Happiness and well-being are not the same thing. Happiness arises when we reflect on our well-being by comparing it to a context, whether past or future. This reflection gives rise to two very different types of happiness.<\/p>\n
The first, called aspirational happiness, occurs when we assess our current well-being by comparing it to an ideal well-being we wish to achieve. This is a forward-looking perspective, where we imagine what our life could be like if we fulfilled our ambitions. This happiness reflects the excitement and motivation tied to pursuing goals that go beyond our current situation. It corresponds to what some call a fulfilling life, where we seek to realize our potential.<\/p>\n
The second, serene happiness, emerges when we compare our present well-being to that of the past, whether real or imagined. This backward-looking comparison allows us to measure the progress we\u2019ve made. If the past was difficult, serenity arises from recognizing that the situation has improved. Conversely, if the past seems better, it can generate frustration. To avoid this, some people prefer to compare themselves to situations that are even worse than their own, even if those situations never existed. This happiness corresponds to an overall satisfaction with life, a peaceful state of mind.<\/p>\n
These two forms of happiness may seem opposed, as one drives action and ambition, while the other encourages contentment and acceptance. Yet, they coexist and complement each other. They explain why, for example, increased income does not always guarantee greater happiness. In wealthy countries, once a certain level of comfort is achieved, aspirational happiness tends to stabilize, as individuals learn to adjust their desires to avoid frustration. On the other hand, serene happiness continues to grow as living conditions improve, because it is based on a comparison with a past that was often less favorable.<\/p>\n
Studies show that people in precarious economic situations tend to focus on immediate and concrete goals, which limits their ability to reflect on broader aspirations. Conversely, once freed from these pressures, they can afford to dream bigger and adjust their expectations to avoid disappointment.<\/p>\n
Thus, happiness is not a single concept, but a multifaceted experience shaped by how we interpret our own existence.<\/p>\n
DOI:<\/strong> https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s42087-026-00653-8<\/a><\/p>\n Title:<\/strong> Aspiration and Tranquility: Two Types of Happiness<\/p>\n Journal:<\/strong> Human Arenas<\/p>\n Publisher:<\/strong> Springer Science and Business Media LLC<\/p>\n Authors:<\/strong> Elias L. Khalil<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Happiness Comes in Two Distinct Forms Happiness and well-being are not the same thing. Happiness arises when we reflect on our well-being by comparing it to a context, whether past or future. This reflection gives rise to two very different types of happiness. The first, called aspirational happiness, occurs when we assess our current well-being… Continue reading Happiness Comes in Two Distinct Forms<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,2,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-46","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health","category-international","category-society","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalphilosophyreview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalphilosophyreview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalphilosophyreview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalphilosophyreview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalphilosophyreview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/globalphilosophyreview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":47,"href":"https:\/\/globalphilosophyreview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46\/revisions\/47"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalphilosophyreview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalphilosophyreview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalphilosophyreview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}