Happiness and well-being

Pages: 461-464
Shabnam Qayoom and Akbar Husain (Department of Psychology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh)

All of us really want happiness and the pursuits of pleasures, wealth, or power. Why then do not we simply choose to be happy whenever we wish rather than waiting for happiness to come to us as something beyond our control? Why we do not feel happy all the time? The answer is we do not see happiness as a choice. To few people happiness can be attained through wealth and power. Happiness improves an individual’s well-being. In the realm of well-being everything depends on an individual’s level of happiness. Earlier the conceptualization of happiness and well-being were the province of philosophers. Now, these concepts got popularity in research in the field of positive psychology. In this chapter we explain the various interpretations that have been offered by philosophers and psychologists, and Islam in conceptualization of the happiness and well-being. This chapter would explain happiness in Islam, happiness: concept and definitions, well-being: concept and definitions, happiness and subjective well-being, andHow happiness can improve an individual’s well-being? At the end it has been emphasized to study the relationship between happiness and well-being.