Happiness (archetypes)

Introduction
Happiness is fundamental for a satisfied life
"...Happy people tend to experience low levels of fear, anger, and depression. They are likely to be healthier; have positive, fulfilling, high-quality relationships; and be motivated to pursue long-term goals despite short-term costs..."
Elaine Houston, 2023a

There are 4 archetypes:
- Hedonist (prioritise short-term enjoyment over long-term fulfilment; try to maximise current pleasure while minimising pain)
- Rat racer (will sacrifice current pleasure, delay gratification with a focus on future goals at the expense of present enjoyment)
- Nihilist (believe that life has no purpose or meaning; there is little hope for present or future happiness; they tend to feel disconnected and lack a sense of control, direction and motivation)
- Happy person (understand that present action can provide current pleasure and lay the foundation for a happy future)
The ideal archetype is a happy person, ie allows for present enjoyment and long-term satisfaction; people spend different times in each of 1of 4 archetypes.
More details on each archetype are in the table below:

(source: Elaine Houston, 2023a)

NB Even usually happy people do experience negative feelings and sometimes can feel unhappy.
Need to be careful that don't take negative impacts to extremes.
Listed below are some suggestions to help you move to the 'Happy Person' archetype:

(source: Elaine Houston, 2023a)