Happiness

Happiness, contentment or satisfaction refer to that state of a human being that, according to Ludwig von Mises, "does not and cannot result in any action." All human action is a striving for happiness, although complete happiness is never attained. Satisfaction can be mediate, derived from the product of labor; or immediate, derived from the process of leisure. Something that produces happiness is said to have utility.

The purpose of temporary unhappiness seems to be the maximization of long-term happiness. Discontentment with unsatisfactory circumstances or the prospect thereof spurs people to corrective action. Research suggests that "people who don’t experience much sadness or anxiety are rarely dissatisfied with their jobs and therefore feel less pressure to get more education or change careers" and that feeling good makes people more selfish and worse at defending their opinions. Happy people seem to be more gullible and prone to stereotypic thinking as well. The happiest people may also be less creative than those who describe themselves as just "happy enough." This is disputed by Happiness 1st, which argues that happiness has positive impacts on health, well-being, relationships, emotional intelligence, creativity, cognitive ability, decision-making, substance abuse, crime, teen pregnancy, immune system function, depression, problem-solving, and resilience in the face of crisis. It does not seem to be an unreasonable hypothesis that, unhappiness being such a widespread phenomenon, it may have served an adaptive purpose that was selected for.

Engaging in meaningful activity can produce a sense of well-being. People are happier when busy but have an instinct for idleness.