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InformedPursuitofHappiness:Whatweshouldknow,doknowandcangettoknowAbstractTherationalpursuitofhappinessrequiresknowledgeofhappinessandinparticularanswerstothefollowingfourquestions:(1)Isgreaterhappinessrealisticallypossible?(2)Ifso,towhatextentisthatinourownhands?(3)Howcanwegethappier?Whatthingsshouldbeconsideredinthechoiceswemake?(4)Howdoesthepursuitofhappinessfitwithotherthingswevalue?Answerstothesequestionsarenotonlysoughtbyindividualswhowanttoimprovetheirpersonallife,theyarealsoonthemindofmanagersconcernedaboutthehappinessofmembersoftheirorganizationandofgovernmentsaimingtopromotegreaterhappinessofagreaternumberofcitizens.Alltheseactorsmightmakemoreinformedchoicesiftheycoulddrawonasoundbaseofevidence.InthispaperItakestockoftheavailableevidenceandtheanswersitholdsforthefourtypesofquestionsaskedbythethreekindsofactors.Todothis,IusealargecollectionofresearchfindingsonhappinessgatheredintheWorldDatabaseofHappiness,whichservesasanonlinesupplementtothispaper.Thedataprovidegoodanswerstothequestions1and2,butfallshortonthequestions3and4.Prioritiesforfurtherresearchareindicated.

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AboutthisArticle

TitleInformedPursuitofHappiness:Whatweshouldknow,doknowandcangettoknow

JournalJournalofHappinessStudies

DOI10.1007/s1090201495601

PrintISSN13894978

OnlineISSN15737780

PublisherSpringerNetherlands

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Topics

QualityofLifeResearch

PersonalityandSocialPsychology

Economics/ManagementScience,general

QualityofLifeResearch

Philosophy

PositivePsychology

Keywords

Happiness

Lifesatisfaction

Subjectivewellbeing

Researchsynthesis

Appliedutilitarianism

Stateoftheart

IndustrySectors

Electronics

IT&Software

Telecommunications

Authors

RuutVeenhoven(1)(2)

AuthorAffiliations

1.ErasmusHappinessEconomicsResearchOrganization,ErasmusUniversityRotterdam,Rotterdam,TheNetherlands

2.OpentiaResearchGroup,NorthWestUniversity,Vanderbijlpark,SouthAfrica

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