Group #01Topic: causes of Happiness by Bertrand Russell Presented To Mam Khishar Sadaf Group Members Zaria Qayyum #14990 Moushaffa Shahid #13910 Sadia Irum #12664 Maryyam Yasin #13406 Zahra Naeem #12691 Content List. Is happiness still possible Zest Affection The family Work Impersonal interest Effort and Resignation The Happiness Introduction Russell argues, to become happy, we must get rid of unhappiness. We must try to understand which things make us unhappy. That’s why he has divided the book into two parts. The first part deals with the causes of unhappiness, and the second part explores the causes of happiness. For Russell, the causes of various kinds of unhappiness lie partly in the social system, partly in individual psychology.“My purpose is to suggest a cure for the ordinary day-to-day unhappiness from which most people in civilized countries suffer, and which is all the more unbearable because, having no obvious external cause, it appears inescapable,” writes Bertrand Russell in his 1930 book ‘The Conquest of Happiness’.It is not a book on philosophical theory. Instead, Russell draws on his own life, his own experiences as an unhappy child and young man, to try and understand what makes us unhappy and how we could be happier. Russell begins by clarifying that unhappiness is not some kind of personal fault of the unhappy person. I believe this unhappiness to be very largely due to mistaken views of the world, mistaken ethics, mistaken habits of life, leading to destruction of that natural zest and appetite for possible things upon which all happiness, whether of men or animals, ultimately depends. (‘The Conquest of Happiness’) Society certainly also plays a part in making people unhappy, especially through endorsing those “mistaken habits” and “mistaken views of the world” that cause people to become miserable. But since it is this “natural zest and appetite” that makes a life happy, each one of us can improve their happiness without needing to wait for a change in society. Each one of us has the power to correct their mistaken assumptions about the world and, through clearly understanding the roots of unhappiness, to finally create a happy life for ourselves.  Is happiness still possible. Some people use trivial engagement to distract themselves. They believe that this temporal stray of mind is a way of happiness. Russell’s excellence is witnessed where he not only enlists the reasons for happiness but also catalogs the series of happiness. He propagates the following 7 ways to win happiness. These are  Zest Affection The family Work Impersonal interest Effort and Resignation The Happiness  Zest:Russell discusses the above items one by one. In the first place, Zest is the most fundamental condition of human happiness. Without zest, the very idea of happiness is useless. Man is naturally prone to introversion, but in order to derive as much happiness as possible out of life,

1. Group #01
Topic: causes of
Happiness
by Bertrand Russell
Presented To Mam Khishar Sadaf

2. Group Members
 Zaria Qayyum #14990
 Moushaffa Shahid #13910
 Sadia Irum #12664
 Maryyam Yasin #13406
 Zahra Naeem #12691

3. Content List.
 Is happiness still possible
 Zest
 Affection
 The family
 Work
 Impersonal interest
 Effort and Resignation
 The Happiness

4. Introduction
The Conquest of Happiness” is a famous work of Bertrand
Russell, a famous British philosopher, and mathematician. In this
book, he has suggested a cure for unhappy people based upon his
personal experience and observation. The conditions to be a
“happy man” that Russell puts forth in this book are still valid. His
use of simple language throughout the book along with coherent
ideas is highly impressive. Bertrand Russell’s book ‘The Conquest
of Happiness’ (1930) attempts to analyze the conditions for
happiness in our modern world, focusing on the mindsets of the
unhappy and the happy person and how they differ. For Russell,
the unhappy person is preoccupied far too much with their own life
and career, and with how they present themselves to others; while
happy people engage with life and with intellectual pursuits that are
not related directly to themselves, displaying a quality of character
he calls “zest” for life.

5. Russell argues, to become happy, we must get rid of unhappiness. We must try to understand
which things make us unhappy. That’s why he has divided the book into two parts. The first part
deals with the causes of unhappiness, and the second part explores the causes of happiness. For
Russell, the causes of various kinds of unhappiness lie partly in the social system, partly in
individual psychology.
“My purpose is to suggest a cure for the ordinary day-to-day unhappiness from which most
people in civilized countries suffer, and which is all the more unbearable because, having
no obvious external cause, it appears inescapable,” writes Bertrand Russell in his 1930
book ‘The Conquest of Happiness’.
It is not a book on philosophical theory. Instead, Russell draws on his own life, his own
experiences as an unhappy child and young man, to try and understand what makes us unhappy
and how we could be happier. Russell begins by clarifying that unhappiness is not some kind of
personal fault of the unhappy person.
I believe this unhappiness to be very largely due to mistaken views of the world, mistaken
ethics, mistaken habits of life, leading to destruction of that natural zest and appetite for

6. Society certainly also plays a part in making people unhappy, especially through
endorsing those “mistaken habits” and “mistaken views of the world” that cause
people to become miserable. But since it is this “natural zest and appetite” that
makes a life happy, each one of us can improve their happiness without needing
to wait for a change in society. Each one of us has the power to correct their
mistaken assumptions about the world and, through clearly understanding the
roots of unhappiness, to finally create a happy life for ourselves.

