Wrestling with the Word "Happiness"

Most people of the modern world take no issue with the word "happiness." Their associations are largely positive. Accordingly most people want to be happy, appear happy, and share their happy experience with their peers.

But then there are those whose emotions become stirred up almost automatically when confronted with the word, as if it was a red flag only they can see and against which the rest of us must be warned. Negative connotations of happiness are manifold, such as it being a chase, an empty, impossible dream, a sign of decadence and of a spiritual void.

Ironically, I agree with most of the warning labels that this group intents to attach to the word "happiness." I concur that many chase their own tails. I agree that many have unrealistic expectations about positive emotions, expectations manufactured by big business, enhancing greediness for pleasure, comfort, and security. And yet.

I wrote a book on happiness. I have claimed the word "happiness" for a higher purpose. I have made the word my own, or better, made it that which most thinkers intended it to be. After analyzing hundreds of explications about happiness, I have come to understand that "happiness" more often than not stands for the experience of being alive. And who in his right mind does not want that?

Fighting happiness as a worthy goal and/or path is mostly based on a semantic problem, a problem I hope to help overcome.