What makes you laugh?
The content explores the complexity of human emotions and their significance in achieving happiness. It discusses how humans, having evolved with advanced cognitive abilities, have developed emotional intelligence and expressiveness. Emotions, both positive and negative, affect an individual’s well-being. Happiness comes from social connections and personal achievements. Neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin regulate these feelings. The text emphasizes that true happiness is internal, derived from self-satisfaction rather than material possessions. It encourages introspection and resilience in managing external challenges. People find joy in different ways and seek harmony in relationships and environments for lasting contentment.
Table of contents
Key Takeaways
- The article explores the complexity of emotions and their significance in achieving happiness.
- It highlights that emotions influence well-being, with happiness stemming from social connections and personal achievements.
- Neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin regulate emotions, affecting mood and feelings of contentment.
- True happiness derives from self-satisfaction, not material possessions, emphasizing the importance of introspection.
- Different individuals seek happiness in various ways, often finding joy in nature, relationships, and personal growth.
Humans learned to express emotions
Humans are the most complex among all living beings. After a long and arduous process of experimentation by Nature, the human race evolved. Soon after their evolution, they began utilising their enhanced brain and cognitive abilities. They used it to develop things that can ease their lives. Material things apart, the human race honed its emotional quotient and learned to express its emotions effectively.
Emotions
Emotions are abstract and unseen but perceived very well. Animals, especially higher animal groups like birds and mammals, widely show emotions. It is distinct in these groups and structured in higher mammalian groups like primates. They show a bond of affection and attachment with their siblings and even strangers who are compassionate towards them. Among pachyderms, elephants show a high degree of reciprocal emotions. With increased memory and a highly organised sense of emotions, these animals stand out distinctly.
Different emotions
Emotions are of different kinds. Some are basic and common. They include happiness, sorrow, fear, disgust and the like. Besides basic emotions, complex emotions like love and guilt are a mix of two or more emotions. Love, for example, involves happiness and trust. Similarly, hate is yet another type of complex emotion which is a combination of disgust, fear and majorly anger.
Positive and negative emotions
While positive basic emotion is a mood enhancer and contributes positively, negative emotions are derogatory for an individual’s overall personality. Scientists have worked out the causes of happiness. Happiness is a sum of various positive conditions. Factors like social bonding, trust building, and success release mood-enhancing hormones and neurotransmitters. Good happenings and nearness to a beloved person, thing, or environment also trigger their release. These chemicals are DOSE, that is, Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin and Endorphin. Briefly, these chemicals regulate cognition and mood. They enhance pleasure, reduce anxiety and strengthen the social connection. (Harvard Health Publishing)
DOSE
In a nutshell, the DOSE is:
- Dopamine – It is released when the brain senses achievement or success. Also called “Pleasure Hormone”, they cause happiness when a person succeeds or achieve a desired goal.
- Oxytocin – It is released when trust building or physical touch occurs.
- Serotonin – It is a mood booster and anxiety reducer. Thus it uplifts mood and causes a person to feel good.
- Endorphins – They are natural pain killers and are released in stress or pain. It is released during laughter, exercise or doing something of choice. Listening to music, reading a book or simply wandering and watching in the vicinity of Nature are but a few activities.
Happiness
The happiness resides inside every one of us. Happiness is not only about acquiring physical possessions or achieving something. It is more than that. The most important thing is self-satisfaction and contentment. A mountaineer who longs to scale Mount Everest feels excited and happy on reaching the summit. It is the result of dedication, hard work and persistence. They tried and did not give up. It is but natural to feel excited and happy. They deserve it.
Search for happiness
Searching for happiness is not strenuous. It is, at times difficult, but earnest work can give solace and peace from an agitated mental condition. Though it is easier said than done, there is no other way to come out of the slush. Disturbed and abusive relationships, difficult situations, impossible conditions, tiffs at the workplace and myriad other such factors that disturb mental peace and comfort. Despite having all possible means of physical comfort, a person doesn’t feel happy. It needs an honest introspection.
Success is ephemeral
Like everything that the mundane world offers, success is phasic and ephemeral. It quickly replaces other, seemingly more important achievements. The permanent thing is motivation to do more. Mood-enhancing chemicals are secreted in a congenial atmosphere. A pleasant ambience makes a person happy.
External factors
In the event of depressed or low feelings of emotion, DOSE secretion decreases considerably, causing frustration, anger, depression or dejection. It is important to note that the secretion of chemicals in the body depends on external factors. These factors affect our brain either positively or negatively. It is rightly said that happiness lies within. Nevertheless, if the factors lie outside, then it should not be in one’s control.
Effort is important
Well, the effort matters. The important thing is to train the mind to control and divert emotions. External factors are uncontrollable except for a few petty things. It is the reaction which mind gives in a particular set of circumstances that matters the most. Unfavourable conditions and people or situations are normal. They create an atmosphere. The adverse environment teaches a person about the presence of mind. It fosters wit and the ability to come out of it. The mind plays a crucial role in this. This is where prioritising things comes into play. With the help of cognitive power and reasoning, the best way is selected. This allows one to avoid unpalatable situations or the company of incongruous people. This helps regain the vitality and enhances the mood of the person.
Nature is in constant collision
It is a struggle for betterment. Everyone has the right to have a decent and happy life. Precarious situations shall persist. They are intrinsic, because Nature itself is in constant collision. The atoms are moving and collide, electrons are spinning around the nucleus and are in search of stability. They are mutually transferred to form a bond. The search for stability and peace is thus, everywhere.
All said, the search for peace, tranquility and happiness is the most sought after things. Every second person is seen preaching about achieving happiness and positive emotions. The learned saints have always preached that it lies within. It is very much like the musk that is inside the deer, which keeps on searching outside.
Long lasting happiness
The search for eternal peace and happiness has captivated minds since ancient times. It has long been discussed by wise individuals and philosophers. Each one converged on a point. It lies not in physical possessions which are like sparkles of a firework having a very short life. People, thus, are vying for long-lasting happiness. Some find it in music, some in reading books. While some want to watch light comedy films, others vent out their indignation in exercise.
Seeking solace in Nature
There are a few who find solace in the vicinity of Nature. The music of cascading falls, chirping birds, Psithurism of leaves and carpeted campestral, all give them pleasure and happiness. They laugh with joy watching a dung beetle pushing and pulling a ball of cow dung, and colourful butterflies hovering on flowers. The stages of transformation of insects and some animals are simply mesmerising. Watching them in close quarters gives insight into the life process. It makes a person happy and laugh.
Summation
Emotion of happiness is not absolute. Its degree and the way it’s had differ considerably. Every individual is different, and they have different and divergent ways of happiness. It depends upon the nature and disposition of the individual. Nonetheless, it is important to have a long-lasting peace, which can be achieved by harmony and adjustments. It is necessary everywhere, in Nature and in mutual relationships. Sounds impractical, but as they say, practice makes a man perfect. Everyone should endeavour to keep harmony.
Material things are pavonine soap bubbles, but eternal happiness lies within. Experiencing the bliss in Nature and its happenings brings rewards in more than one way.
Further interesting reads:
-END-
Leave a Reply