Happiness, which has many different definitions in the psychology literature, is defined as "the individual experiencing emotions such as joy, joy, hope and trust more frequently and being satisfied with life in general". Stating that happiness is directly related to physical and mental health, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tayfun Doğan underlined that happy people do not harm others and have low levels of aggression.
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Every year since 2012, March 20 has been celebrated as "World Happiness Day". Üsküdar University Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Head of Psychology Department Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tayfun Doğan made important evaluations about "happiness".
"Happiness is living life in a meaningful and enjoyable way"
"There are different definitions of happiness in the psychology literature. According to one of these definitions, happiness is when an individual experiences positive emotions more frequently, experiences negative emotions less frequently, and is generally satisfied with his/her life," said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tayfun Doğan,
"If an individual experiences emotions such as joy, cheerfulness, hope, enthusiasm, determination and confidence frequently; if he/she experiences emotions such as anger, anxiety, hatred, regret, pain and helplessness less frequently and is generally satisfied with his/her life, we describe that person as 'happy'. According to a definition by Dr. Tal B. Sahahar, which I like very much, happiness is living life in a meaningful way by enjoying life."
"Happy people do not harm others"
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tayfun Doğan stated that human being is a creature that seeks happiness and meaning and continued his words as follows: "We all want to achieve happiness at the end of our actions."
"I think no one wakes up in the morning thinking, 'Let my day be angry, anxious and stressful, let me deal with pain'. By nature, we live with a focus on happiness. When it comes to why happiness is important, being happy is an advantage in itself. Today, research on happiness has shown that happy people live longer, are healthier, are more productive and efficient in business life and are more successful. In addition, happy people are more loved by other people and get more satisfaction from their marriages. Perhaps most importantly, happy people do not harm other people and have low levels of aggression.
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"Happiness is the best medicine"
Happiness already means being healthy. In this sense, being happy is directly related to both our physical and mental health. That is why we say 'happiness is the best medicine'. In the field of psychology, there is a concept called 'psychological well-being', which we use in the same sense as happiness. We use 'psychological well-being' for people with good mental health. So we can say that a happy person is a 'mentally healthy person'."
Unhappiness makes us realize the value of happiness
Üsküdar University Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Head of Psychology Department Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tayfun Doğan said, "When we say happiness, we don't actually mean people who are constantly laughing and overly cheerful. This is related to the emotional aspect of happiness."
"But happiness is not just about that. Happiness is a state of character and something deeper. We can liken pleasure and pain to waves on the surface of the ocean. While storms rage on the surface, there can be a very deep calm in the depths of the ocean. There will certainly be times in life when we are unhappy, but we need to look at the overall situation. Are we generally happy or unhappy, that's what matters. The times when we are unhappy will also help us better understand the value of happiness. The great poet Halil Cibran says, 'The deeper the sadness carves your existence / The more joy fits into it'."
Happiness will be discussed in every aspect
"In the words of UN consultant Jayme Illien, happiness today, more than ever, is a socioeconomic goal, a cultural priority and the basic material of scientific research," said Assoc. Prof. Tayfun Doğan, Head of the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Üsküdar University:
"Important research on happiness is being conducted worldwide and as Üsküdar University, we are pioneering this issue in Turkey. In this context, we will organize the 3rd Eurasia Positive Psychology Congress on April 12-14 and we will discuss the subject of happiness in depth."
