The pursuit of happiness has been one of the greatest driving forces throughout the ages. Defined as an active or passive sense of pleasure or satisfaction, happiness drives individuals to perform a variety of fulfilling activities in their lives. Therefore, an assessment of the meanings associated with happiness provides information on how an individual maximizes his or her pleasure. Positive psychology concepts provide an explanation of what happiness is and show a variety of activities that increase contentment. Najemy (89) argues that authentic happiness theory provides an approach to explaining happiness because it uses positive emotions, involvement, and meaning to describe that emotion. The theory states that happiness is the feeling that accompanies other positive emotions such as pleasure, comfort and ecstasy. Next, engagement involves flowing with aspects that increase pleasure. Some of the things that initiate flows include listening to favorite music and losing self-awareness during engaging activities. This aspect of happiness allows individuals to merge with an object of interest. Additionally, the flow aspect requires an individual to use their strengths and talents to sustain cheerfulness. Authentic happiness theory also holds that the third element of happiness is purpose. This element leads to happiness as humans pursue meaning in their activities. According to Ahmed (169), a meaningful life involves belonging to and serving a stream that is greater than the self and humanity. This aspect has facilitated the creation of positive institutions that allow individuals to pursue happiness. Some of these institutions include religion, political parties, and hobby groups. On the other hand, well-being... at the center of the card... s. Furthermore, happiness comes from activities such as well-paying jobs, graduation, marriage, entertainment activities, and forms of literature. As a result, a portion of the population seeks the aforementioned activities to increase their level of happiness. In conclusion, an evaluation of theories related to positive psychology provides an explanation of what happiness is thus showing a series of crucial activities to increase levels of satisfaction. Works Cited Ahmed, Sara. The promise of happiness. Durham [NC: Duke University Press, 2010. Internet resource. Diener, Ed, Daniel Kahneman, and Norbert Schwarz. Wellbeing: the foundations of hedonic psychology. New York, NY: Russell Sage Foundation, 2003. Print. Najemy, Robert E. The Psychology of Happiness: Understanding Ourselves and Others. Worcester, Mass: Holistic Harmony Publishers, 2001. Print.
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