12 Surprising Phrases About Happiness That You Have Not Heard Before
If you think happiness and being positive are the same, think again. According to therapist Whitney Goodman, positive thinking has been packaged and sold as the cure for all our problems. This has created the expectation that we should be happy all the time, but according to Professor Tal Ben Shahar from Harvard University, this is unattainable and unrealistic.
Norwegian explorer Earling Kagge believes that the ability to wonder is one of the purest forms of joy. He encourages nurturing the innate instinct to be curious and wonder in order to find happiness.
Robert Waldinger, professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, reminds us that it’s never too late to be happy, regardless of our age. He emphasizes the importance of being important to someone and leaving something for future generations.
Surfer and psychiatrist Phil Stutz suggests that acceptance is key to finding happiness. He compares it to waiting for the perfect wave and emphasizes the importance of taking it as if it were the perfect wave when it finally arrives.
Professor Arthur Brooks from Harvard Business School differentiates between pleasure and enjoyment, stating that the latter is more conscious and permanent. He suggests choosing enjoyment over pleasure for a more sustainable state of happiness.
Harvard University professor Tal Ben-Shahar advises against directly seeking happiness, advocating for a focus on elements that lead to happiness instead.
Psychiatrist Anders Hansen from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm reminds us that happiness is not a constant state and that the brain constantly changes our emotional state based on various factors.
Psychiatrist Marian Rojas Estapé explains how the brain tends to search for pleasure and reward in immediate things to avoid pain, boredom, and stress. However, such instant gratification can lead to desensitization and addiction, making it harder to find pleasure in day-to-day activities that provide well-being.
Professor Arthur Brooks also emphasizes the importance of true friends and deep relationships for happiness. He suggests being selective about friendships and looking for friends in environments where they can only offer friendship.
Psychiatrist Enrique Rojas believes that having a life project with themes centered around emotional life, professional life, culture, and friendship is key to finding happiness.
Finally, natural biologist and writer Daniel Lumera describes consciousness as a key to happiness, stating that being fully aware of existence is when happiness manifests as a natural state of being. He believes that happiness is possible regardless of external circumstances.
These phrases offer a new perspective on happiness and encourage a shift away from traditional thinking to a more sustainable and conscious approach to finding happiness every day.