Admit it.

You love a good old hug.

I know you do, because we all do.

Even though the instruction to ‘give your aunt a hug’ is the most terrifying words a child can hear, we seem to grow to appreciate a hug in a wide spectrum of situations.

As a point of discussion regarding human flourishing, however, it’s rarely a topic that comes to mind.

Hugging must be on everyone’s subconscious list as one of the top five most ‘soft’ topics or activities in the world.

Little do people know the physiological basis for why we love the experience of hugging, or the concrete health and psychological benefits of hugging for both the giver and receiver.

In this article I aim to explore the act of hugging, the impact hugging has on your happiness and how to maximise hugging to elicit optimal well-being. We’ll look, in depth, at the science of hugs.  [Read more…]

Oh, wouldn’t it be great: a single gene responsible for all of human happiness.

Unfortunately, as you may expect, it’s not that simple.

But it does make you wonder; if we found a large group of people who were all remarkably happy, would they be in possession of unique genes, that others aren’t?

Is happiness genetic?

The notion of happiness being genetic calls upon many angles of critical thinking, from psychological understanding to scientific research as well as philosophical concepts.

In this article I will thoroughly explore the topic of genes and the happiness of humans.

Are there any genes that have been found to correlate with happiness?

If there are, who has them?

Are there any known markers that make people predisposed to happiness, genetically?  [Read more…]

There are many avenues one could take on the journey to happiness.

Is there an ultimate path? One that fits all?

Ofcourse not.

The question is, which one feels right to you?

We must live with some principal, some integrity.

I agree that over-analyzing can be harmful and paralysing.

But since when has it been okay to be naive and ignorant?

Why has the behaviour of acceptance and conformity been celebrated?  [Read more…]

It’s one of the worst words in the dictionary to define.

The reason is understandable; it refers to an internal human experience, all of which to some extent are subjective.

It may be preferential, therefore, to use the word ‘happiness’ as an umbrella term. In doing so we can use it as a reference point, rather than a simple noun.

We could agree that to be happy is essentially to feel ‘well’; that is, the sense of living through a ‘good’ experience, or a ‘good’ life.

So, what constitutes a feeling of ‘wellness’? There are four key elements I suggest are not only essentially but primary in a life that can be described as happy.

 

1. Exhilaration

Let’s get the obvious out the way: The smiling face. There’s no doubt that laughter, liveliness, passion, zest and ecstasy are all feelings associated with happiness.

However, it’s vitally important to know this is the very tip of the iceberg. Experiences like this are wonderful but they are not all we are capable of knowing.

[Read more…]