ThePhysicalityofHappiness

Farfromtheoutdatedviewsofsomesortofspiritualisticandintangibleidea,theconcept
ofhappinessisreally,quitesimply,aprocesswhichcanbetracedtoveryphysicalchemical
processeswithinthehumanandanimalbrain.Happinesscanbasicallybedefinedasan
interneuralreleaseandreceptionofthechemicaldopamine,achemicalthat,whenexperienced
insidethebrain,signalswhatweknowashappinessfortheindividual.Wemustunderstandthat
ourhighlyadaptedbodiesaresimplyvesselsinwhichourgenesaretransportedtoa
reproductionofthemselves,andthateverysubconsciousactioncompletedbyusisinresponseto
ourgenesgoalofreplication(ourgenesarenotconsciousandthereforedonothavegoals,but
Iwillusethispersonificationtoanapplicationofthedescriptionofhumanevolutionspurpose
ofperfectingthevesselofcarryinggeneticmaterial).AsstatedbyRichardDawkinsinhisbook
TheSelfishGene
Ishallarguethatthefundamentalunitofselection,andthereforeof
selfinterest,isnotthespecies,northegroup,noreven,strictly,theindividual.Itisthegene,the
unitofheredity.(Dawkins).
Ifthereaderisdesirousofquestioningthereasoningsbehindthis,
wemustobservethatwedonotknowhowthesereplicatorsandearlyancestorsofDNAarrived
uponthisplanet,butstudiespointingtostimulusrewardsofreproduction,individualisticpursuits
ofsensorystimulus,andsocialconnectionareindicativeofthetruthinthisconcept.This
previouslydescribeddopaminereleasecanthusbebetracedbacktoevolutionaryresponses
dopamineisalwaysreleasedwhenanindividualcompletesanactivitywhichislikelytoincrease
thatindividuals(or,moreaccurately,theindividualsgeneticsignatures)chanceofsurvivaland
isthereforeprovidedasanincentiveforsuchactivities.Humanconsciousness,asidefromthe
animalmind,allowsforaconsciousanalysisofthesepleasures,andwehavethusdevelopeda
moremagnifiedresponsetovaryingformsofthisreleasewhichinitselfvariesdependingonthe
actcompleted.Astruggleforhappinessmustbeviewedthroughnotadogmaticlens,butone
whichencompassesthephysicalandchemicalprocesseswhichmakeupthissingularfeelingin
realizationofmeaninginassociationwithcommutativeindispensability,individualhappiness
withdirectstimulusandchemicalvariation,andnationalhappinesswithaphilosophyattunedto
thefulfillmentofthesedesirespairedwithahealthydoseoftechnicallymindedprogression.
Whathumansdescribeaspurposeormeaningcanmoreproperlyandsurgicallybe
definedasthebrainsreceptionofthechemicaldopamineasaresponsetotheprogressionofthe
individualsgeneticsurvivalthroughgroupbelonging.Thisspecificdopaminereleaseisnotas
baseastheconsumptionofcaloriesorsexualpursuitsitisalongerandmorecontinuousrelease
ofdopamineasaresultofasecureandfairlypermanentacquiringofaplacewithinthesocial
environment,whichismostlikelywhythemorespiritualphilosophershaveclassifiedmeaning
asseparatefromhappiness(eventhoughthesetwochemicalhappeningsareidenticalinbasal
construct).AsstatedinthefilmIAm,directedbyTomShadyac,thecommonlyasked
questionwhichhasagainandagainbeenexplored,blindlyandwithoutresult,byphilosophers

ignoringthetheoreticalgeneselfishnessofthehumanindividualisIstheessentialnatureof
humanstocooperateortodominate?(Shadyac).Theanswer,whenutilizingtheknowledgeof
happinesssphysicalroots,isboth.Dominationisachievedthroughcooperationduetothefact
thatinoursocialspeciessprimordialdays,thosesocialorganismswithgreatercooperation
skillsweremorelikelytobeabletotakeadvantageofthegroupsprotectionandresources,and
hencesurvivetopassonthesegenesofcooperation.Helpingthesurvivalofotherindividuals
withinthegroupandhencegaininggrouptrustwillthusenrollanindividualinasecureposition
withinthegrouphierarchywarrantingaheavyincentiveofdopamineforindividualsurvivaland
hencegeneticpreservation.AverificationofthiscancomefromAntonioDamasios
revolutionarybook,DescartesError,onthehumanbrainsconsciousnessinaffectationwith
itssubconsciousemotions,orchemicalvariationswithinthebrainThepicturewhichIam
drawingforhumansisthatofanorganismthatcomestolifedesignedwithautomaticsurvival
mechanisms,andtowhicheducationandacculturationaddasetofsociallypermissibleand
desirabledecisionmakingstrategiesthat,inturn,enhancesurvival.(Damasio).Meaning,or
meaningaswhatitisclassicallydefinedasintermsoftruealtruismintermsofhelpingones
fellowman,issimplythedopaminereleaserelatedtothesecurementofonesplacewithinthe
groupinordertogeneticallysurviveasasocialcreatureinwhatwasonceaharshenvironment.
