Elements of happiness: I disagree with Jung

It is a difficult job to find real elements of happiness. Those vary from person to person. Some people, for example, give importance to sex too much. Some prefer to live alone

Curl Jung has given the famous five elements of happiness.

These five elements that are:

  1. Good physical and mental health.
  2. Good personal and intimate relationships, such as those of marriage, the family, and friendships.
  3. The faculty for perceiving beauty in art and nature.
  4. Reasonable standards of living and satisfactory work.
  5. A philosophic or religious point of view capable of coping successfully with the vicissitudes of life

Some other prominent scholars like author John Stuart Mill does not agree with Jung, He finds these elements are incomplete and some are wrong.

I also think the five elements are backdated. Even the presence of all elements cannot make you happy

I don’t think good health alone can make a person happy. Good health does not necessarily mean that people are capable of doing pleasant things. A healthy person can be unable to perform good sex.

On the other hand, people with chronic diseases can be relatively happy. I have seen many diabetic patients are living a happy life. They are wealthy and have a good family life.

I also disagree that the simple standards of life can make people happy. People are not unhappy because of the things they have. People are unhappy because other people have more than that.

It is always about comparing with others. When other people have more social prestige because of a very good job, good life, and belongings, then we cannot be happy.

It is always about comparing and competition that influences our life. Even excellent job and economy are not enough.

Jung gives importance to abstract feelings and virtues and relates them to happiness. I am not sure if those feelings can bring happiness. Most of the happy people do not have those values. To be happy one has to possess both material and abstract belongings.

In later stage Jung made some reservations and argues that under certain circumstances presence of all factors cannot guarantee happiness. He adds “No matter how ideal your situation may be, it does not necessarily guarantee happiness.”

His arguments “The more you deliberately seek happiness the more sure you are not to find it.” Lacks validity. Happiness is a choice, it demands motivation to seek things that make people happier.

Happiness is not a choice but if you are motivated to be happy, you can be happier.

The quality of live need to be improved in order to be happy.

Obaidul Karim Khan

Own a small Danish company. A market researcher by profession, write with passion, help people as a volunteer. I am the founder and writer of this blog Contact email: info@be-happy.info

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