Our "Happiness Element"

The detection of this idea of a “happiness element” (innate core yearning) is one of the precious gifts given to me by Life. To discover that we differ in what makes us happy was a marvelous relief. To know that what satisfies my desires can be (quite naturally) entirely different from others enabled my strengthening my own sense of self worth. When visiting with a prospective employee, passing a stranger walking her dog, a man in a burger shop, a concierge in a building, or even chatting with someone on the telephone, I sense, acutely, the presence or absence of the light of contentment in their eyes or voice. This business of living in harmony, or in conflict with, our yearnings is really that easy to detect. I am not the first, nor, most assuredly, will I be the last to say, “Life is just too short to waste it in even a moment of unhappiness.” but I certainly add my voice to the supporting chorus of “Amen”s.

Thus, I want to offer one of Aristotle’s perspectives on humankind that identifies what makes us happy. Then, later, (as you become more confident in the worth of YOU, and your own individual core desires) you will be comfortable in communicating your core yearnings to your “significant others.”

While our happiness is something often thought of as a petty or inessential consideration, we have only to look as far as the automobile sales advertisements to see that the marketers of these costly commodities have other ideas. Enormous amounts of monies, thought, effort, and energy are spent on addressing this matter of “what it takes to make us happy.” The variety of types, styles, configurations, colors, sizes; (etc., etc.) seems limitless. It is obvious, to even the most casual observer, that our happiness is a matter of great consequence to industry, be it home, clothing, reading, entertainment, transportation, or food, your happiness is a well recognized matter worthy of great consideration. Yet it is far too seldom that we consider the satisfaction of (or even recognition of) our innate palate for happiness.

Our friend, the late Mr. Aristotle, concluded that, of the four basic temperament types, “The mass of mankind” (approximately 76%) finds happiness in either the “acquisition of assets” (38%) or in “sensual pleasure” (38%). The remaining minority (24%) finds happiness in the exercise of “moral virtue”(12%) or in a life of “logical investigation” (12%.) Of each of these four major groups there are four distinct variations that we need not address here. What is, most assuredly, germane here is the decided fact that we are a composition of defined elements… all worthy. Now set in stone the unmitigated fact that your happiness and the wellspring that provides that happiness for you are aspects of the whole of you that you have the responsibility for caring for.

On the side-bar (to your right) you will see a link to the best tool that I know of for your initial discovery of your own “happiness element.” Simply click on “Keirsey Temperament Sorter II” and enjoy a quick quiz.

Remember… Guardian (acquisition of assets); Artisan (sensual pleasure); Idealist (moral virtue); and Rational (logical investigation) are the core relationships that we all share with our innate “yearnings.” Happy discovering!
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“Now, the end of our desires [yearnings] is God; the act whereby we are joined to Him is basically and substantially our happiness.

But we are primarily united with God by an act of understanding; and therefore, the very seeing of God, which is an act of the intellect, is substantially and basically our happiness.”

St. Thomas Aquinas
(C.1254 AD)

IMAGE Through the gracious courtesy of Jon Sullivan, PDPhoto.org