The document discusses definitions and theories of happiness from various perspectives. It defines happiness as a feeling or emotion that can be positive like joy or contentment, and discusses two main types described in psychology: hedonic happiness focused on pleasure and pain, and eudaimonic happiness concerned with life satisfaction and fulfillment. The document also outlines factors that influence happiness like relationships, work, health and finances, and provides strategies for enhancing happiness including gratitude, optimism, kindness, and using personal strengths. World rankings of happiness are discussed, with Nordic countries typically ranking highest.

1. HAPPINESS QUOTIENT
INTRODUCTION:
How can one define happiness? In fact, can it be defined? It is not easy to define
because it is a feeling. It is an emotion and hence, is intangible. It can be only
described using adjectives.
Happiness is used in the context of mental or emotional states, including positive
or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. It is also used in the
context of life satisfaction, subjective well-being, eudaimonia, flourishing and well-
being.
Sonja Lyubomirsky, a psychologist says that the definition of happiness in positive
psychology is “the experience of joy, contentment or positive well-being, combined
with a sense that one’s life is good, meaningful and worthwhile.”
Most of us, if not all, have our happiness tied up with things, events, people, places
and circumstances. In other words our happiness is external. We are always
expecting something or someone to make us happy. Young adults are, maybe,
attaching their happiness to academics. Adults might be waiting for that promotion
or their marriage to allow happiness to fill the void. Similarly, the middle aged and
aged wait for their children to make them happy. Do we need a reason to be happy?
Happiness is a state of mind just as sadness is. It is just as any other emotion is. One
can choose to be happy or sad. Or excited or dejected. If so then do we have control
on how we feel? Can we be happy for no reason? Yes you definitely can! Happiness
is a choice and you only have to make it. You cannot let your circumstances define
your state of mind. You cannot attach your state of mind to materialistic pursuits.
You have to be the master of your feelings.
It is true that many events affect our state of mind. They change our moods and
induce a feeling of happiness or sadness. Every event affects a particular area of our

2. life. Hence it is possible that one, two or all areas of our lives may or may not be
working. We need to separate every area and examine each to assess their state.
Accordingly we can take action in that area so that it meets our expectations.
Human beings are multidimensional creatures. And in order to feel happy and
content we have to look at Four dimensions of our lives and check if they are
working. This is also the philosophy behind the happiness test psychology
ORIGIN:
In the Nicomachean Ethics, written in 350 BCE, Aristotle stated that happiness (also
being well and doing well) is the only thing that humans desire for its own sake,
unlike riches, honour, health or friendship. He observed that men sought riches, or
honour, or health not only for their own sake but also in order to be happy. Note
that eudaimonia, the term we translate as "happiness", is for Aristotle an activity
rather than an emotion or a state. Thus understood, the happy life is the good life,
that is, a life in which a person fulfills human nature in an excellent way.
Specifically, Aristotle argues that the good life is the life of excellent rational
activity. He arrives at this claim with the Function Argument. Basically, if it's right,
every living thing has a function, that which it uniquely does. For humans, Aristotle
contends, our function is to reason, since it is that alone that we uniquely do. And
performing one's function well, or excellently, is good. Thus, according to Aristotle,
the life of excellent rational activity is the happy life. Aristotle does not leave it at
that, however. He argues that there is a second best life for those incapable of
excellent rational activity. This second best life is the life of moral virtue.
Since the 1960s, happiness research has been conducted in a wide variety of
scientific disciplines, including gerontology, social psychology, clinical and medical
research and happiness economics.

3. SIGNIFICANCE:
We have been given the gift of life in order to be happy. Let us feel happy every
second of our lives, for who knows which second would be our last? Happiness is
not something that you should postpone for later. “I will be happy tomorrow”. Why
not today? Because we postpone happiness, we are never happy. Actually it is futile
to seek happiness from external sources, because it is something that is already
present in us — we just have to become aware of it and experience it from within.
We get obsessed with petty problems and expect others to make us happy. Once we
learn to transcend mundane challenges and cease to source happiness from other
people, we discover that all along, we had this treasure trove of happiness right
inside us. We just didn’t realise it earlier!
Then you will not only be a happy person; you will also be a transmitter of happiness
to all those around you. What you give is what you get — give suffering, get
suffering in return. Give happiness, and receive happiness in return. So begin today:
Make a conscious effort to boost your Happiness Quotient from within, and exude
happiness all around you. You will then see the world with new eyes. No one is free
from problems and challenges. But only you can decide whether you wish to be
happy or sad. So when you wake up in the morning, ask yourself: Do I want to be
happy, or sad, today? Your decision will set the tone for the day.
The Happiness Quotient (HQ) is a basic tool designed to help you understand how
you feel about where you are at across The Seven Elements of your life.
THE SEVEN ELEMENTS
The HQ is based on The Seven Elements Framework, which focuses on Life
Integration rather than work-life balance.
WHAT IS LIFE INTEGRATION?
Everything you do is part of your life. Even work.
Life Integration is about seeking balance across all areas of your life – recognising
that EVERYTHING is your life, and that everything you do is inextricably linked –

