Happiness is a state of being that occurs when there is alignment between expectations and reality. Consider an infant, who has no expectations beyond their basic needs. They are content when their needs are met and they cry when they are not—when they are hungry, cold, or tired. Over time, human needs become more complex. People begin to require or desire attention, companionship, meaningful work, and even material items. Regardless, the same basic principle applies: when wants and needs are met, happiness ensues. Since the beginning of time, philosophers, religious scholars, and scientists have all grappled with the question of happiness and have focused on different aspects of this idea. At the most basic level, their findings can be reduced to a simple premise: happiness is a state of being that occurs when there is alignment between what we think we want and what we think we are getting.
I wrote this answer to the question “What is happiness?” for English class for my senior year. I am proud of this work and thought I would post it here.