What is happiness? This is one of the fundamental questions discussed in philosophy, psychology, religion, sociology, and other sciences. Many research papers and essays explore this phenomenon, and the topic of happiness is an infinite source of inspiration.
If you decide to write a paper on happiness, this is a great chance to learn what happiness is for you. To help you create outstanding writing, our expert team has collected the best happiness essay topics.
🔝 Top 10 Happiness Essay Topics
- How to find happiness?
- What are the signs of a happy person?
- The most common myths around happiness.
- The effects of positive psychology on happiness.
- How does happiness change over the lifespan?
- The effects of happiness on physical well-being.
- The most popular theories of happiness.
- The world’s happiest countries.
- The definition of family happiness.
- Can money buy happiness?
✍️ Happiness Essay Prompts
Writing an essay on happiness can be tricky since this is a very complex phenomenon. However, if you focus on its specific aspect, you can easily do research and write a well-crafted paper. Consider our ideas on how you can narrow the topic of happiness.
Can Money Buy Happiness: Argumentative Essay Prompt
There’s an ongoing debate about the connections between happiness and money. If you want to investigate this controversial topic in your essay, it’s essential to consider both sides before jumping to conclusions.
Recent research by Kahneman, Killingsworth, and Mellers suggests that people are generally happier as they earn more. More than 30,000 adults aged between 18 and 65 living in the US with different incomes participated in a survey. Researchers measured their happiness at random intervals in the day via an app called Track Your Happiness.
The results revealed that happiness rises with income, even in the high salary range. However, there was a so-called “unhappy minority” — about 20 percent of participants, whose happiness didn’t progress after the person reached a certain income level. You might want to mention this research as an argument in your essay.
What Does Happiness Mean to You: Essay Prompt
There’s no one universal definition of happiness. It differs from person to person. If you’re writing a narrative essay, you can describe what happiness is for you. For more formal assignments, you might want to define happiness from a psychological, philosophical, or religious perspective.
Neuroscientists have demonstrated a great interest over the past years in what happens in our brains when we’re happy. According to neuroscience, happiness is the release of dopamine and serotonin (two types of neurotransmitters) in response to external factors.
While medical studies see happiness as a physiological process, in religion, happiness is sacral. To be precise, biblical scholar Jonathan Pennington defines happiness as something that cannot be found outside since this is a feeling of complete alignment with God and his coming kingdom.
Aristotle Happiness: Essay Prompt
When writing a happiness essay, it’s almost impossible not to mention the Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle. In one of his works, The Nicomachean Ethics, he presented one of the first happiness theories, which is still relevant today.
According to Aristotle, happiness lies in achieving all the good, such as health, knowledge, wealth, and friends, which leads to the perfection of human nature. Often, happiness requires us to make choices, some of which may be very challenging. For example, the lesser good sometimes promises immediate pleasure, while the greater good requires sacrifice. Aristotle’s theory of happiness remains one of the most influential frameworks and is worth mentioning in your writing.
Prompt for Happiness Is a Choice Essay
Is happiness a choice? This is another complex question you can build your essay around.
To give you some food for thought, psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky believes that roughly 50 percent of people’s natural happiness level is genetically determined. However, if we work on our happiness consistently, with effort and dedication, we can boost it.
It sounds shocking, but we make around 35,000 conscious decisions daily, each contributing to our happiness. As mentioned earlier, genetics make up roughly half of the happiness levels. The rest depends on our choices, and only 10% of happiness depends on circumstances.
❓ Happiness Research Questions
- How do sociological perspectives shed light on factors contributing to happiness?
- How does a cross-disciplinary approach enrich our understanding of happiness?
- What is the impact of relationships on well-being?
- How can happiness be measured subjectively and objectively?
- What does the economics of happiness say about human well-being?
- How does health contribute to human happiness?
- Does income directly relate to happiness?
- What are the socio-economic and sociodemographic characteristics of happiness?
- How do classical and neo-classical economic theories conceptualize happiness?
- How do social security and welfare contribute to happiness?
- Can employment affect happiness?
- Who is happier: self-employed or those working for hire?
- What is the impact of retirement on happiness?
- What is the link between female happiness and marital status?
- Should sacrifices be made for the sake of children’s well-being?
- How do meaningful personal relationships contribute to happiness?
