significant variables. The participants provided health data every 5 years regarding their physical health, and in-depth interviews every 5–10 years on their relationships, work and life changes [15, 16].

This study has been very significant and supports the Easterlin Paradox as well as the data found in the World Happiness Reports regarding Latin America and the United States for happiness. It found that the most important factor in happiness and well-being is the quality of our authentic connections and close relationships. Significant major themes identified from this study are that authentic connections are critical and loneliness causes significant mental and physical health concerns. Another important finding was that in our relationships the most relevant factor in our happiness is the quality of our closest relationships, not the number of social connections or whether you have a committed relationship. It was identified that the experience of loneliness was significant for levels of unhappiness. Loneliness here refers to the perception of isolation and experience of unwanted absence of social connection and closeness with others. It causes psychological pain and can result in depression, anxiety, and other physical and mental health concerns. At least 1 in 5 individuals in the U.S. experiences loneliness at any time and this has negative implications on longevity, well-being and happiness. This number is projected to increase globally in regions with growing elderly populations and decreased family support. The Harvard Study of Adult Development shows very clearly that close relationships are vital for protecting our bodies and our brains. In summary, according to this study, the most significant predictor of happiness is the experience of positive, authentic connection [15, 16].

7. Proposed happiness theory framework

An overview of the above-discussed elements regarding happiness demonstrates the need for a more comprehensive theoretical framework to understand happiness. Certain underlying factors can be identified from the data we currently have to create an integrative framework. The inclusion of mindfulness and present moment awareness, belief system reflection and restructuring, mental health and biology are all important components for an integrative happiness framework. Other significant aspects include the factors of empathy, compassion, gratitude and acceptance. This integrative framework is referred to as an “Integrative Theory of Happiness” for the remainder of this chapter [15, 16, 17, 18].

An Integrative Theory of Happiness is significant because happiness is largely a subjective experience and qualifiers for individual life satisfaction and well-being may change throughout the life span. Therefore, an adaptable framework that addresses changing life situations but also constant underlying components is needed. Central components of mindfulness, biology and belief systems are critical for this framework. Mindfulness and present moment awareness are significant because much unhappiness is caused by mental thought patterns directed excessively on the past and negative projections about the future. The practice of learning to maintain concentration and focus on the present moment helps one to more directly address issues in their current life circumstances with greater clarity and attention. It assists in creating greater insight and the ability to make positive behavior and thought pattern changes. It also helps with concentration on new thought patterns and feelings and increasing positive affect [9, 17, 19].

Biology is another central component in the Integrative Theory of Happiness. It has been established in many models of development that in general, one’s basic biological needs should be met to attain adequate happiness levels. This includes aspects such as sufficient sleep, food, water, exercise, and a healthy weight. It also refers to concerns regarding neurochemistry levels of dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin in the brain and body. In addition to this is the importance of neuroplasticity and neural networks in the brain. Specifically, the understanding that what we focus on everyday throughout the day, reinforces and creates neural network pathways that strengthen certain thought and feeling patterns. By mindfully and intentionally focusing on positive thoughts and feelings, this can create new neuropathways in the brain so that an individual perceives and responds to a situation differently. Through intentional focus and mindfulness concentrated on thoughts that increase happiness, the brain can function towards a more positive overall perception [9, 17, 19].

Lastly, the element of belief systems is another central component for happiness within the Integrative Theory of Happiness. The element of belief systems has an array of significant components such as one’s beliefs about themselves, their values, their relationships, their purpose, their life, etc. Possibly most importantly here is the understanding of one’s own beliefs about happiness in comparison to how one is living. In the assessment of this element there is also the identification, restructuring and reframing of harmful, unhelpful or negative belief systems. This should also help to increase empathy, compassion and connection with others as well as improve relationships. This element in the framework addresses beliefs on authentic connection, gratitude, compassion, empathy and acceptance [17, 18, 19].

Research from Dr. Gottman is revealing here for its perspective on the power of positive thought and emotion patterns. Specifically, Dr. Gottman found in his research through the Gottman Institute that one of the most important components of happiness is the quality of our close relationships and support system. They identified a 5:1 ratio of positive to negative emotions in conflict that is needed to maintain healthy connections. They also identified the significance of empathy, feelings of security, appreciation, and calm for maintaining positive connections. The concepts identified in their research can also be applied to a larger framework and understanding for the relationship we have with ourselves [20, 21].

