Jul 06, 2020 06:00:00

What do Oxford University philosophers think of as 'a way to live a happy life'?

Everyone wants to be happy, but it is difficult to actually get happiness. Oxford University philosophers with different backbones such as practical ethics, psychology, Buddhism, and dance discuss 'happiness' respectively.

How to live a happy life | University of Oxford

http://www.ox.ac.uk/research/research-in-conversation/how-live-happy-life

Professor John McMahan, who is known as an authority on bioethics and just war theory , responded to the question, 'What are the elements that make up a happy life?' 'Happiness' and 'whether you are living a happy life' are misunderstood. ' He mentioned that even if he was happy at that moment, he might be far from a happy life.

Professor McMahan cites 'ask yourself whether you want your child to live a life like you' as a way to be aware of 'whether you are living a happy life.' Using this method, rather than subjective satisfaction, 'objective' whether you have relationships based on mutual understanding, whether you have achieved valuable goals, and whether you have great experience and creativity. Achievement of a typical life '.

According to Professor Makumahan, in order to improve the achievement of an objective life, it is important to look back on one's own life and decide to 'make it a better life.' Being a good person can be difficult for most people, but 'if you can only choose between a happy but unmoral person and an unhappy but moral person, then your child I want you to be the latter, 'said Professor McMahan, saying that morality, especially dedication, is one of the elements of a good life.

Also, when asked, 'Individual interests and the interests of society as a whole are often at odds with each other, but what if you want to live a morally good life as well as your own?' Professor Makumahan replied, 'We should learn from great people who are recognized as morally respectable.' He cited philosophers such as John Stuart Mill and Henry Sidgwick and literary figures such as Samuel Johnson , John Ruskin , and George Orwell as the great men he respected, saying, 'How are they all? They are people who introspect a lot about whether to live and try to live according to their beliefs, even at some cost. '

Meanwhile,

Michael Plant, who is studying the factors of happiness, advises on specific ways to be happy. According to Mr. Plant, the following four actions are important for happiness.

1: Write down 'Thank you for today' every day.
2: Perform mindfulness .
3: Perform cognitive behavioral therapy .
4: Investigate your own happiness, do what you like, and don't do what you don't like.

The importance of these behaviors is largely related to the human mechanism called ' Hedonic treadmill (pleasure adaptation) '. Pleasure adaptation is that 'humans get used to any state of happiness,' according to Plant, no matter what happiness or unhappiness happens, the happiness that a person feels will return to its original level within six months. He said he would be back. That's why Plant recommends practicing mindfulness, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and positive psychology, saying 'it's important to spend time changing your own mindset.'

Professor

Richard Gonbridge, a Buddhist researcher who is also the founder of the Oxford Buddhist Center , quotes Buddha's Four Noble Truths as saying that life is more painful than joy, understanding one's own suffering and controlling emotions. Insisted that was important.

'True happiness comes from peace of mind,' said Professor Gonbridge, who gave practical advice: 'We should build good relationships with our families.' From Christmas to the beginning of the year, he said it was important to forget about work, talk to his family, and play and sing with him. 'Money does not bring happiness,' he said, citing the idea that ' desire is the origin of suffering ' as a lesson learned from Buddhism.

Dr.

Bronwin Tar , who studies 'dance evolution' in human history and enjoys classical ballet, contemporary dance , Latin dance, etc., says that human beings have developed social connections in evolution. .. 'It is impossible for humankind today to live alone,' citing a 2010 study that 'life expectancy is closely related to the number and quality of social relationships a person has.' I told you.

'Biologically, when you're doing something fun, chemicals like endorphins are secreted in your brain, creating a desire to'try it again',' he said, listening to his favorite music. He cited his own research that endorphins are secreted in large quantities even when dancing. Dance classes and concerts are important for happiness because they not only allow you to listen to your favorite music and dance, but also foster social connections and gain a sense of belonging.