- How does feeling in control of one’s life affect happiness?
- What is the relationship between freedom and happiness?
- What is the connection between a community’s religious diversity and happiness?
- What is the link between the amount of leisure time and happiness?
- How do outdoor activities affect happiness?
- How does culture affect the way people evaluate happiness?
- How do social networks influence a person’s happiness?
- What is the difference between top-down and bottom-up theories of life satisfaction?
- What is the impact of regular involvement in sports on happiness?
- How often should one meet with friends to feel happy?
- Is loneliness inversely related to happiness?
- What is the impact of political stability on happiness?
- Is living in a democratic state a determinant of happiness?
- Can economic freedom contribute to one’s happiness levels?
- What are the economic consequences of social happiness?
- Is happiness a fundamental goal of a democratic society?
- Can happiness be attained by well-organized governmental efforts?
- Happiness versus well-being: are these concepts the same?
- What is the math behind the Gross National Happiness (GNH) index?
Questions about Happiness: Psychology
- What is the impact of family bonds on subjective well-being?
- Psychology Answers Whether Money Buys Happiness.
- Can physical health be a reflection of internal happiness?
- Are life challenges a stimulant of happiness?
- How to Increase Happiness Across All Three Types of Subjective Well-Being.
- Are psychometric scales valid and reliable for measuring happiness?
- What is the role of gratitude in positive psychology?
- Does Your Personality Predict Your Happiness?
- What is the link between gratitude and happiness?
- Is gratitude an alternative to materialism and a tool for attaining happiness?
- Happiness and Academic Success Relationship.
- What is the concept of “good human life” in psychology?
- How does evolutionary psychology explain the origins of happiness?
- How has the concept of happiness evolved across different psychological theories?
- Self-Esteem and Happiness Analysis.
- How does subjective well-being vary across different age groups?
- What is the role of social support in happiness?
- To what extent does genetics determine the baseline happiness level?
- The Happiness Tips and Examples from Real Life.
- How do cultural norms influence the understanding of happiness?
- How does the experience of flow states contribute to happiness?
- How can mindfulness meditations increase happiness?
- Do Stay-at-Home Mothers Exhibit More Indicators of Happiness Than Full-Time Working Mothers?
- Is there a genuine science of happiness?
- Positive psychology: a new science of happiness or old data in a new package?
- How does the quality of interpersonal relationships affect happiness?
- What cognitive and emotional processes are involved in positive self-appraisal?
- Generosity Motivating Factors and Wellbeing.
- What are the dimensions of psychological well-being?
- How does the engagement in prosocial behaviors contribute to happiness?
- What is the impact of pursuing extrinsic and intrinsic goals on happiness?
- How does having a life purpose contribute to happiness?
- Spiritual Satisfaction of Basic Psychological Needs.
- Positive psychology coaching: how to learn to help others attain happiness?
- What are the neurobiological correlates of happiness?
- Relationship of Proactive Personality, Financial Planning Behavior, and Life Satisfaction.
- What is the impact of spiritual well-being on happiness?
- Happiness on prescription: do anti-depressants contribute to well-being?
- What personality traits are associated with sustained happiness levels?
- How Does Regular Alcohol Consumption Affect Happiness?
- How do positive psychology interventions at school affect young adults’ happiness?
- What is the link between physical attractiveness and subjective happiness?
- What is the connection between happiness and neuroticism?
- What are the positive psychology teachings of Buddhism?
- Is yoga a path to mature happiness?
- What is the impact of social comparison on happiness?
Philosophical Questions about Happiness
- How to achieve ultimate happiness?
- The dark side of happiness: what are the wrong ways of pursuing happiness?
- Can there be wrong types of happiness?
- Bhutanese Views on Happiness and Subjective Wellbeing.
- Is happiness egoistic self-indulgence?
- What are the philosophical problems in the study of happiness?
- Is there a link between happiness and compassion?
- Philosophy on Knowledge, Reality, and Good Life.
- Can happiness be universally possible?
- What are the conditions and causes of happiness?
- Relativity of happiness: are lottery winners happier than accident survivors?
- People and the Meaning of Life.
- How do emotional styles contribute to happiness?
- What are the personality traits of a happy person?
- What is Carson’s approach to happiness and satisfaction?
