The American constitution guarantees the right to a pursuit of happiness. When it was written, the briefly considered wording it as "the pursuit of money." A great many American seem to still confuse the two things. Surveys show that about 30% of Americans report that they are very happy. This statistic has been the same since 1956. In that same time, real income -- after accounting for inflation -- has more than doubled. In fact, it has nearly tripled. Yet, people are not nearly three times happier. So more money does not buy more happiness. For many people, this is counter-intuitive. They think more money should equal more happiness. In cases where a person is living below the poverty level, getting them up to or above the poverty level …show more content…
What makes people happy? What makes people feel they are living a worthwhile life? His life's work has produced the concept of "flow." Flow describes an ecstatic state that people experience when they are engaging in creative activity that is a) personally challenging for them and b) something they are well equipped to handle because of a high level of relevant skill. The human brain can only handle so much information at one time. When a person is engaged in something very absorbing, their sense of personal identity melts away. They become unaware of their own body. They stop worrying about the trivial details of their day-to-day life. They become engrossed. A side effect of this state is a feeling of joy. They often describe it as a state of ecstasy. His early work focused primarily on people in creative fields such as music or art. More recently he began studying entrepreneurs. He wanted to know what made them tick. In a sense, business people are seen as making money rather than art or music. It is well established that pursuing more money does not make one happier, yet entrepreneurs frequently love what they do. They experience this same state of flow as musicians, composers or …show more content…
They are in pursuit of happiness. They are in pursuit of their own personal high based on natural brain chemistry. If they are workaholics, it is because they are addicted to the positive psychological state their own brain can supply when they get it right against long odds. This is a healthy impetus. Unlike being addicted to drugs or alcohol, this does not ruin your life. It doesn't come with horrible physical side effects. It doesn't drive away your friends and family. It builds a better life for you and can help build a better world. Successful entrepreneurs provide their piece of the puzzle to making the world a better place. One of the greatest challenges is to be a highly ethical business person. The desire to do well while doing good in the world pits conflicting interests against each other. It poses the question of how to benefit both yourself and others at the same time. It is relatively easy to answer one of those questions. It is relatively easy to either enhance your welfare at their expense like the robber barons of old or to martyr yourself for their benefit. But, it is quite hard to benefit others and yourself at the same