Lifestyle
The happiness model that will change the life of every entrepreneur
The rapid growth of technology often finds people racing to compete with others, not realizing they are losing so much or so little. People often look for stones by leaving gemstones at home.
People often think that if they work hard today, they will be happy later. However, there is no guarantee of happiness later on.
In this context, I would like to discuss Ben-Shahar’s model of happiness, which is thought-provoking for busy people to look at and find meaning in their lives.
Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar is the author of several books and a specialist in ‘positive psychology’. He is the author of several books, such as The Pursuit of Perfection: How to Stop Chasing Perfection and Live a Richer, Happier Life And Happier: Learn the secrets of daily joy and lasting fulfillment.
He has designed a model of happiness that is also known as ‘The Hamburger Model’. It contains four quadrants representing nihilism, hedonism, rat race and happiness.
Here is the information from his book ‘Happier’ to raise awareness about this model for the benefit of readers.
Ben-Shahar’s model of happiness
Nihilism: Nihilism falls in the lower left quadrant of the happiness model. Nihilists are people who have given up hope of finding meaning in life. They do not enjoy any present happiness, nor do they have any sense of purpose or hope for the future. As a result, they are “abandoned to their fate.”
Hedonism: Hedonism falls into the lower right quadrant of the model. Hedonists focus only on present happiness and think little about future consequences. They may think that “hard work” is painful and tedious and may avoid it. As a result, hedonists feel unchallenged and often unfulfilled.
Rat race: The Rat Race falls in the upper left quadrant of the model. In the Rat Race, we harmfully postpone current happiness in the hope of some future benefit. This archetype is probably the most familiar to many of us. Here people constantly pursue goals that they think will make them happy. However, when these goals are achieved, a new goal takes their place almost immediately. Although Rat Racers may experience brief flashes of satisfaction when they achieve goals, any thoughts of current happiness are then quickly cast aside.
Luck: The Happiness archetype falls in the upper right quadrant of the model. This archetype reflects a good balance between current happiness and future benefits.
Precisely, the Happiness Model defines four happiness archetypes as follows:
- Nihilism – Nihilists have lost the joy in life. They currently derive no pleasure from their work or life and do not expect future benefits or rewards. They have ‘given up’.
- Hedonism – Hedonists live in the moment. They strive for fun and an easy life and give little or no thought to future consequences and plans.
- Rat Racing – The Rat Race archetype often sacrifices current pleasures and benefits in anticipation of a future reward.
- Happiness – True happiness is achieved when there is a perfect balance between current pleasure and future benefits.
“Happiness grows less from the passive experience of desirable circumstances than from involvement in valued activities and progress toward one’s goals.” – Tal Ben-Shahar
Current global scenario
It is rightly said that a young person looks to the future; the middle-aged person looks to the present, while the middle-aged person looks to the past. However, in the cutthroat competitive world, the young, middle-aged and old are chasing something they have no clarity about.
The current situation is such that parents do not have time to spend with their children. As a result, children discover emotional gaps and look elsewhere for the same. Sometimes crimes among children and teenagers flare up because parents do not find time to guide and care for them.
Old people are not cared for by children as these are concerned with their survival and success.
We live in a competitive world where people often intend to outsmart others without realizing any meaning in life. God has given us life.
We must learn to make the most of it by finding a balance between pressure and pleasure, between speed and slowness. Otherwise life has no meaning.
Happiness is a state of mind. It comes in any way, for example through wealth, knowledge, power, prestige or love. However, it depends on the priority of the person.
People often think that happiness is an end, but the fact is that happiness is a means. People struggle and sacrifice their entire life journey to think about the destination of happiness.
True happiness lies in the journey, not the destination.
It is essential to find the balance between today and tomorrow. Several books have been published that teach how to live in the present instead of dwelling on the past and worrying about the future.
Therefore, let us learn to live in the present instead of worrying about the past that cannot be changed and worrying about the future that cannot be predicted.
Learn to balance the past, present and future as well as the pressure and pleasure of finding meaning in your life.