- Philosophical Views and Cultural Influences.
- What is the philosophical stance on happiness and pleasure?
- Can happiness be equated to hedonism?
- How can the pursuit of happiness be analyzed from a utilitarian perspective?
- What is Benditt’s view of happiness and contentment?
- What were Aristotle’s ideas on the human good?
- What is the difference between classical and contemporary philosophy readings on happiness?
- What is the link between happiness and the meaning of life?
- What is eudaimonic well-being?
- What are the features of Diener’s happiness philosophy?
- What is the happiness philosophy of Plato?
- How has happiness research in philosophy progressed over time?
- Money Cannot Bring True Happiness.
- What is the concept of happiness in English sayings?
- Is ancient happiness wisdom applicable to modern times?
- What are the contributions of the world’s famous happiness philosophers?
- What does Islam say about happiness?
- What were John Stuart Mill’s views on the moral and political philosophy of happiness?
- Personal happiness or societal well-being: what should be prioritized?
- How do Foucault’s teachings describe children’s happiness?
- What were Ibn Rushd’s ideas on happiness?
- How have ancient philosophers influenced contemporary debates on the nature of happiness?
- Human Development and Wellbeing.
- How do Eastern and Western approaches to happiness differ?
- How did stoics achieve happiness?
- Is greater happiness for a greater number of people desirable?
⚖️ Happiness Argumentative Essay: Topic Ideas
- Nature vs. nurture: the role of personal choices in achieving happiness.
- Can happiness be increased by technological advancements?
- The Relationship between Money and Happiness.
- Happiness can’t be achieved with anti-depressants.
- Cultivating positive brains is vital for happiness.
- Happiness levels in rich and poor nations.
- Is unhappiness more important in moral terms than happiness?
- Gay Marriages: Isn’t It Time to Allow Them Feel Happy?
- Emotional control plays a vital role in a person’s ability to be happy.
- Happiness is inseparable from pleasure.
- Happiness inevitably leads to human flourishing.
- Are there moral limits to satisfaction?
- Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness.
- There should always be a place for virtue in happiness.
- Happiness is a stochastic phenomenon: examining Lykken and Tellegen’s views.
- Suffering is not mutually exclusive with happiness.
- Technological progress distances people from simple happiness.
- Goodness means different things to people.
- Health, Wealth, and Happiness: Government’s Responsibility.
- Happiness and meaning are two main aspects of a virtuous life.
- Is happiness research relevant for economists?
- Happiness research can offer implications for public policy.
- Happiness: a contribution to an economic revolution.
- How To Achieve Well-being and Enjoyment in Life?
- The paradox of choice: does an abundance of options lead to greater happiness?
- Implications of happiness research for environmental economics.
- Diversity is a vital determinant in modern happiness research.
- Happiness research should be country-specific.
- National Well-Being Before and During the Pandemic.
- A need for more programs for increasing personal happiness.
- Happiness is a relative concept.
- Happiness can prosper only in democracies.
- Collective and individual happiness are interrelated.
- Psychological Well-Being, Self-Efficacy, and Personal Growth.
- Happiness affects mental and physical health in many ways.
- The impact of happiness on achievement.
- Do acts of kindness increase happiness levels?
- The impact of relationships on individual happiness: quantity vs. quality.
- Hedonism vs. eudaimonism: which leads to a more fulfilling life?
- Happiness depends on income, but not exclusively.
- Should maximizing happiness be the government’s social policy?
- Insights of happiness research for public policy and administration.
- Democracy: Equality of Income and Egalitarianism.
- Human happiness is impossible without favorable social conditions.
- Happiness scales don’t work.
- There’s a tangible degree of utility for human happiness.
- Instagram Use and Psychological Well-Being in Women.
- The significance of adaptation and change in sustaining lasting happiness.
- Happiness is culturally constructed.
- Happiness is not equal to well-being.
- Personal happiness is a principal element of productivity.
- Preventive healthcare can boost people’s well-being and happiness.
- Happiness at work determines general happiness to a large degree.
- Morality plays a huge role in the folk conceptions of happiness.
➡️ Essay about Cause and Effect of Happiness: Topics
- Causes of happiness and unhappiness.
- Culturally specific causes of happiness.
- Physical appearance peculiarities and happiness.
