What is the key to happiness? Some would say money, others believe it is fame, some consider it to come from family and friends. This question and answer scenario has been played out time and time again in academic scenarios, friendly conversations, and in our own heads. However, the question of whether all happiness is real, and if all the keys open all the doors are up in the air. Especially on college campuses, the hunt for happiness is ever present, and with more peer pressure than ever before, how sure can one be that all the happiness they are experiencing is genuine? Do to the lack of research on this topic, and the prevalence of its answer to the University of Denver undergraduate population, I decided to ask the question; What is genuine happiness and how can it be achieved more frequently for college students?
The existing research done on happiness focuses on three main areas; the definition of happiness, the areas of life that affect happiness, and how, in turn, happiness affects these said areas. The research on these areas provides a blanket of information on how happiness has been studied in the past. By simple surveys that provide simple information, to the theorizing of happiness and how it affects our every move, the field of happiness is vast and ever growing. In order to see where I needed to focus my research, and what was truly lacking from the enormous field, I reviewed literature of all kinds. From this reviewing is where I discovered that three overlapping ideas of existing happiness research and exactly what needed to come from my research. Â
The first idea that is ever present in happiness research is the question of what it is. What is the real definition of happiness? It is extremely difficult to pinpoint a universal definition because the topic is extremely subjective (Sharma, P., & Patra, S. 2014). It also, according to Bonanno, the study of measuring happiness ââŚcomes across as pretty silly.â However, the most difficult part about defining happiness is that there are many different ways in which to do it.
The scientific side of happiness can define it by body language and eye movements. For example, if a person smiles and crow feet appear then that means they are genuinely happy (Bonanno, G. 2009). The psychological approach focuses more on the feeling of wellbeing, joy, and satisfaction (Begum, et all 2014). There is also the issue with happiness and how there are many synonyms for it. In a way, happiness could be an entirely different word for many. When someone would describe themselves as feeling content and living a good life, they could also be described as well and happy (A Multi-Study Examination of Well-Being Theory in College and Community Samples). As the article The Science of Happiness, Well-Being and Twinkies says, happiness cannot solely be defined by how many times a day you are happy and how many times you are not. It is much more complex and is everchanging for every person.
In the end, due to this array of possible defining factors, the way one views their own happiness is what contextualizes it and defines it for them (Sharma, P., & Patra, S. 2014). This claim is what lead me into the idea that perhaps happiness is not universal. Perhaps it is dependent on every person and how they see it. Noticing this possibility lead me to focus a portion of my research on this. To find out just how varied and subjective the definition of happiness was.
Aside from simply defining happiness, there are also questions as to what areas, activities, and successes affect oneâs happiness the most. The point that makes this difficult is that happiness is multidimensional. There are countless things that go into making a person happy. However, the existing research recognizes some areas in which their subjects displayed the most happiness.
In my primary research there were a total of 12 indicators of happiness. The article A Multi-Study Examination of Well-Being Theory in College and Community Samples pinpoints five areas of well-being which are positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and achievement. The study in The College Student Subjective Wellbeing Questionnaire: A Brief Multidimensional Measure of Undergraduateâs Covitality focused on how academic efficiency, college gratitude, school connectedness, and academic satisfaction influenced undergraduate students mental state. Lastly, the article Determinants of Happiness in Undergraduate University Students shows that the happiness of students is most affected by academic success, self-esteem, and financial security. The variant targeted goals of these studies as well as the areas that effect happiness are indicators as to just how subjective happiness is.
As well as complex areas that affect happiness, simply positive and optimistic thinking can also lead to happiness (The College Student Subjective Wellbeing Questionnaire). Likewise, there are many things that are stepping stones to reaching happiness. For example, Aristotleâs âtheory of happinessâ claims that happiness is the end goal of humans and things like money and fame are only baby steps at trying to reach that (Begum, Jabeen & Awan 2014).
The areas in which produce happiness appear to vary for every study done. Perhaps these areas are the most prevalent throughout the population or their targeted audience. However, there is also the possibility that this variance is evidence of a bigger idea altogether. The case may be that, just as the definition of happiness may depend on each person, the things that make one happy could do the same.