Anactiveattemptforhappinessinanindividualslifecancomefromaconscientious
cateringnotonlytostimulusdesires(immediatepleasureslikeeatingorappealingtothesenses)
butalsotogroupbelongingandclosepsychologicalconnectioninordertoachievewhatwehave
describedinthepreviousparagraphasmeaning.InProfessorMartinSeligmansTEDTalk
titled,TheNewEraofPositivePsychologyhedescribesthethreecategorizationsofhappy
lives.One,deemedthepleasantlife,consistedofpursuingasmanypleasuresaspossibleand
acquiringskillssimplytopursuebasicpleasures.Thehedonictreadmill(socoinedbythefilm
HappyasdirectedbyRokoBelic),whichis,atbase,astagnantchemicalstatewithinthe
humanbrainwhichcomesofdopamineresponseswithinthebrainonaregularbasissothatthe
neuronseventuallybecomeaccustomedtothislevelofthechemicalandthusdonotexperience
itatthelevelofintensitywhichanarrangementofneuronswhichisconsistentlydeprivedofthis
release(Belic).Thesecondlife,thegoodlife,includedanarrayofsuccessinwork,play,and
intimatesocialrelations,whilethethirdlife,themeaningfullife,wasaconglomerateofsimple
pleasures,strongsocialconnectionaswellascharitableandprogressiveactioninthewayof
altruism.Theauthorofthistalkdescribedthethirdmentionedlifetobethemostsatisfactory
(Seligman).We,utilizingaknowledgeofevolutionarypsychologyandgeneticimpulse,cansee
thatalifeinwhichthemostisachievedfromeachpulseofdopaminesentrivetingthroughthe
brainisonewhichincludesameshofsimplepleasurespairedwithanaccumulationofskillsand
thereforestimulusandstimulusrewardatachievedsocialindispensability,andaccompanied,
mostnotably,byaquestforstatus.Analmostsaintlikeseriesofmotionstowardstheless
fortunatewithinthegroupaswellasadedicationtoworkoracareercanmostsimplybederived

fromadesireforstatus.Thissortofstatuscanbeattainedthroughtheeyesoftheindividual
withinthegroupwhenitseesanotherindividualwhobothhasastrongsympatheticresponseand
canthereforeaiditinitssurvivalaswellasanindividualwhocanpreservethegrouptowhich
thatindividualbelongsandhenceisavaluableresource.Hereiswherewecanbegintoseethe
rootsofwhathumansdefineasmorality.Theindividualwhocompletesanactreinforcingstatus
canexpectaroleinthegroupinwhichtheycanreceiveresourcesmoreeasilyandhence
geneticallythrive.So,inshort,ahappylifeisonewhichultimatelyiswovenofvarioussimple
pleasureswhichresultinshortandtemporarydopaminerelease,closesocialconnectionswithin
thegroup,andthestruggleforstatuswithinasocialsetting.
Inordertostriveasalargercommunitytowardsthehappinessofcommunitymembers,
wemustconsidertheapplicationofthequalitieswhichdefineindividualhappinesstothatofa
grandersetting.Toproperlyanalyzetheconceptofthefinebalancebetweenlibertyand
stability,wemustreferencetheworkof20thcenturyauthor,AldousHuxleyinhisnovelBrave
NewWorld.HereHuxleyillustratesasocietychainedbyaquestonlyforstability,inwhich
casteboundcitizensarepacifiedlikeinfantsandthereisnoreachfortechnologicalscientific
progression.Asaresultofthis,however,thereisnowar,poverty,depression,orviolence.In
lookinguponahypotheticalandstabilitybasedsociety,wecanseethatamongitsassetsarea
controlledenvironmentofloyalindividualswhoseconditionedandsocializeddedicationtotheir
casteandrolearesetinstone.AlthoughwemaywanttoquestionHuxleysknowledgeofa
citizensresponsetonatureornurtureandthereforetheauthorsknowledgeofhumannature,
thisisnotthetopicathand,soletusassumethatthishypotheticalmodelisamodelwhichcould
encompassatruesocietywithnoindividualliberty.Now,permitustoexaminethecurrentspan
ofhumansocietyindividualfreedomisincrediblyabundantwithchoicesinchildbearing,
property,andcareer,butoursocietyalsocontainswars,crime,poverty,violence,anda
collapsingnaturalenvironment.Inordertomaintainhappycitizens,onesimplyneedsto
establishabaseofwhatwasdescribedintheaboveparagraphasocietywhichgrantseach
citizensimplepleasures,socialinteraction,afairamountofstatus,andenoughchemical
variationwithinthebraininorderfortheabolitionofapossiblehedonictreadmill.Asociety
whichcompletelysponsorseveryelementlistedherewouldhavetocontainabalancebetween
liberty,aswellasthepursuitofprogression,andstability.Asocietyfocusingonallthesemust
beabletocontinuetohavecitizenlibertiesintermsofcareerandtheexplorationofscientific
frontiers,butwoulddowelltominimizeenvironmentalpollutants,giveaknowledgetoits
citizensofthepsychologyofhedonism,andpossiblyinstitutemeasuresforpopulationcontrol.
