Pursuing Happiness [Solution]

     Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is the theory introduced by Abraham Maslow in 1943 stating that people must fulfill basic needs before higher needs may be achieved. The "happiness" that's affected by meeting one's needs can be defined as, "...living a good life, or flourishing, rather than simply as an emotion." (website) Though it's a common belief that we must rely on other things to make us happy, such as income and the environment, only 10% of external factors are responsible for our happiness. However, 50% is made up of internal factors like attitude, outlook on life, relationships, and engagement in activities. These factors are what Maslow's theory seeks to improve.
    Before you can take anymore steps to achieving ultimate happiness, you must first meet the basic, or physiological, needs. These needs are things that are vital to survive such as food, water, air, sleep, and exercise. All other needs are secondary until these are met. These needs are also instinctual, so you can become more happy just by eating right, staying hydrated, and getting the right amount of sleep your body needs. Also, studies have shown that happiness can increase by 10-20% in 6 months by exercising for 20 minutes, 3 times a week.
     The next level of needs are security needs. Examples of these are shelter, steady employment, health insurance, and living in a safe neighborhood. Although it is a possibility to find happiness in hardships, it's been shown that the more civic liberty and just laws a country has, the more happy its inhabitants will be. At this stage of Maslow's Hierarchy, you don't necessarily have to enjoy the situation you're in, as long as these needs are met.
     As you continue to climb up Maslow's Hierarchy you enter into the higher-order needs starting with "Social." These include the needs for belonging, love, and affection in the form of romantic relationships, family, and friends. Having meaningful social ties and being in steady relationships are things that tend to make people happier. A 40 year old study conducted at Harvard proved that children that were hugged and cuddled more, or shown more affection, grew up to be the happiest.
     Next of the higher order needs is Esteem which includes your self-esteem, personal worth, social recognition, and accomplishment. Respecting others and having others respect you are good ways of meeting your esteem needs. Achieving this step is important in happiness to enable you to live authentically, free from worrying about social pressures and the influence of peer opinions.
     Once you are okay with being yourself, the final step is to become self actualized. People in this stage are self aware, yearning for personal growth, less concerned with the opinions of others, and are interested in fulfilling their full potential. Abraham Maslow describes the step of self actualization in his Theory of Human Motivation, "What a man can be, he must be. This need we may call self-actualization...It refers to the desire for self-fulfillment, namely, to the tendency for him to become actualized in what he is potentially. This tendency might be phrased as the desire to become more and more what one is capable of becoming." Individuals that are self-actualized often have peak experiences, or moments of flow, where they feel intense joy, wonder, and awe. After one of these moments, that person may feel inspired or renewed. The happiest people are those who do what they are passionate about regardless of financial gain, and this can be achieved once you have reached self-actualization.
     Although there are many happiness theories out there, Maslow's is the only one that provides you with a structured road map to achieve it. Even if you don't agree with his theory, here are some reasons to seek out happiness.