In the book Searching for Happiness, author Martin Thielen uses the terms happiness, contentment, and life satisfaction interchangeably, and he emphasizes that they refer to an internal sense of well-being rather than an external well-being. He draws from Biblical teachings in Ecclesiastes and from letters to the early church, as well as scientific research and experience to explore the concept of happiness and what practices lead to it. We began this book study in Fall 2016 and completed it in February 2017
October 30th: Chapter 1 of Searching for Happiness "Contented people know that external circumstances don't determine happiness."
We read and discussed the Preface and Chapter 1 of the book, as well as Ecclesiastes 1:12-2:11.
The book author, Martin Thielen, uses the words happiness, contentment and life-satisfaction interchangeably. He cites research from the area of positive psychology, which shows:
The writer of Ecclesiastes in chapters 1-2 describes his experience with four paths which do not lead to life satisfaction:
The author concludes that while each path is not bad or unimportant, they are not the secret to happiness, because happiness is related more to internal behaviors and attitudes. We are on a journey together and we are like the two men lost in the forest in the rabbinical story who "can tell each other which paths we walked down that led nowhere, and through the process of elimination, we can figure out the path that leads home."
Challenge: Imagine if all external positives in your life were taken away by a disaster (your home, your loved ones, your health). Do you think you could find a way to be happy nonetheless? How? What would help you in this circumstance?
October 30th: Chapter 1 of Searching for Happiness "Contented people know that external circumstances don't determine happiness."
We read and discussed the Preface and Chapter 1 of the book, as well as Ecclesiastes 1:12-2:11.
The book author, Martin Thielen, uses the words happiness, contentment and life-satisfaction interchangeably. He cites research from the area of positive psychology, which shows:
- 10% of happiness/life satisfaction comes from external circumstances (wealth, fame, beauty, achievements, etc)
- 50% of happiness/life satisfaction is genetic, a setpoint that is inborn and does not change, regardless of circumstances or behaviors
- 40% of happiness/life satisfaction results from our attitudes and behaviors, which are internal to us and which we can influence and even control.
The writer of Ecclesiastes in chapters 1-2 describes his experience with four paths which do not lead to life satisfaction:
- Philosophy/learning
- Pleasure by indulging the desires of the body
- Possessions
- Production by building and achieving
The author concludes that while each path is not bad or unimportant, they are not the secret to happiness, because happiness is related more to internal behaviors and attitudes. We are on a journey together and we are like the two men lost in the forest in the rabbinical story who "can tell each other which paths we walked down that led nowhere, and through the process of elimination, we can figure out the path that leads home."
Challenge: Imagine if all external positives in your life were taken away by a disaster (your home, your loved ones, your health). Do you think you could find a way to be happy nonetheless? How? What would help you in this circumstance?