Our basic desires can also be satisfied through leisure activities. Watching sports, for example, provides us with opportunities to repeatedly experience the intrinsically valued feelings of competition, loyalty, power and revenge. When Brandi Chastain kicked the winning field goal and the United States won the 1999 World Cup in women's soccer, a surge of power went through the nation like a bolt of lightning--the crowd roared and people thrust their fists powerfully into the air. Sports produces more or less the same range of intrinsically valued feelings in fans as they do in players, which is why so many people watch.
One of the deepest ways to satisfy our desires is through spirituality. We can satisfy the desire for honor by embracing the religious denomination of our parents. A psychologically important attribute of religion is the emphasis given to the desire for unity, or to open one's heart to God. At least for some, faith is a path toward greater value-based happiness.
Value-based happiness is the great equalizer in life. You can find value-based happiness if you are rich or poor, smart or mentally challenged, athletic or clumsy, popular or socially awkward. Wealthy people are not necessarily happy, and poor people are not necessarily unhappy. Values, not pleasure, are what bring true happiness, and everybody has the potential to live in accordance with their values.
READ MORE ABOUT IT
Who Am I: The 16 Basic Desires That Motivate Out Happiness and Define Our Personalities, Steven Reiss, Ph.D. (Tarcher/Putnam, 2000)
The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living, His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, M.D. (Riverhead Books, 1998)
the 16 keys to happiness
To increase your value-based happiness, firs read the following statements and mark whether they describe you strongly (+), somewhat (0), or very little (-). The ones that describes you strongly show the keys to your happiness-you should aim to satisfy these to increase your happiness. Some tips to help you do this can be found in the main article, and more can be found in author's book, Who Am I: The 16 Basic Desires That Motivate Our Happiness and Define Our Personalities.
Legend for Chart:
A - DESIRE
B - STATEMENT
C - SELF-RATING
A B C
CURIOSITY I have a thirst for knowledge. -----
ACCEPTANCE I have a hard time coping with
criticism. -----
ORDER It upsets me when things are out
of place. -----
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY Physical fitness is very Important
to me. -----
HONOR I am a highly principled and loyal
person. -----
POWER I often seek leadership roles. -----
INDEPENDENCE Self-reliance is essential to my
happiness. -----
SOCIAL CONTACT I am known as a fun-loving person. -----
FAMILY My children come first. -----
STATUS I am impressed by people who own
expensive things. -----
IDEALISM Compared with most people, I am very
concerned with social causes. -----
VENGEANCE It is very important to me to get
even with those who insult or offend
me. -----
ROMANCE Compared with my peers, I spend much
more time pursuing or having sex. -----
EATING I love to eat and often fantasize
about food. -----
SAVING I hate throwing things away. -----
TRANQUILITY It scares me when my heart beats
rapidly. -----
ILLUSTRATIONS (COLOR)
Adapted by Ph.D.
Steven Reiss, Ph.D., is a professor of psychology and psychiatry at Ohio State University, where he directs the university's Nisonger Center.
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