Dr. Gottman points to the ‘small things often’ approach. This is a form of active mindfulness through the noticing and application of positive thoughts, feelings and behaviors throughout the everyday experience. This theory is that small, deliberate, regular positive efforts over time have a major impact on the well-being of relationships. However, this is also true regarding belief systems in terms of happiness. By making numerous, small, positive thoughts, feelings and behaviors a priority on a day-to-day basis one can change the experience of individual wellness over a lifespan [20, 21].

Part of understanding and addressing this ‘small things often’ approach is for individuals to continually understand what is worth focusing on and what is counterproductive for their happiness. As mentioned above, the aspects of empathy, compassion, gratitude, and acceptance are all important for happiness levels in conjunction with authentic positive connection. Empathy here refers to the ability to recognize, understand and share the thoughts and feelings of another being. It is a critical part of positive relationships and also helps increase levels of personal happiness. Empathy allows an individual the ability to understand painful circumstances and interactions from multiple perspectives instead of one’s own limited viewpoint. It provides a greater bird’s eye view that can decrease negative emotions in troubling and disturbing situations through better insight and understanding [22].

Another component of the proposed framework is compassion. Compassion is related to empathy in many ways. Compassion may include empathy and is another characteristic that can help increase individual happiness levels. It refers here to understanding or having empathy for another person’s pain and then working to alleviate their suffering. Compassion can be applied to a person but it can also include other living creatures such as animals. Compassion is from the Latin root meaning “to suffer together.” Compassion can improve individual levels of happiness because like empathy, it gives greater insight and perspective into challenging situations and negative or harmful behaviors. Also, self-compassion is a very strong protector and support for individual well-being in almost any circumstance. Self-compassion is the kindness and understanding you give to yourself and your own suffering [23, 24].

The other identified factors in this proposed framework are acceptance and gratitude. These two factors are in many ways tied together. Acceptance and gratitude involve not resisting, reacting negatively and fighting against unwanted circumstances. These factors require a shift in perspective from observing what one feels is negative or neutral, to observing the positive and good. These factors allow for greater flexibility and adaptability to unexpected or unwanted changes in life and helps one to be happy in a multitude of circumstances. Concepts referred to as Radical Acceptance and Radical Gratitude exemplify the value of these variables as well as their practical application. Radical acceptance may be seen as the ability to accept without judgment, situations that are beyond one’s control. It promotes non-attachment as a method to increase subjective well-being and happiness levels. Radical gratitude is another approach that is effective in conjunction with acceptance. It promotes the perspective of thankfulness and appreciation to everything in life. This includes embracing and being appreciative not only for the positive but for what is perceived as negative. It can be a powerful transformative tool to alter one’s perspective of unhappiness and anger at the way things are, to appreciation and insight into the value of the way things are. It can also promote detachment and letting go. These two concepts can be applied together to improve individual levels of well-being and manage almost any negative circumstance one encounters. They can be applied to belief systems to help reframe and empower an individual to feel more hopeful, positive and in control of their life [25, 26].

Taken together, the elements of gratitude, compassion, acceptance and empathy are significant in conjunction with authentic connection for improved levels of happiness and wellbeing. In addition to this, the approach of small things being important is worthwhile to apply for happiness. By noticing small ways to improve gratitude, compassion, acceptance, empathy and authentic connection throughout our day and every day, we can alter step by step our levels of happiness. In this way, through day-by-day mindful noticing and application of these variables, one’s perspective, brain, body and mind can experience improved levels of happiness and wellbeing.

8. Conclusion

The research from the World Happiness Reports demonstrates that once an individual is not living in absolute poverty, the most important factor for happiness and well-being is the quality of one’s authentic positive connections. The factors identified in the Integrative Happiness Theory are significant for the human experience, the well-being of societies, families, and even the economies of nations. To deny or devalue the significance of authentic positive connections, gratitude, empathy, compassion and acceptance is to undermine a very important piece of happiness. It is also denying something that has great meaning for the human experience. For many parts of the world, a general cultural or societal shift may be needed to better highlight these factors and be considered valuable. If the importance of authentic positive connection, gratitude, empathy, acceptance and compassion is not better emphasized in countries such as the United States, it could lead to even greater declines in happiness and worsening social deterioration. It is a worthwhile investment to incorporate these factors as an approach to increase happiness levels on a large scale.