The last section of research focuses on how happiness affects people. Why do humans try so hard to achieve happiness? What can it provide for them? For one, happiness and a positive attitude have positive effects on student GPAâs (Barker, E. T., Galambos, N. L., Howard, A. L., & Wrosch, C. 2016). We can also relate back to Aristotleâs theory of happiness to explain why achieving happiness is important. If it is the main goal of all people, then one will spend immense amounts of time to get it. It basically consumes to activities of every person (Begum, et all 2014).
In this research there is, again, much variation in the things that happiness effects. This theme becomes one that is present through my work as well, and ends in one of my most telling conclusions. There is also a large gap in this research when it comes to the different types of happiness. Scholars have asked what makes people happy, but not what things make people genuinely happy. In my study I will reveal the reason as to why the things that make people happy vary so much and more as to what genuine happiness is and how it differs from fake happiness.
The purpose of my research was to fill the holes that exist. My main goal was to explain what the different type of happiness look like and how people achieve their own genuine happiness. I did this through a survey, two interviews, and an observation.
My survey was intended to be used as a baseline for peopleâs definition of happiness and whether they believe there is real or fake happiness. The survey asked a series of 8 questions and took place for 13 days. I gathered a total of 100 respondents, all of whom are DU undergraduate students.
My observation took place outside at Driscoll Green on the University of Denver campus. It was May 10th at 11:40 and it lasted for an hour. The temperature outside was 85 degrees and it was extremely sunny. My objective during this time was to attempt to distinguish different types of moods and happiness by just observing. If one could witness genuine happiness, and differentiate it from someone faking happiness, then it shows genuine happiness is easy to distinguish and not hidden from plain sight.
My interviews consisted of in person meetings with a close friend of mine and an acquaintance. I chose these people because I decided I wanted to know more than just their answers to my questions. I wanted to test if I knew these peopleâs happiness as well as I know them. I would expect to know what makes my close friend genuinely happy. If my guess was wrong, then it would show that genuine happiness is extremely hidden and guarded. If I could guess, then it shows we open up to those we are close to. For my acquaintance, if I could guess her secrets to genuine happiness, that would mean that the keys to our meaningful happiness are displayed to many people. If I could not guess them, then that shows genuine happiness is, once again, deep within us.
 Results and Discussion:
My research has produced three main areas of results. The first is that there are different kind of happiness and the majority of the population believes in this. Genuine verse fake happiness is the most upfront and obvious example of these varying types. The second result from my research is evidence that happiness is subjective and the way one shows it, achieves it, and genuinely feels it changes for every person. Lastly, my research has shown that the different kinds of happiness cannot simply be observed. You must be close to the person you are observing in order to know when they are genuinely happy, and even then, it is still difficult to be sure.
Different Types of Happiness:
The conclusion about different kinds of happiness and people believing in genuine and fake happiness primarily comes from my survey. 79 out of 100 respondents replied yes to the question âDo you believe there are such things as genuine or fake happiness?â Of those that answered no, just under 50% answered that they did not understand what fake or genuine happiness means. With this in mind, it can be assumed that more respondents would have answered yes if they had been informed as to what genuine and fake happiness were.
In line with this, my interview respondents both agreed that there are genuine and fake happiness. Respondent 2 replied, âI feel like some people trick themselves into thinking they are happy, when they really arenât.â This evidence expands the idea of there being variances in happiness by pinpointing the battle between genuine and fake happiness. When the majority of survey respondents decided that they believed in the two, and my interviewee elaborated more on the subject on exactly what she believed fake happiness to be, the foundation was laid for a stable argument to be made for the differences.
When I was observing at Driscoll Green I ran into what I thought was a failure at first. I was unable to decide if the people I was watching were genuinely happy or faking it. This was not a failure, however, because I was able to realize what made the decision so hard. I was not unable to observe different types of happiness because they werenât present, but because they were so present. What made the encounter confusing was that I couldnât tell which person was faking happiness, who was indifferent, nor who was genuinely happy. Many people were laughing or smiling but I had no idea how they were really feeling. This leads into the evidence that happiness is also subjective.
