Why Modern Psychologists’ Focus on Happiness Has Its Roots in the Worst Human Traumas

War, Exile, and Family Dysfunction Can Foster a Resilient Spirit and Deeper Human Connections

All around us are reminders of how important happiness is in people’s lives: in TED talks, in the practice of meditation, in the annual World Happiness Report, and in advice on how to embrace positivity. Though the concept has been addressed at least since Aristotle explored the meaning of Eudaimonia (commonly translated as human happiness or welfare), the study of the nature of happiness—known as Positive Psychology—did not emerge as an academic field until the 1990s.

Positive psychology involves a complex mixture of Eastern religions, neuroscience, evolutionary biology, behavioral economics, …