--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY? Over two thousand…" description: "\"“WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY? Over two thousand years ago, Aristotle came to the unsurprising conclusion that what a person wants above all is to be happy. In..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1cd/mikael-krogerus-40319_feeling-happy_what-makes-you-happy-over-two-thousand-y_690709.jpg" --- # WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY? Over two thousand years ago… ![“WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY? Over two thousand years ago, Aristotle came to the unsurprising conclusion that what a person wants above all is to be happy. In 1961, the US psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi wrote: ‘While happiness itself is sought for its own sake, every other goal – health, beauty…” quote by Mikael Krogerus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1cd/mikael-krogerus-40319_feeling-happy_what-makes-you-happy-over-two-thousand-y_690709.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1cd/mikael-krogerus-40319_feeling-happy_what-makes-you-happy-over-two-thousand-y_690709.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1cd/mikael-krogerus-40319_feeling-happy_what-makes-you-happy-over-two-thousand-y_690709.jpg) > ““WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY? Over two thousand years ago, Aristotle came to the unsurprising conclusion that what a person wants above all is to be happy. In 1961, the US psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi wrote: ‘While happiness itself is sought for its own sake, every other goal – health, beauty, money or power – is valued only because we expect that it will make us happy.’ Csikszentmihalyi looked for a term that described the state of feeling happy. He called it ‘flow’. But when are we ‘in the flow’? After interviewing over a thousand people about what made them happy, he found that all the responses had five things in common. Happiness, or ‘flow’, occurs when we are: • intensely focused on an activity • of our own choosing, that is • neither under-challenging (boreout) nor over-challenging (burnout), that has • a clear objective, and that receives • immediate feedback. Csikszentmihalyi discovered that people who are ‘in the flow’ not only feel a profound sense of satisfaction, they also lose track of time and forget themselves completely because they are so immersed in what they are doing.”” [Mikael Krogerus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikael-krogerus/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Flow is a mental state where deep focus, appropriate challenge, clear goals, and instant feedback combine to produce intrinsic happiness and timeless immersion. **In simple terms:** Flow is deep focus with clear goals and feedback. Key Takeaway Seek activities that match skill to challenge. Themes psychology motivation well‑being Mood engaged focused Type psychological inspirational When to use this quote - work tasks - creative projects - sports - learning new skills Key Concepts intrinsic motivation optimal experience Questions to Reflect On - What activities give you clear feedback? - How can you adjust challenges to stay in flow? A Different Perspective Flow may be hard to sustain without proper rest or support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Feeling happy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feeling-happy/) [Flow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flow/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Happiness Flow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness-flow-2160633/) [Happiness Sought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness-sought-3444168/) [Health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health/) [Make happy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-happy/) [Thousand years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thousand-years/) [Wrote Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrote-happiness-2183286/) [Years ago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-ago/) ## Related quotes > [A happiness that is sought for ourselves alone can never be found: for a happiness that is diminished by being shared is not big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/a-happiness-that-is-sought-for-ourselves-alone-can-never-be-found-for/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [Half a century ago, the Austrian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl wrote that happiness cannot be attained by wanting to be happy - it must come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/half-a-century-ago-the-austrian-psychiatrist-viktor-frankl-wrote-that/) [Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/) > [Following dharma puts you in a proper field of attention. 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It can never come from outside or from inside--because it simply is. It is always. Where? Everywhere.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-satchidananda/happiness-is-not-be-sought-outside-it-can-never-come-from-outside-or/) [Swami Satchidananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-satchidananda/) > [Happiness is not to be sought in solitude or in busy centers. It is in the Self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramana-maharshi/happiness-is-not-to-be-sought-in-solitude-or-in-busy-centers-it-is-in/) [Ramana Maharshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramana-maharshi/) > [“When a company lays off employees, those who keep their jobs often struggle with survivor guilt The thought process behind with "It should've been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/when-a-company-lays-off-employees-those-who-keep-their-jobs-often/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [There is no true healing unless there is a change in outlook, peace of mind and inner happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-bach/there-is-no-true-healing-unless-there-is-a-change-in-outlook-peace-of/) [Edward