Emotional Intelligence For Dummies®

Chapter 3. Finding Happiness

In This Chapter

• Knowing happiness through emotional intelligence

• Experiencing authentic happiness

Most people think of happiness as pure hedonism or instant gratification. The feeling of pleasure you get after eating chocolate, soaking in a warm bath, winning a prize, or having a great glass of wine is short-term happiness. What you really want to strive for in life is long-term pleasure and satisfaction that comes with true happiness.

True happiness involves taking an honest view of yourself and the world around you. It leads to discovering what's really meaningful in your life and capitalizing on those virtues. True happiness is values-based yet influenced by your emotions. People who have high emotional intelligence are optimistic, in tune with their passions, and emotionally self-aware, making them happier than people who struggle in these areas.

This chapter helps you see the connection between emotional intelligence and happiness, and offers some tools to help you increase your awareness of what can give you real happiness and how to achieve it.

Defining Happiness

We all know people who see the world through rose-colored glasses. No matter what's going on around them, they see the silver lining. Everything is great. But are they truly happy? Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary defines happiness as "a state of well-being and contentment" and "a pleasurable or satisfying experience." This definition is pretty open to whether happiness comes from the inside ...