Authentic Happiness

Health and Illness

Twentieth century psychology concentrated on mental disease, and made considerable progress defining a range of illnesses. However, psychology has had very little to say about the good life. Only recently has research shown that it is possible to pursue and increase happiness. Happiness is not an intangible or nebulous concept. Its consequences are measurable. One study of nuns, a very homogenous, controlled population, found that the most cheerful women lived much longer than the less cheerful.

However, happiness is not what many people think it is. For example, it is not the consequence of health and wealth. Instead, happiness comes from exercising six virtues that all major religious and philosophical traditions identify as fundamental to a good life: 1) wisdom - including learning, prudence and creativity; 2) courage - including fortitude, perseverance and confidence; 3) love - including both giving and receiving love; 4) justice - including fairness, citizenship and leadership; 5) temperance - including humility, discretion and self-control and 6) spirituality and transcendence - including gratefulness and a love of beauty.

The Happiness...