Economic affluence and happiness from psychological perspective

Pages: 1041-1043
Farhat Jahan and Asiya Aijaz (Department of Psychology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh )

Happiness is a pleasurable & satisfying experience or it is a state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. Research studies show that our enduring level of happiness is determined by our happiness set point, life circumstances and intentional or voluntary activities. Lyubomirsky (2008) suggested that our “set point”, or happiness level determined by birth or genetics, accounts for 50% of happiness; circumstances such as marital status, earnings & looks determine 10%; and remainder of our happiness comes from intentional activities or things we can do to change our happiness level. In the early 21st century, economist and environmental sustainability advocates came to share psychologist’s interest in the extent to which money and consumption can buy happiness. In this paper an attempt is made to explain the basic reasons of happiness, to assess the causes of happiness. An attempt was made to explain the basic of happiness, to assess the prevailing conditions which makes men and women happy and find out the causes responsible for happiness such as materialistic (money, physical attractiveness and material possessions increases affluence) and the mentalist positions (specific character traits such as self confidence and energy correlate), which explain happiness is about both wanting what we have and having what we want, As well as suggest certain ways and means to reduce unhappiness.