- Individual traits’ impact on perceived happiness.
- Chinese Population: Future Growth and Wellbeing.
- Effect of overestimating and underestimating the importance of happiness on well-being.
- Influence of happiness on one’s body and mind.
- Absence of happiness as a probable cause of mental health disorders.
- Can unhappiness cause cancer?
- The Citizen Science: Impact on Personal Wellbeing.
- Causes of marital unhappiness.
- Effects of chronic stress and unhappiness at work.
- Unhappiness as a cause or effect of loneliness.
- Happiness and success – what’s the cause in this relationship?
- Effect of wealth on happiness.
- Social Justice, Feminism and Well-Being.
- The impact of living in a democracy versus autocracy on people’s perceived happiness.
- Causes of male happiness.
- The influence of consumerism culture on happiness.
- Differences between the causes of male and female happiness.
- Instagram Use and Psychological Well-Being.
- How do the causes and effects of happiness change with age?
- Effects of happiness on the elderly.
- The impact of education level on happiness.
- Causes of happiness in Eastern and Western cultures.
- Can a cause of happiness in one culture be a cause of unhappiness in another one?
- Divorce of Parents and Impact on Child’s Well-Being.
- The influence of the number of children one has on the perceived happiness level.
- Can the pursuit of one’s dream be a cause of happiness?
- Freedom as a cause of happiness.
- The causes of material versus spiritual happiness.
- Video Gaming and Children’s Psychosocial Well-Being.
- Causes of happiness in the workplace.
- Effects of being happy and emotionally stable on academic performance.
- The impact of happiness on the quality of social relationships.
- Can happiness be a source of productivity?
- The Impact of Self-Care on Well-Being among Practicing Psychologists.
- Individually determined causes of happiness and misery.
- Environmental causes of human happiness.
- How do causes of happiness change over time?
- The COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on Social Well-Being.
- Can happiness cause health improvements?
- Moral causes of happiness.
- The effect of positive body image on a person’s happiness.
- How does high self-esteem affect one’s happiness?
- People’s recipes for long-term happiness across cultures.
- Polling Exercise: Self-Fulfillment Over Self-Indulgence.
- Effects of happiness on sociability.
- Happiness causes in single-parent families and double-parent families.
- Causes of happiness among very wealthy people.
- Positive Impact of the Environment on Families.
- Is happiness a stable concept? What causes happiness to change?
- Causes of happiness as seen by feminists.
- Strong friendship bonds as a cause of happiness.
- Psychological wealth as a precondition of happiness.
🤩 More Happiness Essay Titles
Pursuit of Happiness Essay Topics
- The unending pursuit of happiness is too commercialized.
- Pursuit of happiness in the movies.
- History: In Search of the American Dream.
- The scientific pursuit of happiness: approaches from different sciences’ perspectives.
- People often get lonely in the pursuit of happiness.
- Self-defeating pursuit of happiness.
- Historical cases of happiness pursuits.
- Materialism and pursuit of happiness.
- Positive Psychology to Lead a Normal Life.
- Experientialism and happiness.
- Time, money, and social connections in the happiness equation.
- Therapy vs. medications in the pursuit of happiness.
- What should a person know to pursue happiness successfully?
- Pursuit of happiness: rural vs. urban perspectives.
- Pursuit of happiness in the Age of Enlightenment.
- How do advances in biotechnology serve the pursuit of happiness?
- Psychobiotics and gut-brain relationships: happiness via nutrition.
- Downshifting for the sake of happiness.
- The impact of race on the choice of happiness pursuit methods.
- Perceived security and pursuit of happiness.
- Experiential consumption in the pursuit of happiness.
- The origins of the hunt for happiness.
Happiness at Work: Topic Ideas
- The benefits of happy employees for the organization.
- The reciprocal relationship between happiness and success.
- Job Satisfaction and Ethical Behavior in Prisons.
- Impact of happiness and optimism on performance.
- Waiting to become happy as the greatest success limitation.
- Police: Issue of Job Satisfaction, Hazards and Risks.
- Cultivation of positive brains for motivation, workplace creativity, and resilience.
- Escaping the cult of the average for the sake of happiness.
- Psychological flexibility is the key to workplace success.
- Human Resource Regulations: Working Hours and Minimum Salary.
- Independence as a cause of happiness at work.
