To be or not to be..... HAPPY?

What is happiness?  Is it defined by a specific set of variables that are dictated by our assumptions of a level of bliss enriched by a sense of fulfillment?  Is happiness a flexible concept that differs based on the attainment of a set of expectations?  If so, then how are expectations commissioned and governed to fruition? 

  

  Are you pursuing your own happiness, or rather trying to find happiness in the ‘handbook’ of societal norms?

 A longitudinal study provides a remarkable analysis of the human condition and how it evolves over time.  From early childhood through adolescence, people are subjected to conditions which ultimately define the psychological factors that determine their interpretation of “successful living (Bock, as cited by Shenk, 2009).”  The impact of generational expectations, their failures and accomplishments in conjunction with identity factors contribute to the formulation of perception.  Family functioning, spirituality, consistency, sense of acceptance, abuse, and disruption correlate with coping mechanisms which enable successful adaptation to life’s challenges.  The ability to adapt over a lifespan, and modify expectations accordingly, will ultimately determine the ability to grasp the feeling of success.

Research confirms that happiness is directly related to social expectations.  The value of happiness based on these findings is dependent and evaluated by the individual relative to the happiness of others. For example, the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (Murillo & Martinek, 2010) cited a study relating happiness to wealth.  Their findings revealed the following:

One of the most accepted explanations for this apparent puzzle is that individuals' happiness is not determined by their absolute level of income but by how their income compares with the income of others. According to this explanation, societies fail to get happier with economic progress because as economic conditions advance and average incomes rise, the reference standard that individuals use to judge their situation relative to others also rises.

SOURCE: General Social Survey data available at http://www.norc.org/GSS+Website. Real income per capita based on authors' calculation using data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Census Bureau (as cited by H-Murillo & Martinek, 2010)

Valliant determined that adaptation is essential to overcome the burden of social expectations of ‘well-being’.  Deviance from social norms is often associated with a failure to meet social expectations which implies that the individual has failed to find happiness.  Anna Freud formalized this concept by looking at adaptations as “defense mechanism” which either “shape or distort...a person’s reality (Shenk, 2009).”  Feelings and emotions which stem from our perception of reality can either be healthy or unhealthy for the fulfillment of happiness, depending on how they are psychologically managed.  If our perception of happiness is defined by high social expectations, then the less likely we are to achieve and sustain happiness as the struggle is all the more difficult.  The fulfillment of happiness is therefore contingent on the ability to adapt to life changes and modify expectations based on individual needs and healthy defense mechanisms to social critique.

 The ability to manage our defenses is determined by the socialization process experienced in childhood and the coping strategies that result.  Valliant (as cited by Shenk, 2009) asserts that the inability to adapt, or manage these defenses, is often attributed to mental illness.  However, he also suggests that what may be described as mental illness, in reality and perspective to the person experiencing these unhealthy adaptations, are really a means to cope when confronted with the demise of our expectations.  Shenk (2009) notes that “According to Dr. Valliant’s model of adaptations, the very way we deal with reality is by distorting it – and we do this unconsciously.”  Furthermore, he identifies distortions as a means of protection which may be experienced in times of distress. Distorting reality as a means to achieve happiness if viewed as a coping mechanism therefore questions the validity of social deviance as a form of ‘mental illness.’ Mental illness as a result of social distress thus interrogates the appropriateness of social expectations as a variable of the attainment of happiness.

Happiness is intricately related to expectations, which are set by the individual but are also influenced by social constructs.  While the propagation of the human condition begins at childhood, it is nurtured through adolescence and further defined by the management of defense mechanisms in adulthood based on our interactions.  Low or unclear expectations of success by society favor a progression towards individual happiness as a state of well-being as they are not constrained to a specific set of social ‘set points’ for happiness attainment.  Here it is important to consider the socialization process as it relates to identity development.  Generational, cultural, and social values and beliefs as they are transmitted define the framework of successful functioning which impacts the individual’s development of expectations.    

Realigning expectations with personal goals in opposition to social ideals precipitates vitality, thus securing the actualization of happiness.

References:

Shenk, W. (2009, June).  “What Makes Us Happy?”  The Atlantic.  Retrieved January 13, 2010                           from http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/print/200906/happiness

Hernández-Murillo, R. & Martinek, C. (2010, January) The dismal science tackles happiness data. The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis: The Regional Economist.  Retrieved from stlouisfed.org/publications/re/articles/?id=1860