HAPPINESS: THE EVIDENCE BEHIND THE EMOTION

Course overview

Happiness as we conceive it dates back to the Enlightenment movement of the 18th century, the time frame of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, which states that we have a right to ¿life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.¿ Until then, happiness was viewed as achievable by only a few ¿ limited to those who were worthy of great reward for a life of virtue. With the Enlightenment came the belief that all humans could achieve happiness in their lifetime. We want to be happy but we are not sure what it is; we see it as a destination rather than a journey. We struggle with stress and discouragement, and look for ways to be more content with our lives. This module reviews the latest research on the science of happiness, explains the physiologic changes your body experiences with happiness and invites you to explore how to improve happiness based on the relatively new field of positive psychology.