Aristotle’s Four Levels of Happiness

Happiness is overrated. Here’s how to get it.

Leonid Afremov, The Spectrum For Happiness, 2018. Image Courtesy of Afremov Studios

A word of caution, or a disclaimer if you’d like — happiness is tricky. As Sam Levenson aptly puts into words:

“Just try to be happy. Unhappiness starts with wanting to be happier.”

Not only is it the root of its shadow, happiness has also been found to have other downsides. In Davis M.A’s Organizational and Human Decision; Cyder M.A & Smith G.T’s Psychological Bulletin; Schnall, Jaswal & Rowe’s A Hidden Cost of Happiness; it has been found that happiness also reduces creativity, makes you more susceptible to taking disproportionate risks, and renders you less alert to details.

Still interested? Here’s how you can feed on each of Aristotle’s four levels of happiness.

Laetus — an Immediate Happiness Gained from Material Objects

Artist Unknown, Solid Gold, 2012. Image Courtesy of Pixabay

Laetus is the sensual gratification from the possession of stuff. It is external in nature, and often short-lived. Take for example, a sudden craving for a warm bowl of corn soup. You had the corn soup…