Happiness is often sought through various experiences, including jobs, relationships, and achievements, believing they will bring lasting joy. These experiences temporarily enhance well-being by reinforcing identities, such as being attractive or successful. Conversely, negative experiences can diminish happiness by challenging these identities. Despite the fleeting pleasure or discomfort caused by these experiences, none can provide the lasting well-being that people ultimately seek. Recognizing the temporary nature of happiness and unhappiness is crucial to understanding well-being.
Experiences like these seem to generate well-being (or happiness) because we are identified with them. In other words, we feel like we are certain experiences.
What seems to increase happiness includes getting compliments, dating someone we like, receiving awards, or having our opinions validated, all reinforcing different aspects of our identity.
Unfortunately, all experiences are temporary. So, no experience can ever result in the permanent, unshakable well-being that we desire.
The same thing is true for ill-being. Experiences that hurt us, such as rejection or criticism, also only impact our well-being temporarily.
Collection
[
|
...
]