What is Happiness?

At times like this, I like to look at the etymology of words – where did happy come from, and what was its original meaning? 

happy (adj.)

Late 14c., “lucky, favoured by fortune, being in advantageous circumstances, prosperous;” of events, “turning out well,” from hap (n.) “chance, fortune” + -y (2). Sense of “very glad” was first recorded in late 14c. Meaning “greatly pleased and content” from the 1520s. Old English had eadig (from ead “wealth, riches”) and gesælig, which has become silly. Old English bliðe “happy” survives as blithe. From Greek to Irish, a great majority of the European words for “happy” at first meant “lucky.” An exception is Welsh, where the word used first meant “wise.” 

As you can see, happiness was never an emotion; it was a circumstance that came out of luck.

Imagine people sitting down, declaring themselves ‘depressed’ because they were not feeling lucky all day, every day.

The concept of ‘happiness’ has become so bastardised that the word has taken on a whole new meaning.

To be ‘happy’ in my culture is to be, well, who knows? It’s not very tangible…the adjectives that come up for me for happiness include contentment, peace, love, and fulfilment…but again, these things are attained by very different roots for different people. 

Happiness is such a flaky objective, that is so subjective, that it seems like a dire thing to pursue. The more I and others chase happiness, the more this elusive concept seems to escape us all.

Happiness has been something touted as a carrot on a stick for ‘good behaviour’ in capitalist, WEIRD (white, educated, industrialised, rich and democratic) societies…work hard, be a good student, get a degree, buy a house, get married, have children, and then you can retire and ‘be happy’.

I know many people who have followed this Western dogmatic recipe for happiness and realised quickly that none of it leads to happiness.

In my opinion, of course, it wouldn’t; a life planned out of routine and the goals of others (society, politics and capitalism) could never lead to happiness…autonomy, novelty, curiosity and freedom seem to be complicit players in creating a life worth living, and far too often, none of us are partaking in these things.  (Wong, et al.)

REFERENCES 

Happy (adj.). Etymology. (n.d.). https://www.etymonline.com/word/happy