What the Happiness Studies Reveal About What Makes People Happy

    To be joyful is to experience happiness and thankfulness. A lot of times, people put too much weight on the wrong factors while trying to determine their level of happiness in life. They believe that life's hardships are the primary factor in determining one's level of happiness or sadness. People tend to overestimate the magnitude and length of the emotional effects of obtaining or losing something. Dan Gilbert argues that happiness is something that can be "synthesized" by individuals. An old saying attributed to Thomas Brown goes something like this: "Right now, in my life, I feel more content than anybody else." "I have it in me to go from rags to riches, from hardship to ease, and I am weaker than Achilles himself; good fortune might strike me in any one of a thousand ways." In this quotation, Dan Gilbert argues that everybody is capable of such a thought. We are all Thomas Brown in the head; what makes us unique is how we choose to organize our thoughts. Humans are equipped with a mental defense mechanism that allows them to alter their outlook on life when things don't go according to plan. The talent to think like Thomas Brown exists in everyone; most people are just unaware of it.

    Having said that, many individuals believe that happiness is a destination or an object that may be sought. Dan Gilbert gives several real-life instances of individuals who have created their own happiness out of seemingly incongruous elements. He demonstrated to his audience that it is possible to find joy in the face of adversity. That's because happiness isn't a given; instead, it's something that can be manufactured at will. Most people believe that artificial happiness can never compare to "natural happiness." When individuals achieve their goals, they experience a state of happiness that comes naturally to them. Conversely, artificial happiness is as genuine and long-lasting as its natural counterpart. To be free is to be able to decide for oneself at any time, and this capacity is what brings about uninhibited happiness. When one is free to do as they please, it produces a pleasant, secure environment inside them. On the other hand, it is the adversary of manufactured happiness, as Dan Gilbert argues. When you aren't confined by any particular parameters, you naturally lack confidence in whatever it is you're considering. Only by choosing to see the bright side of every situation can one find lasting joy.