When asked, “What makes you happy?”, most people will list items such as financial security, good health, a hearty meal, time with friends and family, and so on. Few will say, “I am most happy when sitting alone in an empty room.”
Happiness for many, therefore, hinges on circumstances. “I am happy when people are nice to me, or when I make money, or win races, or take a holiday, or buy nice things.” Happiness hinges on something occurring that is pleasant, which means that in its absence, the opposite of happiness may loom - boredom, disappointment, listlessness, frustration.
French Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard says that this is a common error when thinking about happiness. When our happiness relies on something external occurring, that’s not happiness, but pleasure, he argues.…
