Positive psychologists are changing the way they look at happiness. Instead of just focusing on feeling good, they are paying more attention to deeper aspects of happiness. Here’s why:

1. What Do We Mean by Happiness?

   • Hedonic Well-Being: This type of happiness is all about pleasure and avoiding pain. It’s about enjoying life and feeling satisfied.
   • Eudaimonic Well-Being: This is about finding purpose in life. It’s about reaching your potential and doing things that help you grow as a person.

2. What Research Shows:

   • In a study by Veenhoven (2010), 83% of people said they felt happy in the hedonic way, but only 54% felt the deeper eudaimonic happiness. This shows that many people are missing out on a more fulfilling type of happiness.
   • Important Numbers: Research shows that people who focus on eudaimonic activities report being up to 25% happier in their lives compared to those who only chase pleasure.

3. What This Means for the Future:

   • Studies indicate that people who value eudaimonic well-being are stronger mentally and tend to live longer. For example, those with a sense of purpose have a 15% lower chance of dying early, according to a study published in the Journals of Gerontology (2014).

4. How It Affects Society:

   • Eudaimonic well-being helps people connect with each other and get involved in their communities, which makes everyone happier together.

This change in focus highlights how important it is to look for meaningful experiences in life, not just quick pleasures. It helps us to understand happiness in a deeper way through positive psychology.