# what is happiness, and what causes it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 15, 2002, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-happiness-and-what-causes-it/128547 "2002-09-15T14:50:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Calculus\_of\_Logic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@The\_Calculus\_of\_Logic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Calculus_of_Logic)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2002, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-happiness-and-what-causes-it/128547/1 "2002-09-15T14:50:38Z")
i don’t know myself. i know i’m supposed to write a 100 line essay on my POV, but i am too tired to do so right now. GIve your opinions on why it happens (its genetic, its life experience, its outlook), what it is, and how it works. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2002, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-happiness-and-what-causes-it/128547/2 "2002-09-15T17:07:54Z")
I was a philo / econ major in school. Never much for memorizing quotes, as they could never really substitute for context. But one or two have stood out, and when you come to appreciate the work as a whole they make much more sense and can have a very powerful impact on your outlook. Since there is a bit of a taboo on giving too much homework help here, I’ll just give you the quote and the source. On its own it is a beautiful sentiment, learning what it means is a worthwhile journey. > [@](#): > > _From Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics:_ > Happiness is the activity of the soul in accordance with virtue ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2002, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-happiness-and-what-causes-it/128547/3 "2002-09-15T20:25:17Z")
Happiness is telling some newby to do his own homework! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2002, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-happiness-and-what-causes-it/128547/4 "2002-09-15T20:30:39Z")
It is an emotion. It is caused by neurons firing in a particular region of the brain. I have no idea where you are going to get the other 98 lines for your essay. ---
**Author:** ![Father\_of\_Loki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/13edae/32.png) [@Father\_of\_Loki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Father_of_Loki)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2002, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-happiness-and-what-causes-it/128547/5 "2002-09-15T21:06:01Z")
A couple of comments from a book I have called The Happiness Purpose. The book is written around a philosophy that “happiness is regarded as the legitimate purpose of man’s existence. Happiness is regarded as the proper functioning of the system we call man.”: "Types of Happiness Happiness is quite properly a vague and general word that needs no tight definition since such a definition would add nothing to the understanding of its meaning. If a person feels that he is happy, then he is happy. We can, however, look at some of the alternative types of happiness or the ingredients that from time to time are believed to contribute to happiness. Pleasure Excitement Enthusiasm Joy Interest Relief Peace" Each point is flushed out further in its own paragraph. There is some overlap, but each point does have its own unique characteristics. FoL ---
**Author:** ![bluecanary](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bluecanary/32/3614_2.png) [@bluecanary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bluecanary)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2002, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-happiness-and-what-causes-it/128547/6 "2002-09-15T23:26:17Z")
What subject are you doing? ---
**Author:** ![Atreyu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Atreyu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atreyu)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2002, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-happiness-and-what-causes-it/128547/7 "2002-09-15T23:51:13Z")
_What is Happiness?_ It is the opposite of sadness. _What Causes Happiness?_. Chocolate. Lots of it. ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2002, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-happiness-and-what-causes-it/128547/8 "2002-09-16T00:02:50Z")
Here ya go: 🙂 And here is the opposite: ☹ ---
**Author:** ![samarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4da419/32.png) [@samarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samarm)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2002, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-happiness-and-what-causes-it/128547/9 "2002-09-16T00:13:44Z")
This thread made me think of a scene from **The Simpsons** : Homer receives the telephone bill. Homer: Burkina Faso? Disputed Zone? Who called all these weird places? Brain: Quiet, it might be you! I can’t remember. Homer: Naw, I’m going to ask Marge. Brain: No, no! Why embarrass us both? Just write a check and I’ll release some more endorphins. ``` [Homer scribbles a check, then sighs with pleasure] ``` 😛 ---
**Author:** ![FisherQueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@FisherQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FisherQueen)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2002, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-happiness-and-what-causes-it/128547/10 "2002-09-16T01:09:34Z")
I’ll tell you what happiness is if you’ll give me the name and e-mail address of your teacher… ---
