Supply and Demand Curve of the Happiness Market

Anyone willing to be considered its full-fledged member simply MUST be successful and happy. It is no longer enough to “have not less and not worse than others”, humanity feels the burden of the usual trend of developments; for people have to successfully compete within the society.

“Happiness is a journey, not a destination. For a long time it seemed to me that life was about to begin—real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life. This perspective has helped me to see there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. So treasure every moment you have and remember that time waits for no one.”

Alfred D. Souza, writer, Philosopher

Ignorantialegis non excusat – ignorance of the law is no excuse. One of the major lows of the Universe states that whatever there is inside will transform to the outside of any person regardless of him or her knowing about that or not.

Consuming society turns a human being into the bio-creature for processing of increasing in quantity and quality products and services, which norms’ boundaries have long been exceeded. Though the more emphatically this society chases the success, the more unattainable it becomes: modern economy is constructed on the everlasting “increase of needs” concept. “Success and happiness in our times turned into the duty”, as have correctly stated French writer Pascal Bruckner. Modern inhabitant should be successful in love and family life, should reach success in business and career, should be at the height of social and private lives, should achieve physical and spiritual Parnassus and should always have complete moral satisfaction.

May be it is time to stop should-ing ourselves?

Universal demand for happiness is already shaped, which inevitably attracts those capable of its provision. Practically everyone on this planet dreams about happiness. Aristotle with his causes and definitions of happiness believing in the life of virtue is controversial to the modern meaning of happiness inseparably linked with “feeling good” regardless of the way of life.

Positive emotions such as joy and agreement are exceptionally important for a human being, not only because they provide comfort and satisfaction, but also because they are capable of busting progress, for they stimulate thought and behavior and broaden individuals’ sphere of interest. Joy, for example, causes intellectual and social interest, which undoubtedly promotes the increase of the social connections network and strengthens already available relationship. It also positively influences individual’s creativeness. It is necessary to note, that positive emotions usually blossom under the total security, comfort and acceptance conditions.

Modern world creates a dilemma: society in general guarantees all necessary conditions for positive emotions development, industries provide relative security and feeling of satiety, people are surrounded by comfort of better housing, transportation, and entertainment industry, and average lifespan has more than doubled over the last century. Regardless of all the above, modern developed countries are characterized by increased level of physiological maladies, such as depression.

Therefore, it is obvious that the increase of the well-being level is not at all the factor guaranteeing happiness: sooner or later most people start to take material prosperity for granted. It is interesting phenomenon that people tend to demonstrate distinguished psychological asymmetry: negative experience causes stronger feeling of unhappiness than the positive experience of the same intensity – feeling of happiness. In other words, a person feels unhappier while losing $100, than he or she would feel happier while finding $100.

Such disparity is easily explained by the fact, that negative self-sensation might be the evidence of danger, which should be immediately fought against, while positive sensations and well-being tend to relax, reduce attention and consequently lead to the negative impact on individuals’ adaptation capability. Material well-being and individual security, therefore, are factors, to which people adapt quickest and positive emotions connected to these factors are short-term and come to naught very soon.

Does it mean a human being is not capable by a nature to be happy? Such conclusion would, of course, be erroneous. Supposedly, the issue is that modern world offers some “happiness factors”, which fall short of humanity’s previous experience, which for thousands of year was based on socialization and affiliation with the relatives. Regardless of drastic changes in living conditions, modern people experiences physical need (sometimes even unconsciously) in socializing with family, relatives and close friends, the lack of which makes a human being unhappy even though his or her material well-being crosses all possible borders. The lack of such relationship also deprives people from the possibility to see themselves from outside, for it is any relationship’s major purpose. It is as natural as breathing: if you don’t like somebody or something, look for the reason inside, not outside.

Unfortunately, most people lost the access to their inner, constantly fooling themselves by trying to muffle the internal futility with the easily accessible pleasures. Yet, the only way to happiness is one’s union with his or her self, which takes us back to the unshakable and constantly functioning law of Universe, which I have started this article with and which, in my honest opinion, is the most important one.

It is the Law of Attraction.

The happy person’s vibrations create the certain “field” around, drawing joyful and positive situations, likewise unhappy person experiences more “problems” in life. I have placed the word “problem” into brackets with an ulterior motive. For vast majority of people like to use this word when something in their lives goes not in the way they would expect.

Well, here is the good news for everyone willing to listen and hear: there are NO problems. The situations can be pleasant or useful. Pleasant – when a person experiences no internal fight and useful – when there is some sort of objection from inside and against anything in the form of disturbing thought or emotion. I, personally, greet those useful situations as they undoubtedly show where to stop and what to think over to find out which of the other Laws of Universe are being broken by my though and emotion and consequent behavior.

Most of you heard the expression: “One can easily achieve anything if there is the real desire present”, which “easiness” I do not agree with. There might be a strong wish to be happy, but internal blocks and obstacles, which are dwelling and growing in any human subconscious from his or her birth and determine their thoughts, emotional reactions and behavior. Even those willing to change, cannot do that; they simply do not know how.

The great news, though, is that there are certain techniques, which allow not only overcome these obstacles, but even make them vanish forever with the help of a faithful friend and servant which is individual’s inner, subconscious.

Something is not bad, it just upsets YOU and something is not good, it just pleases YOU. The way a human being accept the external, depends on his or her internal. Happiness comes from inside, when the major law of the Universe is obeyed.