![]() ![]() Philosophers debated the nature of happiness for thousands of years, but scientists have recently discovered that happiness means different things. ![]() Because scientists have developed valid ways of measuring “happiness,” they have come in the past decades to know much about its causes and consequences. Thus, high SWB is not just a pleasant outcome but having subjective well-being is an important factor in our future success. In this module we describe “ happiness” or subjective well-being (SWB) as a process-it results from certain internal and external causes, and in turn it influences the way people behave, as well as their physiological states. But what is it, and how do people get it? People will claim that whether their kids are wealthy and work in some prestigious occupation or not, “I just want my kids to be happy.” Happiness appears to be one of the most important goals for people, if not the most important. When people describe what they want in life for their children, they frequently mention health and wealth, occasionally they mention fame or success-but they almost always mention happiness. When people describe what they most want out of life, happiness is almost always on the list, and very frequently it is at the top of the list. If you had only one gift to give your child, what would it be? Happiness? Buddhism has a particular focus on happiness that comes from the decisions we make about how to live our life, and the types of thoughts we think and how we regulate our emotions.įor a review of the life of the Buddha and a basic understanding of the teachings of the Buddha, students can watch the movie below created by the American television service, the Public Broadcasting Service, pbs.org (2015) Buddhism, including Tibetan Buddhism, includes ceremonies, practices, and teachings designed to reduce life suffering, increase compassion, and help people find well-being even amidst difficult challenges. His followers, however, have so fervently held to his teachings that the practice of Buddhism is often viewed as a religion, and over time it became mixed with religious stories and myths, as people tried to fit Buddhism into their traditional culture. He felt everyone could learn what he had learned. Guatama Buddha, also called Buddha was a Yogi and teacher living in ancient India, and did not consider himself to be superior to other people. Tibetan Buddhism is based in the teachings of the Buddha as introduced to the country of Tibet between the 7th and 9th centuries. Tibetan Buddhism is a form of philosophy and type of Buddhism practiced by the people of Tibet, and elsewhere in the world. Thus, happiness does not just feel good, but it is good for people and for those around them. In other words, people high in subjective well-being seem to be healthier and function more effectively compared to people who are chronically stressed, depressed, or angry. Importantly, researchers have also studied the outcomes of subjective well-being and have found that “happy” people are more likely to be healthier and live longer, to have better social relationships, and to be more productive at work. To some degree people adapt to conditions so that over time our circumstances may not influence our happiness as much as one might predict they would. Some of the major determinants of subjective well-being are a person’s inborn temperament, the quality of their social relationships, the societies they live in, and their ability to meet their basic needs. ![]() People’s levels of subjective well-being are influenced by both internal factors, such as personality and outlook, and external factors, such as the society in which they live. ![]() Scientists rely primarily on self-report surveys to assess the happiness of individuals, but they have validated these scales with other types of measures. Professionals and scientists use the term Subjective well-being (SWB) as the scientific term for happiness and life satisfaction-thinking and feeling that your life is going well, not badly. This chapter examines scientific findings on happiness and how these parallel ideas from Tibetan Buddhism. In recent years as happiness science has flourished, it has become apparent that some of the philosophies of Tibetan Buddhism match well with discoveries from empirical science. This chapter examines empirical science of happiness, and discusses the traditions and philosophy of Tibetan Buddhism. 11 Happiness: The Empirical Science of Happiness and the Philosophy of Tibetan Buddhism Introduction ![]()
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