Still others view happiness mainly as pleasurable engagement with their personal environment-having a career and hobbies that are engaging, meaningful, rewarding, and exciting.

Others see happiness as primarily contentment-the inner peace and joy that come from deep satisfaction with oneвЂ™s surroundings, relationships with others, accomplishments, and oneself. Some people, especially those who are highly committed to their religious faith, view happiness in ways that emphasize virtuosity, reverence, and enlightened spirituality. Indeed, happiness is somewhat ambiguous and can be defined from different perspectives (Martin, 2012). But what is happiness? When asked to define the term, people emphasize different aspects of this elusive state. HAPPINESSДЄmericaвЂ™s founders declared that its citizens have an unalienable right to pursue happiness. Psychology is also interested in the study of a more upbeat and encouraging approach to human affairs-the quest for happiness. Describe the concept of flow and its relationship to happiness and fulfillmentДЄlthough the study of stress and how it affects us physically and psychologically is fascinating, it is-admittedly-somewhat of a grim topic.Explain the meaning of positive affect and discuss its importance in health outcomes.Describe the field of positive psychology and identify the kinds of problems it addresses.Define and discuss happiness, including its determinants.By the end of this section, you will be able to:

What does pursuit of happiness mean