What Is Happiness Really About?

Hi, I'm Loren Assunção, and today I'd like to share with you some thoughts on happiness.

Lately, I’ve been reflecting on what it truly means to be happy.

I just philosophize about being content with small things, to have gratitude, but also to put things in the correct place.

I often hear that we should be happy for things - as if happiness depended on what we have. If that were true, then very rich people would always be happy, because they have many things. But we know that’s not the case. Happiness is not something we can collect, buy, or measure.

It’s something we cultivate inside. In our soul, in our mind.

Socrates said that “happiness comes from self-knowledge and virtue.”

To him, true happiness begins when we turn inward - when we understand who we are, what we value, and act with integrity. The wise person is happy because they live in harmony with what is right. And I believe so much about it. To do the right thing is always the better choice... (then we can think about what is to do the right thing better...)

Plato followed a similar path. He believed happiness arises when our soul is in balance - when our reason, emotions, and desires are aligned. Happiness, then, is not about indulging every wish, but about living guided by truth and justice.

Aristotle took the idea even further. For him, happiness (eudaimonia) is the ultimate goal of life. We don’t reach it through pleasure or wealth, but through virtue - by cultivating courage, wisdom, and kindness. Happiness, in his view, is not a passing emotion but the result of a life lived with purpose and excellence.

Epicurus, often misunderstood, taught that happiness can be found in simplicity - a quiet life surrounded by friends, good conversations, gratitude for what we already have, and freedom from unnecessary desires. He believed that peace of mind (ataraxia) is worth more than any luxury.

The Stoic philosophers - like Epictetus, Seneca, and Marcus Aurelius — remind us that happiness is a state of inner freedom. It’s not about controlling the world (we can't, really), but about controlling our responses to it. They taught that the key to joy is accepting what we cannot change and focusing on living with virtue and reason.

When I think about all these teachings, I realize how often we place conditions on happiness:

“I’ll be happy when I move.”

“I’ll be happy when I earn more.”

“I’ll be happy when I’m in a relationship.”

But philosophy - and life itself - whispers something different: happiness is not somewhere else. It’s here, now, in the way we choose to live, think, and love.

Maybe happiness is being fully present.

Maybe it’s gratitude for what already is.

Maybe it’s the quiet joy of knowing you’re walking your own path.

So I ask you: What do you believe happiness is about?

Is it something you chase or something you cultivate each day?

Answer in the comments...

Did you like it? Continue exploring reflections like this here in my blog and elevate your journey with more wisdom, spirituality, and purpose.

#happiness #philosophy #spirituality #selfknowledge #innerpeace #lorenassuncao