The anomaly that came out of this research conclusion was the 50% of respondents disbelieving there is fake or genuine happiness because they didnât understand what it meant. This response was extremely interesting because it showed that just because people didnât understand genuine happiness, they were inclined to believe it didnât exist. This shows a distrust when it comes to talking about happiness. It is as if people refuse to accept that they may not be happy all the time. Or, that they refuse to admit they have faked being happy before. In the article by H. Sherrie, it is said that people may get tricked by how intense fake happiness can feel. Perhaps these respondents didnât understand what fake happiness was because they were having trouble disassociating it.
This could be the disconnect that is to blame for the diversity that is shown in my research. Perhaps, if respondents were more open and in touch with their happiness, there would be more similarities among results. People may have answered differently about what makes them truly happy if they thought no one was watching.
 Happiness is Subjective:
Not only was it hard to identify the different types of happiness, but it was hard to identify these on each person I was watching. I realized that I had no knowledge on how each person would look or act in the different feelings of happiness. This also touches on the idea that one can only tell when someone is genuinely happy if they are close to them. However, the focus of this conclusion was that it was impossible to tell who was what level of happiness. Every person I watched seemed to have their own way of expressing themselves. Perhaps this was learned behavior or dependent upon a personâs true nature. Either way, these variations in the displays of emotions shows that happiness itself varies.
In my secondary research there were claims that authentic happiness canât be measured (Sherrie 2017). This was deemed true by my research. The evidence towards subjective happiness came from more than simply my observation. My interviews were extremely telling in this respect. When I asked the question âHow do they [students] go about it [striving to be happy]?â my interviewees started off with different answers but ended in the same conclusion. Interviewee 1 responded âIt differs from person to person.â And interviewee 2 answered âHappiness is internal.â This shows that it cant be measured because it is too variant.
Not only were their voiced opinions on the matter evidence, but also the differences in their responses on what makes them genuinely happy. Interviewee one preferred to spend times outdoors and with family and friends while respondent 2 felt most genuinely happy while spending time with her boyfriend.
These coincide well with what is said in Happiness 101, the Psychology course at Yale University that teaches student ways to lead happier lives. It gives overviews of ways to reach this, such as spending more time with people and meditation. However, the overall message is spending time on things you truly want and enjoy. Those will be the things that give you happiness. This is the result that I also found in my research.
My survey respondents also had very differing answers to this type of question. When I asked what their definition of happiness was and gave them four choices (not including âotherâ), I received a range of 15-33% for each response (see figure 1). I would not consider 33% to be a majority. Therefore, the responses were surprisingly level. On this same page, the respondents answered just as widely to how fake and genuine happiness differ. This variance shows that not only do peoples overall definitions vary, but also how their definitions for the varying types of happiness differ.
All of this is evidence toward happiness being a different definition and feeling for every person. In my primary research it was difficult to nail down an all-encompassing definition of happiness. There, I theorized about whether or not happiness was not all-encompassing. Now, due to my research, I have evidence to prove that it is not. That every person has their own ways of becoming happy, especially when it comes to being genuinely happy.
Happiness is not Observational:
As mentioned before, my observation showed that, since I was not familiar with the people I was seeing, I could not decide if they were genuinely happy. Their smiles could have been either fake or genuine, and their silence could have been content or sadness. There were claims of physical proofs of happiness in human faces in my secondary research. They claimed that crows-feet appear around a personâs eyes when they are genuinely happy (Bonanno 2009). However, I saw no displays of this and found it difficult to even see a personâs eyes from far away. In order to know a personâs physical displays of happiness, one must spend time around that person. A deeper example of this came with my interviews. I had purposely chosen a close friend and an acquaintance so that I would be able to compare their results and see how much of their genuine happiness I could guess before we started.
When it came to interview 2 I could have guessed the things that made her happy. She liked to work on cars and go hunting and spend time outside. However, I was not able to guess that she loved spending time with her boyfriend and that time was usually the highlight of her day.
However, when I interviewed my close friend I knew she cherished her family and her friends and loved the outdoors. I knew this beforehand. When I asked what makes her genuinely happy, she responded, âJust like being outside, being with people I care aboutâŚâ This response was exactly what I had expected. From this I am concluding that people keep their happiness close until they trust someone. Once a person knows what makes you happy, they have ways to make you unhappy. It is safer for people to keep it to themselves until they know that someoneâs intentions could not turn malicious.
