Why the “Pursuit of Happiness” Is a Bad Idea
Dr. Laurie Santos explores the historical meaning of "the pursuit of happiness" from the Declaration of Independence with historian Darrin McMahon and psychologist Iris Mauss. They discuss how intensely striving for happiness can backfire and why focusing on eudaimonic happiness and the public good is a more effective path to well-being.
Deep Dive Analysis
12 Topic Outline
Introduction to Independence Hall and "Pursuit of Happiness"
Historical Evolution of Happiness as a Concept
Enlightenment Shifts Redefining Happiness
The 18th-Century Meaning of "Pursuit"
Jefferson's Intent: Right to Pursue, Not Obtain Happiness
Alexis de Tocqueville's Observations on American Happiness
The Paradox of Happiness: Striving Makes Us Less Happy
Goal Pursuit Steps and Happiness Pitfalls
Cultural Context of Happiness Pursuit
Strategies for More Effective Happiness Pursuit
Embracing Eudaimonic Happiness and Public Good
Tocqueville's Hope for "Self-Interest Rightly Understood"
9 Key Concepts
Paradox of Happiness
This phenomenon describes how intensely striving to be happy can paradoxically lead to less happiness. It often arises from a sense of obligation to be happy and the self-defeating nature of constantly evaluating one's emotional state against high expectations.
Affect Regulation
This refers to the process by which people manage their emotional states to align with their goals. It can become problematic if it involves actively suppressing feelings, which can hinder social connection.
Monitoring (Goal Pursuit)
This is a step in goal pursuit where individuals check their progress towards a goal. When applied to happiness, frequent monitoring during positive events can pull a person out of the present moment, making them less happy.
Response Phase (Goal Pursuit)
This is the final step in goal pursuit where individuals react to being off-track from their goal. When pursuing happiness, this phase often involves negative meta-emotions like judgment and disappointment about one's feelings.
Meta-emotions
These are emotions or feelings that individuals have about their own feelings, such as judgment, shame, disappointment, or frustration. They play a significant role in the paradox of happiness, especially when people feel they are not meeting happiness expectations.
Hedonic Happiness
This type of happiness is primarily focused on feeling good, experiencing pleasure, and avoiding pain. It is often subject to hedonic adaptation, meaning the positive feelings tend to return to a baseline over time.
Eudaimonic Happiness
This type of happiness is centered on leading a good, virtuous, and value-driven life, often involving the public good and pro-social actions. It tends to be more lasting and sustainable than purely hedonic pursuits and is less subject to hedonic adaptation.
Hedonic Adaptation
This is the tendency for positive feelings and pleasure to return to a baseline level after a positive event or experience. It means that the boost in happiness from hedonic pursuits is often temporary.
Self-interest Rightly Understood
A concept by Alexis de Tocqueville describing the ability of individuals to sacrifice some private interests to save the rest. It implies an enlightened regard for oneself that prompts assistance to others and the state, recognizing that doing good ultimately benefits oneself.
7 Questions Answered
For the forefathers, "pursuit" was an adversarial hunt, and "happiness" encompassed both personal pleasure and living virtuously for the public good, requiring hard work and discipline rather than guaranteed attainment.
Intensely striving for happiness can be self-defeating because it often leads to a sense of obligation, constant evaluation against high expectations, and negative meta-emotions when falling short.
Suppressing emotions, even negative ones, can be harmful to happiness because it disconnects individuals from other people, thereby cutting off a main pathway to social connection and well-being.
Not always; while monitoring happiness too frequently during positive events can pull you out of the moment and make you less happy, systematic reflection after events can provide valuable clues about what makes you happy.
Hedonic happiness is about feeling good and experiencing pleasure, while eudaimonic happiness is about leading a good, virtuous, and value-driven life, often through pro-social actions and contributing to the public good.
Eudaimonic happiness tends to stick around longer and is less subject to hedonic adaptation, and people often have more realistic expectations for purposeful activities, leading to fewer negative meta-emotions.
Tocqueville observed a "strange melancholy" among Americans, noting their ceaseless, restless pursuit of happiness often led to fatigue and an inability to be satisfied, as they focused too much on personal pleasure and lost sight of the public good.
7 Actionable Insights
1. Pursue Eudaimonic Happiness
Focus on leading a good, virtuous, and value-driven life that prioritizes the public good and other people’s happiness, rather than solely chasing personal pleasure. This approach leads to more lasting and sustainable happiness and often coincides with feeling good.
2. Prioritize Positive Activities
Intentionally engage in activities that naturally bring positive emotions, rather than just suppressing negative ones. This involves structuring your days to make it more likely that positive things will happen, allowing you to live your life more fully.
3. Practice Radical Acceptance
Non-judgmentally accept your current emotional state and situation, rather than judging yourself for not feeling the way you want to feel. This emotional acceptance is a core ingredient for greater happiness.
4. Monitor Happiness Reflectively
Instead of constantly asking “Am I happy yet?” during positive events, check in after an event has ended with questions like “What went well today?” or “What did I enjoy?”. This allows for valuable reflection without pulling you out of the present moment.
5. Avoid Emotion Suppression
Do not simply hide or suppress negative emotions, as this can disconnect you from other people and cut off a main pathway to happiness, which is social connection.
6. Don’t Over-Monitor Happiness
Avoid constantly checking in on your happiness during positive events, as this can pull you out of the present moment and make you less happy.
7. Recognize Happiness as Hard Work
Understand that happiness is not guaranteed or simply obtained; it requires discipline, moral craft, and cultivation through a life well-lived, both individually and socially.
7 Key Quotes
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and wait for it, the pursuit of happiness.
Thomas Jefferson (via Dr. Laurie Santos)
The pursuit of happiness is in fact a very bad idea. You heard me right. The pursuit of happiness, not a good idea. Or at the very least, something that can go very wrong if we're not careful.
Dr. Laurie Santos
Happiness is a life lived accordance with virtue and that we can control in some ways our ultimate fate.
Aristotle (via Darren McMahon)
Happiness is the aim of life, but virtue is the foundation of happiness.
Thomas Jefferson (via Darren McMahon)
There is something astonishing in the spectacle of so many lucky men restless in the midst of abundance.
Alexis de Tocqueville (via Dr. Laurie Santos)
Ask yourself whether you're happy and you cease to be so.
Dr. Laurie Santos
You don't have to choose between one or the other.
Iris Mauss