4. understanding that when one or two (or three or four…) elements are out of whack
it is going to have an impact on the other areas, and therefore the quality of your life.
It is about giving you permission to get clear on what a happy, healthy, abundant,
successful, loving life means for you and giving you permission to truly start living
that life today.

5. TYPES OF HAPPINESS:
People from all around the world value happiness. Many different cultures, great
leaders, and philosophers have been contemplating what happiness is for thousands
of years.
Positive psychology, by comparison, has only been studying it a short time. While
their approach is more evidenced-based, their theories still draw inspiration from
ancient, philosophical thinkers.
Happiness is highly subjective. Not everyone finds happiness in the same ways or
doing the same things.
Today, however, psychologists largely agree that there are two basic components of
happiness when they conduct research.
2 types of happiness in psychology:
Researchers classify happiness as either being hedonic and eudaimonic. These
schools of thought are largely attributed to the Greek philosophers Aristippus and
Aristotle, respectively.
1. Hedonic happiness is largely defined as increased pleasure and decreased
pain. It revolves around a person’s current feelings and emotional state.
Positive emotions include feelings of pleasure, joy, curiosity, pride, awe, and
excitement. Negative emotions include feelings of anger, shame, guilt, stress,
or sadness.
2. Eudaimonic happiness revolves around a person’s satisfaction with their life.
It is more reflective of their life experiences and actions. Irrespective of their
current state of emotions. Purpose and meaning in life, flourishing, growth,
and self-actualization are all concepts that are related to, or a part of,
eudaimonic happiness.

6. Another easy way to think about the two is like this. One is concerned with the short
term, transient feelings or emotions. It can be influenced by moods or daily
experiences.
The other is a reflection of how a person sees their life and longer term outcomes.
Their pursuits, actions, values, and the direction in life.
General Classification of Happiness:
Nature happiness: This is the kind of joy that can be derived from the creation, the
happiness we experience through our physical senses when we encounter God’s
creation. Mountains, rivers, lakes, trees, flowers, animals, seasons, weather, food,
etc., – all of them and much more can put smiles in our heart and on our face.
Social happiness: We find so much wonderful pleasure in our family and our
friends. Relationships of different kinds and degrees are so integral to a happy life.
Vocational happiness: Although our jobs can often frustrate us, we also experience
much job satisfaction and even exhilaration when things go well.
Physical happiness: The joy we have in being fit, strong, and healthy, able to do
what we want to do. It’s especially intense and special to those who have their health
and comfort restored after sickness or surgery.
Intellectual happiness: The pleasure that comes from understanding something –
analyzing it, explaining it, improving it, remembering it, using it. We master a
subject or solve a problem and enjoy a kind of mental ecstasy.
Humor happiness: God created humanity with a sense of humor – it’s not the result
of the fall. Sure, it’s often hard to separate humor from sin today because jokes and
funny stories are often so vulgar, crude, and demeaning of others. However, there is
still such a thing as holy and healthy humor.

7. HOW TO ENHANCE YOUR HAPPINESS QUOTIENT:
1. Be Grateful:
Write letters of gratitude to people who have helped you in your life. Past and
present. Maybe it was something small or something big…but write that letter.
Email or Text the gratitude note or letter. Its my guarantee, you will experience a
lasting and increased sense of happiness. But you won’t know till you try it!
2. Be Optimistic:
Everyday before you go to bed or while you meditate, visualize an ideal future for
yourself. For example-living with a loving and supportive partner or finding a job
that is fulfilling. You can visualize whatever you want and describe that vivid
image in a journal entry. After doing this for a few days: one- the universe will
start positively aligning things for you, two- you will have an increased feeling of
well being.
3. Count Your Blessings:
Practice writing down three great things that have happened to you over the week.
You might have met someone nice or might have bought something new. You
being alive and breathing is a blessing too. You living and experiencing this
wonderful life is a blessing too. Write it down and see the heightened state of
euphoria you feel after you do. You will start noticing blessings you didn’t even
know you already had!
4. You have strengths, Use them:
Take time to think about your strengths. You might be loving, giving, nurturing,
helping, a good friend, a good person, a good host/hostess, great at your job, great
with kids…the list is endless. Identify your strengths and then make use of these in
your daily life. Everyday will become a blessing you will want to write about in
your gratitude journal.
5. Commit acts of kindness:
Helping others also helps ourselves. Donate some time or money to charity. Better
still be kind, help and assist people in need. Watching another person smile
because of something you did, is the best feeling in the world! You will
miraculously feel your worries vanishing, only to be replaced by a heightened
soulful sense of happiness.