This type of conclusion ties back into happiness being subjective. Since it is so diverse and unique for every person, it is necessary for people to know one another before they can know their true happiness. You must learn a personâs history and the reasons they enjoy things in order to understand what type of happiness they are emanating. The interview with my close friend showed her love of the outdoors and spending time with her family. I knew these things made her happy because I have been to her house and seen her interact with her loved ones. I have also seen her outdoors playing the sports she enjoys. Iâve been able to witness her in these displays of genuine happiness because she expressed these activities to me when we began to grow close. It is through the combination of observation and one on one conversation that one can know how a person displays their different types of happiness.
We may also keep our genuine happiness close because we donât realize it is separate from our overall happiness. For both of my interviews I had to explain slightly what I meant by genuine happiness. Also, as previously stated, 50% of survey respondents who answered no to believing in genuine happiness simply were not certain as to what I meant by the question. This confusion could be why we guard our genuine happiness so close. We are not aware that it is there.
Perhaps, this sort of self-ignorance is what causes people to be unhappy. There is a chance that DU undergraduate students donât feel genuine happiness enough because they donât know how to get there. They may have felt it before, but never put a label on it or knew how to reach it again. This could also be due to the activities that make people happy changing all the time. My interview number 1 stated ânot every time in outside Iâm happy or every time I am with friends and family Iâm happy, those are just the times when I am most likely to be happy. Sometimes it doesnât happen and other times it does and thatâs okay.â This is an incredible important statement. It shows that another reason we may not be able to understand our own genuine happiness is because we canât pinpoint what makes us happy because it is always changing.
Another comment made by the same interviewee was âSome people may not know what makes them happy or some people may see what makes other people happy and try that.â This comment opens up an interesting theory. Perhaps people donât fake happiness on purpose. Maybe they are simply trying to find genuine happiness that they have seen in others by doing the same things. This is an issue with observing happiness. If you do not know someone well and believe an activity is making a person genuinely happy you may try it attempting to feel the same. However, that person may not even be happy with what they are doing since you do not know them well. Also, something that makes another person happy is not guaranteed to have that effect on you
Say someone does know this person well. They know that an activity makes them extremely happy and is very rewarding for them emotionally. This is not a guarantee that the activity will do the same for you. Simply observing happiness in action does not mean that putting yourself in those shoes will give you the same reward.
My research had many limitations that makes it difficult to fully determine if my results are accurate. My research only spanned approximately three weeks and that limited amount of time made it difficult to collect responses. This was extremely hurtful to my survey and the amount of serious responses I could get and also caused me to only do one observation. Perhaps, if more observations were done, I would have discovered that happiness can be spotted and recognized from afar.
There was also extremely limited research on genuine happiness and people faking happiness. I only used one article on genuine happiness, which was a pop-culture article, because it was all I could find that was extremely informational (Sherrie 2017). I was unable to find any academic sources that held much in terms of that. Â I had to go into my research with little background making it somewhat superficial. Despite these limitations, I do believe that my research is a good start to what can be an entirely new subsection on the study of happiness. By opening more questions at the end of my study I believe that I have left room for more scholars to become interested in genuine happiness just as I have.
In the future I would ask about what creates our unique sense of happiness and when we begin to develop it. I would also like to discover when our definition of genuine happiness is more diverse and complex. Perhaps this is research that I or others can do in the following years.
My study produced more than just questions. The first conclusion is that there are different levels and kinds of happiness, and that a large portion of the population believes this as well. The next product is that happiness is very subjective. This came from a mix of primary and secondary research and explains why definitions of happiness vary so often. Lastly, happiness cannot be observed, especially when it comes to the variances in happiness. These things are hidden inside of us and only the people closest to us can truly know them.
Out of all of this I have found the answers to my original question; What is genuine happiness and how can it be achieved more by DU Undergraduate Students. My study has revealed that genuine happiness is deeper within us and is a happiness that is effortless and comfortable. It can be achieved more by DU Undergraduates by allowing them to spend more time on themselves and on what they believe makes them happy. This conclusion is not a universal key to genuine happiness that is helpful for all. It is, instead, that there are separate keys for every person and each individual must find that for themselves.
