Happiness: An Illusion? Perhaps the most elusive state that humans experience is the illusion of happiness. Thisstate can not be defined as any one state. Through experience I have seen that happinessis a combination of human emotions and states of mind. Exploring this state of being hasconsumed the philosophical minds of the ages and will continue to do so for ages to come.What is happiness? In an unofficial poll of students at the University of West Florida, I found that of thethirty-eight students and one professor, males and females of several ethnic backgroundsand age groups, that I asked the question “What is happiness to you?”, all of them had verydifferent physical, intellectual, or emotional motivator for their happiness. Only theprofessor stated what happiness was to him. The students, ranging in age from 20 years to45 years, all spoke of material things that would make them happy. They couldn’t seem tograsp “happiness” as a concept in itself. The questions that are asked when exploring the concept of happiness should beginwith desire to know if it is a pleasure based in our basic and primitive emotions. Next, ishappiness motivated by pure desire? Does a mental state of contentment producehappiness? Does happiness come from a simple, physical feeling? Maybe happiness is acombination of all of these. According to John Mill, The creed which accepts as the foundation of morals, Utility, or the Greatest Happiness Principle, holds that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. By happiness is intended pleasure, and the absence of pain; by unhappiness, pain, and the privation of pleasure. To give a clear view of the moral standard set up by the theory, much mor...
