How the concept of happiness has evolved through the ages and ways to achieve it
From the Ancient Greeks and Buddhists to Christian thinkers and positive psychologists, happiness has taken many forms
What is the quickest path to happiness? It could be to trade our smartphones for saffron robes and head to a monastery on Hong Kong’s Lantau Island or in the Himalayas. There, we can lead a life of quiet reflection – with clean food, fresh air and few overheads.
For most of us – navigating the pressures of career, family and a city that never hits the “pause” button – monkhood is not an option.
As we begin a new year, the question remains: is happiness something we find or something we build?
For centuries, the quest for “the good life” was the exclusive domain of philosophers and theologians. Today, it has shifted into positive psychologists’ clinics.
Whether you are looking to Ancient Greece’s “inner calm” or the modern science of “thriving”, the consensus is shifting: happiness is not a destination we reach – it is a psychological muscle we must train.
Views on achieving happiness have differed over time, but most agree that paying less attention to material goods, tamping down our physical desires, being content with what we have – and who we are – and being kind, or at least fair, to others all play a big part.
