Blog

Weekly Happiness Inspiration

Arcturus Mengsk StarCraft
Psychology of Happiness

Arcturus Mengsk on Conquest, Success, and Happiness

Recently, I fell in love with a fictional character named Arcturus Mengsk, and I was astonished by how much I learned from him about happiness, success, and failure through his

failure success happiness
Psychology of Happiness

How to Fail Successfully: To Fail Forward

Failure is often perceived as negative. However, some argue that there is no such thing as bad publicity. After all, people still hear about you and your product, and not

Trauma loss suffering
Psychology of Happiness

Trauma and Loss Are Universal, but So Is Happiness

Let’s start with a fundamental truth: no one is perfect, everyone is somewhat broken, and everyone has experienced trauma and loss. This realization might sound simple, but it is important

egoism altruism happiness
Psychology of Happiness

Altruism vs. Egoism: The Path to True Happiness

What do Gandhi, Mother Teresa, and Martin Luther King Jr. all have in common? They were very altruistic, which, in accordance with happiness theory, means that they were very happy.

existentialism existential dread crisis
Psychology of Happiness

Existentialism: Escaping the Hamster Wheel of Life

One of my close friends is constantly joking about existentialism and how everything seems to just fall into it. It’s a great joke until you realize that it’s not, which

Give and take
Psychology of Happiness

Give and Take: Finding Happiness in a Balanced Life

Another relatively common mistake people make in their pursuit of happiness (mostly women, but sometimes men, too) is giving more than they receive in their jobs, relationships, and other aspects

gratitude and happiness
Psychology of Happiness

Is Gratitude the Key to Happiness?

Many people say that happiness is gratitude, and I agree, although only partially. After all, we need to remind ourselves that we often have much more than others and yet

gym is happiness
Psychology of Happiness

Gym is Happiness

Today, my back was hurting me, and as a result, I couldn’t think straight, do the things that I wanted to do, and I wasn’t very happy. In fact, my

Ask me anything
Psychology of Happiness

Ask Me Anything About Your Pursuit of Happiness

Hey everyone, thank you for being an avid reader of Optimal Happiness. We are here for you. If you have any questions related to your happiness, unhappiness, well-being, positive, negativity,

Growth through Pain
Psychology of Happiness

How to Use Pain to Reach Enlightenment

Not all negative emotions are necessarily bad, and not all positive emotions are necessarily good. For example, cocaine is said to provide very high positive emotions in the moment, but

Social Justice Warrior
Psychology of Happiness

Mental Health for Social Justice Warriors

Despite its recent negative connotation, the term Social Justice Warriors (SJW) was not originally used in a negative and pejorative way. Instead, it was something positive or neutral. Only recently

false-happiness
Psychology of Happiness

You’ve Been Lied To, So You Are Unhappy

If you are unhappy today, it is because, in many respects, you are living your life incorrectly or inefficiently. In other words, you have been purposefully or inadvertently misled from

happiness unhappiness
Psychology of Happiness

Happiness Cannot be Experienced Without Unhappiness?

Often, people tell me that happiness cannot be experienced without unhappiness, in many ways justifying existence and perpetuating negative emotions. What people don’t realize is that both happiness and unhappiness