How Does John Stuart Mill Define Happiness

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One’s happiness is one of the most important things in life and is also difficult for many to have. John Stuart Mill, a philosopher, theorizes a well-composed statement from his autobiography on why humans can’t find the happy in their lives and ultimately how they can. The excerpt from Mill’s autobiography addresses his stance on the pursuit of happiness and his previous judgment that he had rethought and revised. Before, Mills believed that if you have your mind fixed on the well-being of others, mankind, and liberal arts, then you could find happiness along the way. However, he concluded that instead of gaining happiness from solely focusing on others, one can find happiness through other ways. It is the enjoyments of life and selflessness that makes one happy, rather than focusing on the goal to be happy.
Margaret Lee Runbeck, an author, once said “Happiness is not a station to arrive at, but a manner of traveling.” One can not expect to achieve happiness if they are constantly searching for it. People who are unhappy believe happiness is reliant upon the acquisition of something new or something different. They are constantly chasing, but never attaining. All of these thoughts could last forever, but never lead to an opportunity or chance. Many forget that always searching for something doesn't mean you'll find it. Mill …show more content…
Although John Stuart Mill believes that the enjoyments of life is the way to be happy, selflessness is also vital to the pursuit of happiness. In order to become happy, being a respectable, humane person must be done first. The condition of being selfless is a necessity when avoiding a life full of greed and pride. There is no good in pursuing helpful acts just to feel virtuous and to support yourself. Likewise, the real problem with "doing good because it feels good" is when you value the act more than the effect. Pure motives are what makes others happy and can also make you
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