The psychology of happiness

Previously published in Examiner

Part 1 of the Happiness series

Montrealers are considered the second happiness people in the world, according to the renown travel guide, Lonely Planet , No other Canadian city made the list. The only place on the globe that beats us was the Vanuatu, a South Pacific paradise. Lonely Planet says, he clean, welcoming and refreshingly multicultural city is happy year-round -- but especially so in the summer, when it hosts one of the world's biggest comedy festivals. Check for the complete list here:

This Montreal examiner's son's friend came over with some of his “island music.” He had Bob Marley, the Mighty Sparrow, who is actually related to him, and other Caribbean artists. One song he had that was popular here in North America was BobbyMcFerrin's, “Don't Worry Be Happy.”

If those of you who know the song can relate to the fact that bad things are happening to people in this song; yet the message is don't worry be happy, then you will understand this article. In one way you can say that happiness is relative; just like that other famous song says...happiness is, happiness is, happiness is, happiness is.... different things to different people that's what happiness is.

Bobby McFerrin's song, put this examiner in a philosophical frame of mine and got her to thinking, about happiness, and is it tangible? Can we feel it, taste it, hear it, smell it, see it, and touch it? Is it a permanent phenomenon or a fleeting fancy? For this examiner, the answer is it is all of these things and none of these things at the same time. You will have to read to this mini series to understand why it is none of these things.

Stay tuned for the explanation to follow

Sources

http://montreal.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20100727/mtl_happy_100727/20100727/?hub=MontrealHome

http://www.thehappyguy.com/definition-of-happiness.html