            Appendices A.
1. What best describes your definition of happiness?
Feeling content and comfortable, Feeling joyful and elated, Feeling well and like you are flourishing, Feeling positive and optimistic, OtherÂ
2. What makes you happy most of the time?
Friends, Family, Having lots to do, Having free time, Being with others, Having alone time, Being at home/ dorm, Getting out of the house/ dorm, Other (please specify)
3. Do you believe there are such things as genuine or fake happiness?Â
I have experienced fake happiness, I have experienced genuine happiness, I believe there are different types of happiness, Other (please specify)
I have never experienced fake happiness, I have never experienced real happiness, I donât believe there is a difference, I donât understand what fake or genuine happiness means, Other (please specify)
6. If yes, do all of the things that make you happy make you genuinely happy?
7. If yes, how would genuine happiness and fake happiness differ?
The way you smile, How comfortable you feel, The people you are with, The activity you are doing, The amount of energy you have, How busy you are, Other (please specify)
8. What can DU Undergraduate students do to achieve happiness more frequently?
Be more social, Enjoy their alone time, Procrastinate less, Live in the moment, Take less classes, Join more groups and clubs, Be true to themselves, Aspire to change themselves for the better, Focus on themselves, Do more for others, Other (please specify)
Friend, familiar: Marie Neegard
1)Â Â Â Â Â What is your definition of happiness?
I donât know. Its definitely a feeling. Its one of those things where you are happy but you donât say im happy, you just kind of realize youâre not unhappy and that youâre enjoying yourself.
2)Â Â Â Â Â Do you think there are such things as fake and genuine happiness?
3)Â Â Â Â Â What are some moments you can tell me where you felt genuinely happy?
Just like being outside, um being with people I care about, meeting new people that are people I want to know.
4)Â Â Â Â Â What made these moments feel genuine?
It is kind of like I wasnât making a conscious effort to enjoy myself or forcing myself to have fun, it just is fun for me
5)Â Â Â Â Â What are some moments where you felt like you were faking your enjoyment?
I think that there are moments where you are doing something that is supposed to be fun and you know everyone wants you to be enjoying yourself so you fake it and convince yourself that you are even if you arenât
6)Â Â Â Â Â What made these moments feel forced?
Like the expectation put by yourself and other people to have fun. I think when I realize Iâm not genuinely happy there is a moment where I realize I donât really like what I am doing
7)Â Â Â Â Â Why do you think people fake happiness sometimes?
For a lot of people, we all want to know what we are here for and people are just trying to find their happiness. You think if you try hard enough and do the things that people say are happy then you will be happy. And it is okay to not be happy. But people always want to be happy and that is when fake happiness occurs.
8)Â Â Â Â Â Would you define genuine happiness differently than your original definition of happiness in general?
I think in some cases it is the same but like I said not every time in outside Iâm happy or every time I am with friends and family Iâm happy, those are just the times when I am most likely to be happy. Sometimes it doesnât happen and other times it does and thatâs okay. In a broader sense if someone has a happy perspective on life or is a happy person that doesnât mean they are always happy they may just look at the world in a positive way.
9)Â Â Â Â Â How do you achieve genuine happiness?
I think it is like for mean allowing myself to be spur of the moment kind of I donât always have to plan things. I think I have the most fun when I donât put expectations into what I a m going to do. It is also very fulfilling to put effort into relationships with people and to know that I have a solid foundation with the people I care about.
10)Â Â Why do you think people constantly strive to be happy?
For a lot of people, it is the ultimate goal. And also, the more you want to be happy the less likely youa re, at least in my experience.
11)Â Â How do they go about it?
It differs form person to person. For me I know in the past what has made me happy and I repeat those things. Some people may not know what makes them happy or some people may see what makes other people happy and try that
An example from my life is I see happy couples and think wow id be so happy in a relationship like that but thatâs not always the case.
1)Â Â Â Â Â What is your definition of happiness?
Being happy with where you are at and not the future or anything. Being comfortable with where you are in life.
2)Â Â Â Â Â Do you think there are such things as fake and genuine happiness?
