Essay On The Value Of Happiness

he key to a long and healthy life is happiness, but from birth to present day, humans have experienced many different emotions besides happiness. Feelings such as sadness, fear, anger, and depression are feared by those who believe that happiness is the most important emotion to feel in life. However, experiencing negative emotions is just as important as experiencing happiness. Negative emotions create an appreciation for happiness and also help direct thinking in a person. It is important to experience other emotions aside from happiness because negative emotions can stimulate the mind just as well as happiness.

If a person manages to live their life without experiencing any negative emotions, there may never be a genuine appreciation for happiness. When someone lacks happiness, happiness is strived and worked for greatly. As previously stated, happiness is the key to a long and healthy life; so, the ultimate goal is to eliminate anything that interferes with the goal of happiness. Marin E.D. Seligman states in “A Balanced Psychology and A Full Life”,that,“we believe ‘happiness’ is a

Mental illnesses such as ,”anxiety, depression, neurosis, obsessions, paranoia,and delusions,” are often feared by the common person (Wallis 1). People are so consumed with the idea of happiness that they turn to medications that alter negative moods to positive moods among people. Sharon Begley states that those who have been suppressed to the use of mood altering medications have been , “chemically silenced”(The Pursuit of Happiness 454). Though people believe that negative emotions are harmful to the mind, people should accept and embrace negative moods instead of suppressing them. Negative emotions promote appreciation for happiness and have the ability to renew the way someone