I have recently discovered the clear distinction between joy and happiness. I was initially prompted to do so by listening to the remarks of Bono about the style of U2’s music. He says that their music is more joyous than happy, and that’s a distinctive thing about the band because ‘happiness is easier to generate than joy’.
Happiness
Apparently the word ‘happiness’ derives from the word ‘happenings’, which is appropriate in understanding its distinction with joyfulness. [Source] Happiness is aroused because of specific happenings. Good things happen, and happiness is the consequence.
Is happiness something you can possess?
Different types of happiness
Happiness can be broken down into 3 main heads [source]:
• Mental - the pleasure in creating of a better style of life, in pursuing knowledge, in work.
• Emotional - the pleasure of serving humanity, of love, of loyalty to someone or a cause
• Physical - physical pleasures and the pleasure in fulfilling physical needs, a somewhat primitive happiness.
One of my favourite philosophers, Arthur Schopenhauer, also makes distinctions between the different kinds of modes of happiness, in Psychological Observations in Studies in Pessimism.
There are different sorts of happiness
Joy
Joy is very different, although related to happiness - it is a deeper, more perpetual experience [Source]. Joy is having delight in a general contentment and strength in life, a general eternal oneness with all in life. Joy can also be a sort of spiritual happiness, a sort of unshakeable peacefulness and faith.
While happiness makes us pleasured, joy warms our hearts.
Some see joy as “an experience which connects us to that which is “Greater” than we are. It connects us to the creative power that is more than the ‘I’ or ego.”.
The difference
Graduating in ones educational life may make us happy, but getting married, or having a child may cause joy, for instance.
We can look at the differentiation in terms of the words opposites: the opposite of joy would be fear, while the opposite of happiness would be misery and displeasure.
Is spiritual happiness a good goal?
Purpose of life
Happiness, many cite, as their main objective and purpose in life. Yet it seems that joy is a far more desirable goal. Aristotle once said, “joy is the meaning and purpose of life”.
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I hope you found this vaguely interesting, or thought-provoking. I think it’s quite an interesting realm and will probably write about this again at some point.
