Abstract
Almost everyone enjoys being happy. But is it something we should perpetually aspire to? The American Declaration of Independence entitles us to the “pursuit of happiness.” Pursuit is a quest. Happiness, from the same root as “happen” and “perhaps,” means luck (“Happiness,” 2015). We have a right to hope for good circumstances — not exactly a high standard. Similarly, psychology focuses happiness on feeling good and evaluating our lives as “good enough” (Diener, 2000). Again, not a high standard.
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© 2016 Seana Moran and Robert Kagan
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Kagan, R. (2016). Happiness as a Life Goal. In: Ethical Ripples of Creativity and Innovation. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137505545_16
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137505545_16
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