One of the things that people strive for most in life is happiness. Happiness, however, is a difficult term to define because it depends on the individual and their cultural, religious, and social upbringing. With that being said, it is a fact that Nordic countries are happier overall than all other countries. How would this statistic even be measured? Such a subjective topic couldn’t possibly have one definition, but it is simpler than we all think. The definition of happiness should be feeling fulfilled in one’s life.

A sensation of contentment, pleasure, and satisfaction are characteristics of happiness as an emotion or a mood. When people feel happy about their lives, their relationships, and their accomplishments, they enter a positive state of being. It’s true that there are tons of different causes of happiness so why are Nordic countries much happier than others? Since it is subjective the people conducting the study must have asked individual people how happy they feel and found the average happiness level for each country. According to the article “Why do People in Nordic countries consistently rank as the happiest and what can we learn from them” the author states “Not all relatively rich nations are happy like the Nordics. Singapore, one of the wealthiest in the world, sits at 25th place, while Saudi Arabia, the world’s seventh richest, sits at 26th.” (Camille Bello). Clearly, although money may give people feelings of contentment it doesn’t have a big effect on people’s happiness since the richest countries in the world were very low on the happiness chart. Money doesn’t fulfill one’s life, meaning that can’t be what makes people happy you may feel the joy to have money but that isn’t being truly happy.

In the article they discuss other reasons for people feeling happier in these countries. One of the reasons being the country is small and that being around happier people will help increase one’s own happiness level. They also explain that the government in these countries does a very good job of keeping quality institutions that help people feel secure and comfortable. It is never really answered by these countries are happier than others, but the simple obvious answer is that these people feel more fulfilled in their life. They live in a comfortable environment that is safe for families, they are around good energy all the time, and they don’t need to rely on money to feel joy. Nordic people are the best example of what living a happy life looks like Feeling fulfilled in the most important parts of life.   

the significance of purpose and meaning. Happiness is frequently equated with having a sense of direction and purpose in life, whether that is achieved through pursuing a career, participating in hobbies, or volunteering. Individuals who feel that their lives matter and have meaning are more likely to be happy and healthy than those who feel meaningless and lost in life.

One of the most influential and famous philosophers, Aristotle, stated that “He who is happy who lives in accordance with complete virtue and is sufficiently equipped with external goods, not for some chance period but throughout a complete life.” According to the article, Aristotle: pioneer of Happiness it is explained Aristotle thought that the ultimate goal in life is happiness. He described happiness as the state of being that comes from leading a good life, which includes acting morally admirably and living in accordance with reason. He also explained happiness as something more than enjoyable sensations, or things that can be obtained or lost in a matter of hours. Feeling completely fulfilled with one’s life is the essence and definition of happiness. The article states “According to Aristotle, happiness consists in achieving, through the course of a whole lifetime, all the goods — health, wealth, knowledge, friends, etc.”. all these factors’ family, friends, well-being, wealth may be causes of the feelings of joy we get however having all of them together as one is what happiness is, being fulfilled.

Aristotle’s “virtue ethics” emphasizes developing character and learning specific characteristics like bravery, justice, temperance, compassion, and prudence rather than the moral significance of duties or obligations. Not just bettering oneself but working hard to achieve an end goal and feeling fulfilled is what happiness truly is meaning virtue ethics are a way to feel fulfilled. Aristotle’s theories and definitions of happiness are still relevant ideas today after 2000 years. Clearly, his definition of happiness is accepted by many, however, he also recognized that happiness is very different for everyone. One person’s fulfillment may be something that someone else already has making the definition broader.

In another article called “Happiness: defined” they define happiness as a feeling that improves aspects of our life. They explain how happiness is shaped by genetics, environment, culture, and social forces. Since we don’t have much control over those things, we should strive to work for improving aspects of our life to increase our happiness in other words feeling fulfilled is happiness. The article states “Though people around the world have different ways of thinking about happiness and perhaps even experience it in different ways, most involve feeling positive generally and about life overall.” Being happy isn’t just feeling positive about something someone could think positively about a day going well and still be in crippling depression. It’s more about feeling confident, stable, and fulfilled that encompasses happiness.

In conclusion, Happiness is a very subjective and squishy topic. There is no simple answer to the question of what the definition of happiness is. Everyone views happiness differently and experiences it differently however, combining most of the causes of feeling joy or contentment like family/friends, wealth, love, etc., and feeling fulfilled all together is what happiness is. Happiness is ultimately a subjective and individualized sensation that is molded by our diverse histories, life experiences, and viewpoints. While there is no one definition of happiness that applies to everyone, being aware of the different viewpoints and feeling fulfilled in life is how we live happier lives.

Work Cited

Aristotle: Pioneer of Happiness. Pursuit of Happiness. (n.d.). Retrieved April 5, 2023, from https://www.pursuit-of-happiness.org/history-of-happiness/aristotle/#:~:text=According%20to%20Aristotle%2C%20happiness%20consists,which%20may%20be%20very%20difficult.

Avery Koop Article/Editing: , & Khan, W. B. R. (2023, March 20). Mapped: The world’s happiest countries in 2023. Visual Capitalist. Retrieved April 5, 2023, from https://www.visualcapitalist.com/worlds-happiest-countries-2023/

Bello, C. (2023, March 26). Why are Nordic countries so happy and what can we learn from them? euronews. Retrieved April 5, 2023, from https://www.euronews.com/next/2023/03/23/why-do-people-in-nordic-countries-consistently-rank-as-the-happiest-and-what-can-we-learn-#:~:text=Finland%20took%20the%20top%20spot,genetically%20bound%20to%20be%20happier.

Happiness definition: What is happiness. Greater Good. (n.d.). Retrieved April 5, 2023, from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/topic/happiness/definition#what-is-happiness