Yeah. I feel like some people trick themselves into thinking they are happy, when they really arenât.
 3)     What are some moments you can tell me where you felt genuinely happy?
Probably just like being up in the mountains with my dad and walking my dog. And knowing that you have it all and that life is really simple.
And when I was on the second date with my bf I didnât stop smiling the whole time.
4)Â Â Â Â Â What made these moments feel genuine?
They were so simple, there was really nothing to them. Life wasnât complicated at that moment.
5)Â Â Â Â Â What are some moments where you felt like you were faking your enjoyment?
When I had to start out anywhere new, I had to at like it was all okay when I was miserable.
6)Â Â Â Â Â What made these moments feel forced?
Just everyone put a lot of pressure on me that this was gonna be great and awesome and reality sucked everything wasnât awesome
7)Â Â Â Â Â Why do you think people fake happiness sometimes?
Pretty much just either people just say that they are happy because it is easier, or theyâd rather tell themselves they are happy so they âfeel happyâ.
8)Â Â Â Â Â Would you define genuine happiness differently than your original definition of happiness in general?
9)Â Â Â Â Â How do you achieve genuine happiness?
Try not to look too much int the past and future and focus on right now⌠I will survive and be okay in the end. Living simple with what I have right now.
10)Â Â Why do you think people constantly strive to be happy?
Because it takes a tole on you not to be happy. It is easier to be happy. Everyone has stressful days but, in the end, why would you want to stay like that?
11)Â Â How do they go about it?
I think a lot of people try to find happiness in others which isnât how it works you have to find happiness within yourself. You can be happy with another person, but they arenât going to create it. Happiness is internal.
             Appendices C.
Driscoll Green Thursday 11:40-12:40 85 degrees
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â # of people approximately:
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 4 people on green
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Lots of people walking to class
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 2 tables advertising (1 Greek life, 1 ice skating show)
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 8 tables of people doing homework (2 pairs, 4 singles) (red tables outside strum and driscoll)
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Weather: 85 degrees, very hot and shiny
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Activities people are doing: Walking to class, Advertising, Working on laptops, Riding bikes
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Age of people: College students, Couple of Sodexo employees
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â The heat is bringing some levels down because people are sweaty and hot
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â The sunshine is good though and everyone dressed pretty cute and fashionable today
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â The people with friends or in pairs seem to be happier than those alone
             References
Barker, E. T., Galambos, N. L., Howard, A. L., & Wrosch, C. (2016). Tracking Affect and Academic Success Across University: Happy Students Benefit From Bouts of Negative Mood. Developmental Psychology, 52(12), 2022-2030. doi:10.1037/dev0000231
Begum, S., Jabeen, S., & Awan, A. B. (2014). Happiness: A Psycho-Philosophical Appraisal. Dialogue (1819-6462), 9(3), 313-325.
Bonanno, G. (2009, 11, 16) Genuine happiness: Itâs literally right in front of our face. Retrieved from    https://www.psychologytoday.com
Coffey, J., Wray-Lake, L., Mashek, D., & Branand, B. (2016). A Multi-Study Examination of Well-Being Theory in College and Community Samples. Journal Of Happiness Studies, 17(1), 187-211. doi:10.1007/s10902-014-9590-
Furr, R. M. (2005). Differentiating Happiness and Self-esteem. Individual Differences Research, 3(2), 105-127.
H. Sherrie (2017, 10, 8) 7 Ways Authentic Happiness Differs from the Fake Version. Retrieved From https://www.lifeadvancer.com
Moore, A. (2018, 3, 28) Happiness 101: Psychology course strikes chord with Yale students. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com
Renshaw, T., & Bolognino, S. (2016). The College Student Subjective Wellbeing Questionnaire: A Brief, Multidimensional Measure of Undergraduate's Covitality. Journal Of Happiness Studies, 17(2), 463-484. doi:10.1007/s10902-014-9606-4
Sharma, P., & Patra, S. (2014). Exploring college student's conception of happiness. Indian Journal Of Positive Psychology, 5(4), 393-397.
Sundem, G (2015, 9, 29) The Science of Happiness, Well-Being and Twinkies. Retrieved from  https://www.psychologytoday.com