7. Is happiness still possible.
Some people use trivial engagement to distract themselves. They believe that
this temporal stray of mind is a way of happiness. Russell’s excellence is
witnessed where he not only enlists the reasons for happiness but also catalogs
the series of happiness. He propagates the following 7 ways to win happiness.
These are
Zest
Affection
The family
Work
Impersonal interest
Effort and Resignation
The Happiness

8. Zest:
Russell discusses the above items one by one. In the first place, Zest is the most fundamental
condition of human happiness. Without zest, the very idea of happiness is useless. Man is
naturally prone to introversion, but in order to derive as much happiness as possible out of life, it is
necessary to look
outward. The man who has zest for life seeks for interesting objects around him and sometimes
even
unpleasant things are interesting for him.
They get experiences from them and feel pleasure to increase their knowledge. Russell makes a
distinction between true zest and false zest. Genuine zest is the part of
natural life which mostly reflects in young children who are interested in everything. They seek
acquaintance with anything that attracts their attention. False zest leads to loss of zest because of
restriction upon liberty while we are living in a civilized society.
In women, zest has been greatly diminished by a mistaken conception of respectability.
They take no interest in sports, politics and what is going on in the world that’s why they
lost their true passion and excitement of life. For women as for men zest is the secret of
happiness and well-being.

9. Affection:
Next to zest, the second human emotion is affection. One of the great causes of lack of zest for life
is the feeling that one is not loved in society. The causes of this feeling may be the deprivation of
maternal and parental love in childhood which leads to the lack of self confidence. Sometimes the
absence of affection merges into revenge against the society and the lives of such men becomes
self-centered (such as Jonathan swift as misanthropist i.e. hatred towards human). when you are
in such kind of state of uncertainty the sense of security and self-confidence is required.
Russell brings another factor which is the cause of zest for life that is not only affection but
also admiration which means appreciation. That’s why life of actors and politicians are full
of zest because they secure public admiration in a way of applause this give them a feeling
of success.

10. Russell points out some important effects of the man’s character when there is
lack of
affection.
• Feeling of insecurity
• Person becomes introvert
• Melancholy
• Leads towards over thinking
• Focused more on negative things
Russell also reflects in the point that to give affection to the children are the first
and
foremost duty of parents in this way they become independent. This realization
of their importance leads them to have a healthy and happy life. At last Russell
states that the best type of affection is reciprocal. Because there are some
people who receive affection but do not give it to others.

11. The third factor which is largely responsible for true happiness is man’s family.
Russell complains that in modern times no institution is so disorganized as family.
1. The reason of family’s unhappiness is diverse but women play vital role in it.
Russell here compares women of past ages and modern age. He says in the
past women were driven to marriage by their marriage but spinster
(unmarried) had hard times. Because a spinster would depend upon her
father and brothers, she had no freedom to choose anything. Then Russell
turns toward modern woman as they are much fortunate and independent, by
virtue of learning technical skills and getting employment. But there is another
issue that if she wants to get marry she has to lose her job as her family won’t
have proper attention.
2. 2. Second thing he discussed is the general change in the relationship
between parents and children. Now, children don’t owe respect to their
parents. Moreover, psychoanalysis has terrified parents. Parents are so
cautious in loving their kids as they believe that they might produce a sex
complex among their children. Parenthood has become timid and full of

12. The basis of family is essentially the parents who have
special kind of love for their children. Freud’s view is
biological and scientific. The affection of mother and
children is different from that of sexual love. Russell
says that family never loses the charm and affection
according to time as it diminishes between friends,
Because the charm and love for family is so pure for
family. Sound family relations make a sound character.
And sound characters make good society.

