Happiness View On Happiness

Happiness. What is it? where does it come from?. To most people, happiness falls into the present, or so they believe. Actually, happiness is measured not only by one’s present situation but also by their past and future actions and thoughts. Tatarkiewicz defines happiness as the “satisfaction with one’s life as a whole” (Tatarkiewicz, 193). He believes that “happiness is certainly not something that could be exactly ascertained and measured”(Citation !!!) but it is something that needs to be evaluated over one’s lifetime and not just in the moment (Tatarkiewicz, 193). One’s memory of the past can cloud their current state of happiness while their future can boost their current emotion. Tatarkiewicz believes that happiness, or satisfaction

I hardly find myself enjoying what I am currently doing unless I have something to look forward to in the future. For example, if I am fishing and know that I have no work to do the rest of the day or have something fun planned later in the day, my happiness while finishing increases dramatically. When this happens I am able to enjoy myself more and be more encaged in what I am actually doing. That being said, just like Seneca and Tatarkiewicz argues, the present goes by so fast that you often do not realize how good it is until it is gone. I find myself reminiscing on what happened and what was. For example, when I got back from my trip to Costa Rica this summer I found myself upset that it was over and wishing I could go back. I should have taken the trip in more while I was there and realized how awesome it was instead of thinking about seeing all my friends when I got home. This is something I think I need to work on as a person. I need to live in the moment more and really experience my direct experiences. Overall, I believe that happiness really is a satisfaction with one’s life and is not just how you are feelings at the moment but how you are feeling with your past, present, and