Many people regard happiness not only something that would be nice to have, but something that we really ought to have—and, moreover, something that’s within our power to bring about, if only we set our minds to it. We can be happy, we should be happy. We will be happy. Prior to the late 17th century in the West, it was thought that happiness was a matter of luck or virtue or divine favour. In today’s Western societies, people think of happiness as a right and a skill that can be developed. People strive to improve their lots in life, individually and collectively. But there have been downsides as well. It seems that when people want to be happy all of the time, they can forget that the pursuit of happiness can entail struggle, sacrifice, and even pain.
Today, science is rediscovering the validity of ancient perspectives on happiness—that there are important connections between hope and happiness, for example, or between gratitude and forgiving and happiness, altruism and happiness. Science is often painted as being opposed to matters of the spirit, but new discoveries by researchers like Michael McCullough, Robert Emmons, and many others remind us how important non-materialistic, spiritual cultivation is to our happiness and well-being. It is all the more important to revive and cultivate this older wisdom today. Though happiness is a subjective phenomenon it can be made objective by sharing our happiness with others.
