Jan 11 2012: One man that should not be left out of a conversation about happiness is John Stuart Mill. Mill spent the entirety of his life literally from the time he was six learning greek till his death in 1873 thinking about happiness, Specifically in the form of utility i.e. "The greatest happiness for the greatest number" or the greatest happiness principle. He was trained up by his father in one of the most rigorous courses of education in the history of the world, and by 20 Mill had his first nervous breakdown, in which all of his conviction about the things he had been taught were called into question. This breakdown would repeat itself at other times in his life, but the conclusion he comes to about happiness is known as the Paradox of Hedonism. The paradox was realized by mill when he began to question himself asking '"Suppose that all your objects in life were realized; that all the changes in institutions and opinions which you are looking forward to, could be completely effected at this very instant: would this be a great joy and happiness to you?" And an irrepressible self-consciousness distinctly answered, "No!"' Mills conclusion at this was that if your objective is happiness, you could not go at it directly. If you do some action solely with the intent of increasing your happiness, when you review and ask the question "did this work" you will find that it didn't. upon much time of reflection Mill concluded with this thought: "But I now thought that this end [one's happiness] was only to be attained by not making it the direct end. Those only are happy (I thought) who have their minds fixed on some object other than their own happiness[....] Aiming thus at something else, they find happiness along the way[....] Ask yourself whether you are happy, and you cease to be so."
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A comment on Conversation: Can we really become happier? Happier ourselves? Can we create happier places to work? Or even happier societies?