8. METRICS:
 Happiness Indexing:
Happiness Quotient =
𝐴𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
𝐸𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
=
𝐺𝑒𝑡
𝑊𝑎𝑛𝑡

9. Pros & Cons:
A few of the advantages that happier people have are:
 live longer on an average, up to 10 years more.
 make better and faster decisions.
 have stronger immune systems, and endure pain better.
 are more satisfied with their jobs, are more productive, and earn more.
 have less depression and suicide, greater self-control and coping skills.
 marriages are more likely to succeed when couples experience 5:1 positive ratio.
Some other benefits of being happy are:
 earn more, get rich more
 are more successful
 are more popular, more loved
 have better relationships
 have more friends, bigger social circle
 have more pleasant and satisfying marriages
 have better physical health
 are mentally stronger, yet calmer
 are kinder and help others more
 are better and more regarded leaders
Cons:

10. World Happiness Index 2018
The World Happiness Report is a landmark survey of the state of global happiness.
The World Happiness Report 2018, ranks 156 countries by their happiness levels,
and 117 countries by the happiness of their immigrants.
The overall rankings of country happiness are based on the pooled results from
Gallup World Poll surveys from 2015-2017, and show both change and stability.
There is a new top ranking country, Finland, but the top ten positions are held by the
same countries as in the last two years, although with some swapping of places. Four
different countries have held top spot in the four most recent reports- Denmark,
Switzerland, Norway and now Finland.
All the top countries tend to have high values for all six of the key variables that
have been found to support well-being: income, healthy life expectancy, social
support, freedom, trust and generosity. Among the top countries, differences are
small enough that that year-to-year changes in the rankings are to be expected.
10 Happiest Countries: Finland (1st), Norway (2nd), Denmark (3rd), Iceland (4th),
Switzerland (5th), Netherlands (6th), Canada (7th), New Zealand (8th
), Sweden (9th)
and Australia (10th). United States was ranked 18th down from 14th place last year.
Britain was 19th and United Arab Emirates at 20th. In 2018 rankings, top-10, as ever
dominated by Nordic countries.
The entire top ten were wealthier developed nations. But the report mentioned that
money is not the only ingredient in the recipe for happiness. The entire top ten were
wealthier developed nations. But the report mentioned that money is not the only
ingredient in the recipe for happiness.
India’s ranking: The world’s largest democracy’s rank fell to 133rd position from
122nd last year. India was behind majority of South Asian Association for Regional
Cooperation (SAARC) nations apart from war-ravaged Afghanistan, which was
ranked 145th. Pakistan (ranked 75th) and China (86th
) were well ahead of India in
happiness index despite being not the most democratic or free country.

11. PROPOSALS:
Here are 10 steps you can take to increase your Happiness Quotient and bring
more happiness into your life :
1. Be with others who make you smile.
2. Hold on to your values.
3. Accept the good.
4. Imagine the best.
5. Do things you love.
6. Find purpose.
7. Listen to your heart.
8. Push yourself, not others.
9. Keep a gratitude journal
10.Do something that stirs your creative juices, without letting the inner
critic stop you from enjoying the process.
11.Write down 10 things that bring you joy.
12.Spend time in nature every week.
13.Practice Self-Compassion by doing this loving-kindness meditation:
Find a quiet place to sit or lay down in a comfortable position.

12. REFERENCE:
Article: Happiness India Project by- Richard J. Davidson
Blog: Curious Book Fans by Anjana Basu
Article : The Happiness Hunter by – Happiness hunter pvt. Ltd.
Journal : Holistic Psychomatic Assessment of Happiness by- Dr.Jyothi D. Vora
Blog.workhealthlife.com/2013/04/think-positive-and-reduce-stress
https://www.pursuit-of-happiness.org/history-of-happiness/
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/12/30/CM03TJBT0.DTL
blog: speakingtree.in
Article: Gross National Happiness by- Christopher Peterson Ph.D
Article: positive provocations by - Zeenat