Happiness Disposition

Happiness disposition is a psychological mindset that contains exhilaration, content and achievement. Although happiness has several definitions. However, it is  mostly associated with constructive thoughts  and fulfilment. Therefore, when discussing happiness in life, there are high chances a person is talking about the feelings he is getting when explaining the jovial event.

As per psychologists, the meaning of happiness disposition is “subjective well-being”. Happiness disposition focuses on an individual’s comprehensive feelings and current life.

The important components of happiness that play a vital role in defining happy mood are as follows: – 

• Stability in emotional thinking.

Stability in emotion thinking plays a significant role in a person’s happiness disposition. Every person experiences constructive and destructive emotions. The meaning of happiness disposition is generally linked more to constructive feelings than destructive ones an individual faces.

• Life Satisfaction

Life satisfaction generally refers to the joy you receive from different aspects of life, such as relationships, accomplishments, assignments and different essential social parameters.

Indications of Happiness

The perception of happiness disposition varies from one person to another, for instance, in a scenario where one feels joyous when they receive a materialistic thing. In contrast, another does not feel happy when they receive the same, such as a mobile phone. The indications of happiness can vary from one person to another drastically. However, psychologists have created a list of signs to determine the happiness disposition state of a person.

Some vital happiness disposition signs are:

1. Feeling of experiencing the dream life you desired for yourself (fulfilment).
2. Getting the feeling that life conditions are apt (contentment).
3. Feeling of fulfilment which you get when you think you have achieved what you wanted.
4. Feeling of positivity more than negativity.

Many people confuse a happy disposition with euphoria. Happiness is not about feeling good all the time. It is about getting more positive thoughts than negative thoughts. 

Happy people also get negative thoughts and different human emotions such as anger, frustration, weariness, isolation, sadness etc. But the trait of a happy person is that they feel optimistic even when they find themselves in difficult situations. 

Feeling optimistic even during struggles can prove to be a great catalyst for happiness. Even in difficult situations, staying optimistic creates a robust mindset and solid emotional strength. Hence, a person’s chances of staying happy in the long run are directly linked to their reaction in difficult times.

Happiness Varieties

Happiness dispositions have different varieties. A philosopher known by the name Aristotle categorised happiness into two sections.

• Hedonia: This type of happiness is directly linked to pleasure. Therefore, hedonia is directly related to self-care, self-fulfilling desires, self-satisfaction, and enjoyment.

• Eudaimonia: Eudaimonia is a happiness disposition linked to deriving meaning and predicting virtue. An important parameter of eudaimonic happiness includes that a person feels their life has definition, worth, and objective. The whole concept of this type of happiness disposition relates to associating yourself with long-term objectives,  thinking about public welfare, and following personal beliefs.

In the current times, the Greek terms hedonia and eudaimonia are commonly known as the psychology of amusement and interpretation. Moreover, psychologists have given a suggestion to add a third component of happiness — engagement. Engagement is a feeling of participation and commitment in different aspects of life.

Several researchers have proven that people who adopt a eudaimonic lifestyle are comparatively happier than those who adopt a hedonic lifestyle. There are several types of happiness, and some fall into the three (hedonic, eudaimonia, and engagement) categories of happiness as follows.

• Joy.
• Excitement.
• Gratitude.
• Pride.
• Optimism.
• Commitment.

Cultivating Happiness

Some people in society feel happy all the time. At the same time, many others have a low level of happiness. The people who feel down due to the circumstances in their lives can practice some techniques that can help cultivate happiness in their lives.

1. Planning to achieve intrinsic goals

Focus on accomplishing goals which intrinsically motivate you. A person should concentrate on achieving goals that give them an opportunity to germinate their mindset and help the community grow. If a person can plan on achieving these goals, there are high chances of increasing a happy disposition. 

2. Enjoy every moment

Due to stringent deadlines, people have stopped enjoying their lives and somewhat have become robotic in today’s world. Studies have shown that people who aren’t taking breaks and enjoying life are more threatened by feeling sad. Therefore a person should always focus on practising gratitude for what they have achieved in their lives.

3. Countering negative thoughts with positive thinking.

Life is a journey filled with ups and downs. Therefore, in life, there will be scenarios when the happy disposition is low, while in other situations, it will be high. Thus, during an adverse situation, a person should focus on the positive aspects  because focusing on the positive aspects in a situation can help the person in searching for solutions. Thus, thinking about positives in a negative situation enhances the problem-solving ability of a person.  

Conclusion

Happiness is a trait to be mastered in every instance of life. There will be situations that will feel low and demotivate. Thus, a person should find ways to cope and keep happy in difficult situations. 

An interesting research was studied to identify happiness in human beings. It was found that half of the life’s fulfilment is because of genes, 10% due to external factors, and the remaining 40% was due to activities taken up by the individual. Thus, to stay happy, a person must control what they do in their lives.