Wars erupting around the world, whole nations sinking into the sea, species dying out faster than we can name them. Amid all this, it might seem like an eccentricUnconventional or erratic. idea to ask people how happy they are feeling.

But, even more bewilderingly, it turns out that when you do, they reply: very happy indeed.

According to a new poll, when asked how successful they consider themselves to be, 56% of people give themselves a rating of 7-10.¹

Of course, this could just be a category error. Philosophers have long debated both what happiness really means and how important it is.

PlatoOne of the most important Ancient Greek philosophers.  claimed that happiness meant a life committed to virtue.² His student AristotleA student of Plato, tutor to Alexander the Great and the father of political philosophy. identified this happiness as the highest possible good, since all other goods, like wealth and brains, are only valuable because they make us happy.³

Building on these ideas, Islamic philosopher Avicenna argued that all humans strive to be happy, but the only true happiness they can find is separate from all worldly interest.⁴ Another Islamic thinker, Al-GhazaliA 10th Century Sunni Muslim scholar. , agreed with him that happiness was not of this world but said it could be found only with God.⁵

But this new poll suggests that all of them are wrong. For most of us, happiness really means having control of our lives.

Top of the list of things that make people successful are: owning your own home, building up a good pension, not needing to work, and having time for hobbies.

In other words, people feel happy when they have enough financial stability to be in control of their time, and do not have to spend all of it working to scrape a living.

Other research has suggested the same thing. A study in an old-age home allowed only one group of people to control key aspects of their lives. Over the following 18 months people in the group without control were twice as likely to die as those in the first.⁶

This also means most people want to think they are responsible for their own happiness. Only one-fifth to a quarter think factors that come down to random chance, like family background and just being plain lucky, are important.⁷

Yet plenty of research suggests that luck is the only thing that really separates successful people from unsuccessful people.⁸

And some say too much control can be self-defeating. We can risk developing an illusion of control - the belief that we have more control of a situation than we actually do.⁹

Yes: When it comes down to it, all we want is a nice house and enough time to do the things we love. To be happy, we need to be able to control our own lives to that extent.

No: Control means eliminating the uncertainty and unpredictability that makes life exciting. Having control might make us satisfied, but it does not make us truly happy.

Or... Too little control certainly makes us unhappy, but then so does too much. Everything in moderationAvoiding extremes and doing something within reasonable limits. . The real secret to happiness is learning not to need to feel happy all the time.

Eccentric - Unconventional or erratic.

Plato - One of the most important Ancient Greek philosophers. 

Aristotle - A student of Plato, tutor to Alexander the Great and the father of political philosophy.

Al-Ghazali - A 10th Century Sunni Muslim scholar.

Moderation - Avoiding extremes and doing something within reasonable limits.