Throughtheprocessofcreatingamelangeoftheseelements,asocietycouldbeconceivedin
whichutmostcitizenhappinessisimagined.Thisimaginationcouldonlybepossiblethrougha
properbalanceofindividuallibertiestemperedwithaknowledgeoftheeffectsofsuchliberties
andtothatend,acertainlimittotheirunrestrainedexercise.
Whenfacingthequestionofwhetherornottoincorporatethisknowledgeofbase
evolutionaryrootsastiestohappinessinpublicsocietaleducationaswellasthelimitsastothe

extentofthepursuitofthesedesires,wemustconsiderthepartswhichindividualhappinessplay
insocietalstructure.Ahappybaseofindividualsmakingupasocietyrepresentastrongand
willingworkforce,butmayalsorepresentanunfortunateoverreachforstabilityandan
evergrowingfocusonthesolegoalofhappiness.Inordertoproperlyinstallasocietyof
individualswhoarehappy,aneducationastothebaserootsofhappinessisnecessaryforthe
citizensofthatsociety,andthereforeacautioncanbeexercisedinthenameofasocietal
devotiontoprogressioninthenamesoftechnologyandscience.Onceanindividualhasan
accurategaugeoftheirownpsychologicalengineering,theycanutilizeaproperrestraint
concerningtheexcessivepursuitofdesiresaswellasplannedendeavorsintohowonecan
effectivelyandharmlesslyincreaseonesownhappiness.Throughtheaffectationofcitizen
happiness,studieshavefurthershownthathealthandtheminimizationofdepressionamidsta
populationhasatendencytodecrease.AsstatedintheHarvardHealthPublicationsarticle
titled,
Thehealthbenefitsofstrongrelationships
researchsuggeststhatcaringbehaviors
triggerthereleaseofstressreducinghormones.(Harvard).However,asstatedpreviouslyinmy
essay,withoutaproperfluctuationbetweenstressanddopamine,anindividualisliabletoenter
thestageofhedonismandstagnantresponsetodopaminerelease,whileindividualswitha
knowledgeofthiscouldgivethemselvesvaryingdosesofstressandrestoreneurochemical
balance.Whilepreservingasocietywhichrestsdelicatelyuponabalanceofahappycivilian
basewhichintermhasthepowertoactivatemoreefficientandprogressiveadvancesinscience
andtechnology,apermissiblemethodwithwhichtomaintainsuchasocietywouldhaveroots
deeplysituatedinafarreachingandeffectivepsychologicaleducationforthepublic.
Itiscriticalthatweexaminehappinessintermsofbasalpsychologicalcauseandeffect,
rootedinevolutionarydevelopment,inordertomosteffectivelyruncommunityonabasisof
contentindividualswhocanexecutetheirpositionsinaneconomically,scientifically,and
intellectuallystrongsociety.Thefactthatitisdifficultforanindividualtolookatthegroupina
mannerwhichbearssympatheticresponseandaidtothegroupwhentheirownbasalneedsare
notsatiateddirectsustothenotionthatonlyoncecompletesocietalhappinessisachievedcan
wetrulyplaceallpossibleeffortandresourcesotherwiseintoscientific,technological,and
governmentalexploration.Anefficientsocietycanthushavemoreeffectiveapproachesto
possiblefutureproblemsconcerninghumanitarianandethicaldilemmaswhichcouldbeviewed
inamorelogicalformatoncethebasesofpsychologicalhappinessarepresentedtothepublicin
aneducationalformat.Reproachingbeliefsintranscendenceandthealltoomelodious
harmoniesillustratedbydogma,thechemicallybasedprocessofthefeelingofhappinessisa
subjectofwhoseknowledgeisnotonlyvitaltoindividualandcommunalcontentment,butwill
playanessentialroleinthemoralstatespossiblereevaluationofourspeciesinourongoing
reachforutopia.