**Author:** ![The\_Calculus\_of\_Logic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@The\_Calculus\_of\_Logic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Calculus_of_Logic)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2002, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-happiness-and-what-causes-it/128547/11 "2002-09-16T03:19:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Qadgop the Mercotan \* > \*\*Happiness is telling some newby to do his own homework! 😃 \*\* :wally ---
**Author:** ![The\_Calculus\_of\_Logic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@The\_Calculus\_of\_Logic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Calculus_of_Logic)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2002, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-happiness-and-what-causes-it/128547/12 "2002-09-16T03:21:42Z")
i’m not writing an essay for school. When you make a post, usually you fully explain your opinions, but i wasn’t in the mood. Why doesn’t anyone mention baselines, negative feedback or identical twin studies? [http://www.epicurus.net/stossel.html](http://www.epicurus.net/stossel.html) something like that is good. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2002, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-happiness-and-what-causes-it/128547/13 "2002-09-20T00:40:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Calculus of Logic \* > \*\*i’m not writing an essay for school. When you make a post, usually you fully explain your opinions, but i wasn’t in the mood. Mood is a thing for cattle, or loveplay. It has no role here in Great Debates. Take your mood, or lack of it to MPSIMS or IMHO. > [@](#): > > Why doesn’t anyone mention baselines, negative feedback or identical twin studies? > > [http://www.epicurus.net/stossel.html](http://www.epicurus.net/stossel.html) > > something like that is good. \*\* because it’s mostly pop science, and hardly a quotable source for GD hardcores. BTW, one should also be wary of using the “putz” smiley in a way that will engender disdain or contempt from veteran posters towards whom you look for your answers. QtM, MD ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2002, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-happiness-and-what-causes-it/128547/14 "2002-09-20T07:46:26Z")
I’m not so sure there is such a thing as ‘happiness’ in itself. I tend to think that it is the absence of UNhappiness that creates the condition of happiness. I am happy when I am not unhappy. Unless you are talking about sheer joyousness or something, which is a few notches up from happiness IMHO. THEN you might be able to ask what sorts of mechanisms etc are responsible for such a state. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2002, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-happiness-and-what-causes-it/128547/15 "2002-09-21T17:49:36Z")
Charlie Brown already answered this question decades ago: _Happiness Is a Warm Puppy._ (But seriously, folks, my money’s on good old-fashioned brain chemistry. Mmmmm, brain chemistry.) ---
**Author:** ![cainxinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2002, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-happiness-and-what-causes-it/128547/16 "2002-09-22T03:19:42Z")
[white album]Happiness is a Warm Gun[/white album] ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2002, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-happiness-and-what-causes-it/128547/17 "2002-09-22T17:16:03Z")
[The Greatest American Hero] Happiness is a warm pistolA [/The Greatest American Hero] ---
**Author:** ![Coilean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f6c823/32.png) [@Coilean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coilean)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2002, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-happiness-and-what-causes-it/128547/18 "2002-09-22T22:22:46Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Qadgop the Mercotan \* > \*\* > Mood is a thing for cattle, or loveplay. It has no role here in Great Debates._\* In a debate about happiness and emotion, mood’s gonna come up. \<–bad joke. As for happiness being good ol’ brain chemistry, hmmm, dunno. Sure, there’s neuronal stuff going on but my thinking is that you’d be screweded if you had to rely on that alone. There needs to be a bit of cognition involved to interpret the firing and it’s conjunction of the two that lead to an affective state (that’s for most affective states, happiness may be an exeption). How long till we’re in the homework free zone? (I don’t buy **COL** ’s follow-up) ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2002, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-happiness-and-what-causes-it/128547/19 "2002-09-25T04:40:12Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by kambuckta \* > \*\* I am happy when I am not unhappy._\* But can you be happy, if you’ve never been unhappy? How do you know what happiness is if you don’t have something to judge it against? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2002, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-happiness-and-what-causes-it/128547/20 "2002-09-25T11:39:45Z")
Once we know what causes happiness we’re halfway to a cure!