Is this true? In her new book, written with the happiness correspondent of a top US magazine, Oprah Winfrey argues that suffering and effort are vital parts of an enjoyable life.
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To be happy you have to be unhappy says Oprah
Is this true? In her new book, written with the happiness correspondent of a top US magazine, Oprah Winfrey argues that suffering and effort are vital parts of an enjoyable life.
X
PreviousNext
Sandra is feeling sorry for herself. Everything in her life seems to be going wrong. But as she passes a bookshop a title catches her eye: Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier. Could this be the answer to her problems?
The book is by Oprah Winfrey and Arthur C Brooks. It argues that no one can ever be completely happy. But there are rules we can follow to make our lives better.
1 Questionable quest If the secret of happiness existed, someone would have found it by now. The best we can hope for is to become happier.
2 Feeling ceiling Happiness is not the warm feeling you get when things are going well. It is a mixture of enjoyment, satisfaction and meaning.
3 Buoyant enjoyment Pleasure on its own is short-lived. But if you add the company of other people, it becomes lasting enjoyment.
4 Pain gain Satisfaction comes from achieving something you have worked hard for, overcoming difficulty and even pain.
5 Gleaning meaning A sense of meaning is the most important part of happiness - believing that your life matters and recognising that things happen for a reason.
6 Problem goblins Life is full of problems and it is silly to imagine that we can overcome them all. We should see them as a challenge we can learn from.
7 Checklist inspection In order to make your life better, you need to know where you are at the moment. Ask yourself whether you are focusing on real enjoyment or settling for pleasure which is not going to last. Are you working hard enough to accomplish satisfying things? Do you have a strong sense of your life's purpose?
8 Crucial quartet The happiest people share four habits. They have a faith or philosophy of life. They have strong ties to their family. They stay close to friends. And they try to help others through their work.
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Is this true?
Yes: Most of the world's great thinkers have agreed. Thomas AquinasOne of the most important medieval thinkers. The Italian priest called Aristotle "the Philosopher" and worked to unite pagan Greek philosophy with Christian principles. argued that God allowed bad things to happen so that good could come of them "for the benefit and harmony of the universe."
No: Unhappiness is not a good thing in itself and generally there is far too much of it. The real secret of happiness is to limit your expectations of life so that you are never deeply disappointed.
Or... To be unhappy you have to be happy. Nobody is unhappier than someone who has known great happiness and had it snatched away from them: other people do not know what they are missing.
Keywords
Thomas Aquinas - One of the most important medieval thinkers. The Italian priest called Aristotle "the Philosopher" and worked to unite pagan Greek philosophy with Christian principles.
To be happy you have to be unhappy says Oprah
Talk about it: American talk show host Oprah Winfrey is one of the most influential women in the world. Glossary
Thomas Aquinas - One of the most important medieval thinkers. The Italian priest called Aristotle "the Philosopher" and worked to unite pagan Greek philosophy with Christian principles.