- Work-life balance and happiness.
- Attaining happiness in the knowledge-intensive workplace.
- Approaches to measuring happiness at work.
- Diversity at the Workplace: Problem and Importance.
- Happiness at work: small firms, SMBs, and corporations.
- Cross-cultural correlates of happiness at work.
- The art of staying happy in the workplace.
- Work-Life Balance in the Last Decade.
- The quality of relationships with colleagues as a determinant of happiness.
- Workplace conflict and happiness.
- Happiness and financial/non-financial rewards.
- Positive psychology coaching for staff.
- Impacts of Parenting on Work, Life, and Family.
- Can a person working nine-to-five be really happy?
- Happiness and overtime work.
- Happiness in the educational workplace.
- Steps to Reduce Stress at Work.
- Happy doctors and nurses: can seeing suffering every day align with happiness?
- Anger control and happiness at work.
- Culture of respect and workplace happiness.
- Exploring the Concepts of Productivity and Stress Levels in the Workplace.
- Happiness at work and broader life satisfaction.
- Happiness among emergency workers.
- Happiness and workplace burnout.
- Work Efficiency Impact Factors.
- Can real happiness be attained through work?
- Organizational learning measures for supporting staff happiness.
- Happiness at work and organizational effectiveness.
- Human Factors: Workload and Stress Relationship.
- Are happy employees more committed to their employer?
- Happiness at work and motivation.
- Happy staff and growth mindsets.
- Work-Related Stress and Meditation & Mindfulness.
- How do workers of different ages conceptualize happiness at work?
- Self- and peer-related orientations and happiness at work.
✏️ Writing about Happiness: Step by Step
We’ve prepared a small writing guide to help you make a well-structured and captivating happiness essay. Consider the best tips for the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion.
Happiness Essay Introduction
The introduction is an essential part of an academic essay that presents the topic, provides background information, and catches readers’ attention. Here are the three main elements to include in your introduction.
- Hook. A hook is the first sentence of an essay needed to spark readers’ curiosity. You can start your essay with a thought-provoking question (What is happiness?) or provide intriguing statistics (In 2022, 24% of American citizens indicated they were unhappy).
- Background information. Next, you need to provide some context so that readers better understand your topic. If you’re writing a happiness essay, you need to define this phenomenon, name the relevant theories, and outline the problem you’re addressing.
- Thesis statement. Finally, you need a thesis statement to narrow down your topic. It is a sentence or two that sums up your opinion on the issue.
An example of a good thesis statement about happiness is: “Happy people are more motivated and demonstrate a higher level of productivity.”
Body Paragraphs about Happiness
The body is the longest essay part, leading readers through your ideas, arguments, and evidence for your thesis. It’s always divided into two or more paragraphs, each centering around a topic sentence.
A topic sentence describes the paragraph’s central idea and should be expanded with evidence and examples. It also helps to transition smoothly from one section to another.
Remember, we’ve already developed a thesis statement about the connection between happiness and productivity. An example of a happiness topic sentence for this essay is shown below.
To find supporting evidence for your thesis, you can check out major theories, previously done research, statistics, case studies, and articles on the topic.
Happiness Essay Conclusion
The conclusion is a vital part of an essay that reminds readers of your thesis statement and summarizes the main points. Nothing new is presented in this section, but you might want to encourage readers to think deeper about the topic.
The critical requirement for the conclusion is paraphrasing your thesis statement from the introduction. You can keep the keywords but change the rest.
Happiness is a complex phenomenon many writers, poets, and scientists try to explore. If you also want to contribute to happiness discussion and share your ideas, writing an essay is a great opportunity. Consider our top happiness essay topics and writing tips to write a memorable paper.
🔗 References
- Happiness | Harvard Business School
- Happiness | TED
- Research Topic: Happiness | Association for Psychological Science
- Three New Ideas About Happiness and Well-Being | Greater Good Magazine
- Happiness Articles & More | Greater Good Magazine
- Happiness in Psychology and Philosophy | Cogut Institute for the Humanities
- Happiness | UCLA Anderson Review
- The Five Big Questions of Happiness Research | Longevity
- 10 Questions: How Can We Be Happy? | CBS News
- Can Money Buy Happiness? Scientists Say It Can. | The Washington Post