Video - Chasing Happiness: Can We Ever Truly Define It?

Can happiness be defined or measured in any meaningful way? Thinkers have long grappled with this evasive concept. Some, like Aristotle, linked happiness to the cultivation of virtue and the fulfillment of one's purpose, a state he called 'eudaimonia.' In modern times, utilitarian philosophers like Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill quantified happiness, proposing that actions leading to the greatest pleasure for the greatest number are morally right. Yet, critics argue that happiness is too subjective, differing wildly from person to person. Epicurus saw it as the absence of pain, while the Stoics believed it was found in accepting the present moment. How do we reconcile these varied perspectives? Perhaps true happiness lies not in strict definitions but in the continuous endeavor to understand and live our most authentic lives. While the quest for a universal measure of happiness may be elusive, it fosters deeper introspection and appreciation of the diverse paths leading to a fulfilling life.