13. Work
The fourth source of happiness is work. There are many people who have a lot of leisure but they
don’t know how to spend it. Russell suggests that work in spare time, when one is free from the
compulsive work, should be considered as a source of happiness. Enjoyment in work depends
upon the nature of work. If men utilize their leisure purposefully they can produce something fruitful
which can contribute to the welfare and prosperity of mankind.
According to Russell idle rich man suffer unspeakable boredom at their freedom. They find relief by
hunting and going around the world. Work
is therefore, desirable as a preventive of boredom. The advantage of most paid work is that it gives
money and opportunities. Success is measured by income. That’s how work becomes bearable
and interesting work gives satisfaction at higher level.
• Russell points out that the exercise of skill and exercise of construction are chief source of
happiness. He says that politicians and lawyers find their work more interesting because of higher
competition. According to Russell, there are two types of tendencies Constructive tendency in
which the purpose is clear before anyone and Destructive tendency is that in which the purpose is
not clear before its doer. He says that constructive
tendency can only have in intelligent persons. organization is a work of supreme importance if its
motives are constructive.
Russell believes that human beings differ in their attitude towards life. Some regard life as series of
detached events while others regard it as a
continuous process. The latter view is consistent, purposive and should govern our activities.

14. Impersonal Interest
The fifth source of happiness is “Impersonal Interest” here he
discusses those matter which are not directly related to man’s
personal professional interest. For instance: A scientist who is
busy in his personal professional work gives serious attention to
it but sometimes his attention is attracted by some other work of
science.
In Russell’s view Impersonal interests are necessary for life form
the tedium (dullness) of personal work. Sometimes, extreme
fatigue and stress of work do not allow us to take a sound
decision .
Russell tells us that true human happiness demands the
broadness of vision and interest in other affairs of life. If we
continue ourselves to our personal interest we shall soon
develop the habit of narrow mindedness.

15. At such times it is better to distract one’s attention from
the immediate problem which is source of anxiety. It is
appropriate to engage one’s self in such impersonal
things as game of chess, ludo, stories, novels, or study
of astronomy.
Warning!!! :
Russell warns us not to escape from such situation by
taking to such harmful things as drunkenness and drugs
.

16. Effort and Resignation
● The sixth source of happiness acc to Russell is “ Effort and Resignation” Life is full
of trials and struggle. Happiness is not a ripe fruit which drops in mouth without any
effort. If one is to be happy, he must find some way to cope with the multitude
causes of unhappiness. Happiness must be an achievement in which both inward
and outward efforts must play great part.
● A faqir offers his bowl to alms.
He gives the example of western society. He says that in a country where females are
short, marriage become s a great problem for the males as happened in Germany at
the end of WW II.
Those who believe in resignation and leave their children without proper attention are
failing in their moral and natural responsibilities.
Russell mention a psychological causes of effort and resignation he says that man
wants power and wishes to dominate other human beings in one way or other,. Every
form of power needs a effort.
However a wise man will never waste his energies upon such matters which are
inevitable or beyond his power

17. Resignation is of two sorts:
Hopelessness
One rooted in despair
A person who suffer
some serious defeat
may learn the
resignation of despair
Hope
this is unconquerable
hope
But the man of firm
hope will not lose
heart even if he is
defeated by death,
disease or enemies.
Effort is essential because without effort successful life is inconceivable which are beyond our
capacities we must take them for granted and adopt the course of resignation.

18. The Happy Man
Russell begins with a simple observation that happiness is partly dependent
upon external circumstances and partly upon oneself, and centralizes his
concerns to the latter.
His inclusion of the statement that unhappy people who cannot overcome their
unhappiness through internal psychological procedures may need the services
of a psychiatrist, may invite a sense of ridicule to modern audiences
He counts food, shelter, love, successful work and respect in society as some
of the indispensable factors to happiness, and the deficiency of any of these the
primary cause of unhappiness.
Russell focuses on the need for fractioning one’s interests into a wide array of
disciplines and activities in order to stay involved with the world and remain
happy within

19. Russell evinces his stance against self-centered passions such as fear, envy, sense of sin, self-pity
and self-admiration, which bind one to the self and engender unhappy attitudes. It is worth noting
that in addition to enumerating these notions, he also provides means of getting over them in the
form of simple techniques and illustrations, like the one about Boy Scouts, which helps readers
relate to his observations.
Russell claims:
“The happy man is the man who does not suffer from either of these failures of unity, whose
personality is neither divided against itself nor pitted against the world. Such a man feels himself a
citizen of the universe, enjoying freely the spectacle that it offers and the joys that it affords,
untroubled by the thought of death because he feels himself not really separate from those who will
come after him.