The Pursuit of Happiness

The American Emphasis on the Pursuit of Happiness
The pursuit of happiness is described in the Declaration of Independence as an inalienable right. People are encouraged to make life choices based on what makes them happy and satisfied. Aristotle described happiness as the meaning and purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.
American Culture and Happiness
The American pursuit of happiness can seem as elusive as achieving it. We want to be happy, and we can say whether we are or not we are happy, but can it really be defined, studied, and measured? Psychologists and research says yes, and there is good reason to do so. Happiness is highly individualized and influenced by culture, what makes Americans happy does not necessarily make other cultures happy. Americans express unique internal attributes that distinguish them from others, a positive view of self that enhances self-esteem. A person’s subjective well-being can be described as a combination of life satisfaction and having more positive emotions than negative emotions. Happiness can be measured as having three parts: pleasure, engagement, and meaning. Pleasure is the “feel good” part of happiness. Engagement refers to living a “good life” of work, family, friends, and hobbies. Meaning refers to using our strengths to contribute to a larger purpose (Wallis, 2005).
One of the biggest issues in happiness research is the question of how much our happiness is under our control. In 1996 University of Minnesota researcher David Lykken published a paper looking at the role of genes in determining one's sense of satisfaction in life. Lykken gathered information on 4,000 sets of twins born in Minnesota from 1936 through 1955. After comparing happiness data on identical vs. fraternal twins, he came to the conclusion that about 50% of one's satisfaction with life comes from genetic programming; Genes influence such traits as having a sunny, easygoing personality; dealing well with stress; and feeling low levels of anxiety and depression. Lykken found that circumstantial factors like income, marital status, religion and education contribute only about 8% to one's overall well-being. Studies have shown that freedom, individual rights, and trust in government are all related to a higher level of happiness and life satisfaction. Well-being is generally higher in democratic countries than communists countries, a nation that has more wealth can offer more freedom, individual rights to citizens, and provide better health care, sanitation, and consumer goods (Baumgardner & Crothers, 2009).

Asian Culture
Mencius, who flourished during the Chinese Warring States period about 2,300 years ago, could well be called the pioneer of Positive Psychology. Mencius offers a vision of irrepressible happiness that result from the balanced practice of the great virtues: “The fruit of humanity is devotion to one’s parents. The fruit of righteousness is to respect one’s elders. The fruit of wisdom is to understand these two and not to betray them. The fruit of propriety is to regulate and polish them. The fruit of music is the joy that comes from rejoicing in them. When one rejoices in them, they grow. When they grow, how can they be stopped? And when they cannot be stopped, unconsciously one’s feet begin to dance and one’s arms begin to wave.” ("The Pursuit of Happiness", 2012).
East Asian cultural traditions do not emphasize happiness, life satisfaction, or the experience of positive emotions as central life concerns, the experience of happiness is not a prominent criterion when making life decisions. Asians believe happiness has less importance as a cultural ideal and children are encouraged to moderate their emotions, fit in with others, take pride in the achievements of their groups, and to adopt a self-critical and self-effacing attitude toward themselves. Asian culture views happiness as well as other emotions as a temporary state, which just like the weather will come and go. Asians believe that rather than constantly striving for happiness it makes more sense to keep ones composure about negative emotions or situations because it will eventually change. They focus on moderation and a balance of emotional expression, Asians believe positive feelings result from social relationships, pleasing others, and fulfilling expectations that led to feelings of closeness, friendships, and mutual respect (Baumgardner & Crothers, 2009).
Asian culture rely more on harmonious relationships that fit into others with achievements as an entire group rather than individual, while Americans take pride in their own personal achievements and like to stand out from one another as an individual. A person’s happiness and life satisfaction are mostly associated from ones subjective well-being. Happiness comes from Self-Knowledge, the knowledge that we have a heart or spirit that is originally perfect but has become obscured by passions and desires.

There seems to be a consensus about the pursuit of happiness within different cultures. Money does not have much to do with a person’s level of happiness, although, unhappiness can result from stress and frustration when basic needs go unmet. An increased income can bring a rise in expectations as to what can make a person happy. However, many of our wants and needs are socially created because, the keeping up with the Jones’ mentality. Happiness comes from within and results from being “true to yourself”.