Why Does Happiness Matter Essay

To answer my initial question of what happiness consists of, I went to happinessinternational.org and read Kenneth Benjamin's article, "Happiness Explained: Why Being Happy Is More Than Just Sunny Days At The Beach." Benjamin explains that happiness and pleasure are not the same concept. Enjoyable experiences are just pleasure, not happiness because they only last for a certain period before they pass. He expresses that "happiness is when life fulfills your needs." Having all your needs satisfied and feeling like your life is how it should be is happiness. Benjamin tells us that there are limited degrees of happiness, but there are certain essential needs that are universal for everyone. He shows these needs through the acronym W.E P.R.O.M.I.S.E.

Mark Williamson explained it to me in his article "Why Does Happiness Matter?" Starting with his input on what happiness is, he nicely states, "Happiness is about being able to make the most of the good times – but also to cope effectively with the inevitable bad times, in order to experience the best possible life overall." Williamson goes on to explain how happiness is important because of a wide variety of benefits for our overall quality of life. Studies at Warwick University and Wharton Business School found that happier people are 11% more productive and outperform their peers. Happy young adults even go on to earn more in life, a team at UCL found. Happy doctors who were induced by a simple gift were found to make diagnoses more accurately and quickly. Children in school had a significant academic and behavioral improvement when their social and emotional wellbeing was focused on. Another benefit of happiness is improved creativity and better decision-making. Williamson explains that happiness is the true key to success according to research. Happiness can also help society as a whole. Happier people tend to live longer and have better overall health, found in more than 160 studies. They even are 50% less likely to have a heart attack or simply catch a cold. Being happy makes life all around better and leads the happy people to benefit society by doing things like vote and respect laws.