Introduction
The issue of happiness appears to be the central determinant of a person’s life. The critical factor in establishing whether one had a good or bad life is whether this person was happy or not. Therefore, finding what one can do to achieve happiness and sustain it throughout his or her life is essential. Morality affects a person’s happiness because it defines the values that an individual has, what is important to them and what is not, and allows focusing on the things that matter.
Impact of Morality on Happiness
Morality affects the way a person feels about themselves and their actions, or about others. By definition, this term is an ability to make a distinction between right and wrong, good behavior, and bad. Happiness, in its turn, is a sense of satisfaction with one’s life or actions. Hence, if a person acts in accordance with their moral principles, they commit good actions, as they are able to distinguish right from wrong, and as a result, they should feel happy.
An alternative scenario is a person acting in accordance with their moral principles, who does not feel happy. While it is possible, for instance, if the views of an individual do not correspond with those of a society where they live, the inability to achieve happiness is questionable. This person, regardless of the way they are treated, still acts following their morals, the principle values that are important to them. While they may face consequences such as being judged or misunderstood, they at least avoid lying to themselves and choosing to commit immoral actions to fit in.
Morality defines the values that are important for an individual. Here, a question of can a person who continually chooses something that is of no importance to them be happy arises. While this may help this individual achieve some goals in the short-term, for example, choose a career where they will be paid well instead of a job that corresponds to their interest. One can argue that in the long-term, the inability to do what they actually like to pursue a career to which they have a genuine interest will affect their happiness. The basis of this path is a lack of moral judgment – choosing wrong over right.
Morality is not unanimous for everyone, which explains why different people find happiness in different things. People can have different views on the same topic, from simple day-to-day items such as favorite breakfast choices to more complex problems such as abortions or human rights. The reason why the views differ is that because we value some things more than others. Moreover, we live some things and dislike others, based on our character, our upbringing, the education we receive and the environment or the society we live in because these factors impact our understanding of the world. Because there are so many factors that shape one’s morality, people have varying views on what is right and what is wrong, although in most cases the society forms the core of our moral system.
This uniqueness of views affects a person’s perception of life. For one individual, helping those in need by donating money or volunteering is a good action, which will make them happy because they fulfill their aspirations. For another person, such help can be counter-productive, they may think that providing education and opportunities to people is more valuable. If the latter individual is forced to volunteer, for example, to cook and distribute food instead of teaching a useful skill, they are likely to fill unhappy. Their actions in this scenario contradict their understanding of right and wrong, what they are doing is harmful to others. Here, a critical assumption is that for most people – harming others is not pleasurable, and they cannot feel happy doing something harmful. Moreover, a person with the described mindset would not want to volunteer or participate in something to help other people as it would be against their morality.
Objection
The alternative idea is that no connection between morality and happiness exists, they are two distinct entities not affecting each other. In that case, if an individual violates their morality, they can still be happy. Using a similar example that was discussed above, a career that will guarantee a good salary but is of no interest to the individual, which is a wrong choice in its essence. This can be a doctor who has no interest in helping people and who lacks compassion for helping others.
In case when morality has no effect on one’s happiness, it must be defined or be affected by other aspects of a person’s life. Here, many examples should be mentioned, such as money, fame, success, which can lead to happiness. Money, being the most obvious example, allow one to avoid worrying about essential things, such as paying for food, rent, ensuring that you can pay for medical services if necessary, and other things. Can a person be happy when they do have to worry about the mentioned aspects of life? Perhaps it is possible, but researchers in human psychology, such as Abraham Maslow, have established that people have core needs – physiological issues that have to be addressed before anything else. Therefore, a person cannot be happy based on following their moral principles.
Alternative Argument
The counter-argument presents valid points about things that contribute to one’s happiness. As such, it does not refute the idea that moral values do not have an impact on one’s happiness. Even in cases of having to deal with problems, the ability to adhere to the moral standards a person possesses is central. Again, in the first paragraphs of this essay, the question of choosing a career was used as an example to illustrate the long-term and short term consequences of morality. By choosing a wrong career not based on one’s morality, a person is able to satisfy a specific need – to gain recognition or money. However, this also means that in the long-term, they will be doing something that is of no value to them. Additionally, since this person addressed the particular need, they will have to deal with the consequences of going against their morality – doing something they dislike, which is likely to make them unhappy.
Conclusion
Overall, the role of morality in relation to happiness is essential. It defines the core principles and values of a person, allowing them to choose what is right and act in accordance with their beliefs. When living not in accordance with one’s morality, it is difficult to be happy. Mainly because an individual who chooses this path lives following the standards of someone else while ignoring what is valuable to him or her.