Bach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-bach/) > [The more you get hurt, the more you become wise and strong. You may not feeling happy now, but someday somewhere TRUE LOVE will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jhunna-rebusora/the-more-you-get-hurt-the-more-you-become-wise-and-strong-you-may-not/) [Jhunna Rebusora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jhunna-rebusora/) > [“I have discussed how the goal of feeling happy is unusual; its not like other goals such as learning to bake a pizza, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-rottenberg/i-have-discussed-how-the-goal-of-feeling-happy-is-unusual-its-not/) [Jonathan Rottenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-rottenberg/) > [If you're not feeling to happy or excited about today, or tomorrow. Just remember, things will get better. They always get better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-re-not-feeling-to-happy-or-excited-about-today-or-tomorrow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Mikael Krogerus > [“THE BLACK BOX MODEL WHY”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikael-krogerus/the-black-box-model-why/) [Mikael Krogerus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikael-krogerus/) > [“The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikael-krogerus/the-greatest-danger-for-most-of-us-is-not-that-our-aim-is-too-high/) [Mikael Krogerus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikael-krogerus/) > [“THE CHASM – THE DIFFUSION MODEL WHY EVERYBODY HAS AN IPOD Why is it that some ideas – including stupid ones – take hold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikael-krogerus/the-chasm-the-diffusion-model-why-everybody-has-an-ipod-why-is-it/) [Mikael Krogerus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikael-krogerus/) > [“She contradicted the Freudians and development psychologists by suggesting that we modify our behaviour depending on the environment we are in. 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Sir John Templeton”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikael-krogerus/the-most-dangerous-words-in-investing-are-this-time-it-s-different/) [Mikael Krogerus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikael-krogerus/) > [“Any fool can criticise. And most fools do. Benjamin Franklin”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikael-krogerus/any-fool-can-criticise-and-most-fools-do-benjamin-franklin/) [Mikael Krogerus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikael-krogerus/) > [“The poor wish to be rich, the rich wish to be happy, the single wish to be married, and the married wish to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikael-krogerus/the-poor-wish-to-be-rich-the-rich-wish-to-be-happy-the-single-wish-to-2/) [Mikael Krogerus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikael-krogerus/) > [“After learning something, you should ideally refresh your memory of it at the following intervals: one, ten, thirty and sixty days afterwards.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikael-krogerus/after-learning-something-you-should-ideally-refresh-your-memory-of-it/) [Mikael Krogerus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikael-krogerus/) [Explore all 11 Mikael Krogerus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikael-krogerus/) ## More Feeling happy quotes > [If you're not feeling to happy or excited about today, or tomorrow. Just remember, things will get better. They always get better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-re-not-feeling-to-happy-or-excited-about-today-or-tomorrow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I have discussed how the goal of feeling happy is unusual; its not like other goals such as learning to bake a pizza, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-rottenberg/i-have-discussed-how-the-goal-of-feeling-happy-is-unusual-its-not/) [Jonathan Rottenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-rottenberg/) > [The more you get hurt, the more you become wise and strong. You may not feeling happy now, but someday somewhere TRUE LOVE will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jhunna-rebusora/the-more-you-get-hurt-the-more-you-become-wise-and-strong-you-may-not/) [Jhunna Rebusora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jhunna-rebusora/) > [There is no true healing unless there is a change in outlook, peace of mind and inner happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-bach/there-is-no-true-healing-unless-there-is-a-change-in-outlook-peace-of/) [Edward Bach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-bach/) > [“When a company lays off employees, those who keep their jobs often struggle with survivor guilt The thought process behind with "It should've been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/when-a-company-lays-off-employees-those-who-keep-their-jobs-often/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [For me, it's very important that the people I'm working with are feeling happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pilou-asbaek/for-me-it-s-very-important-that-the-people-i-m-working-with-are/) [Pilou Asbaek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pilou-asbaek/) > [“Some people think life is all about suffering, and suffering means living life. So many people live their lives accepting suffering as a way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-agyemang-yeboah/some-people-think-life-is-all-about-suffering-and-suffering-means/) [Ernest Agyemang Yeboah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-agyemang-yeboah/) > [“Real happiness is not feeling happy if you have everything, it’s about feeling happy if you have nothing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamerlan-kuzgov/real-happiness-is-not-feeling-happy-if-you-have-everything-it-s-about/) [Tamerlan Kuzgov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamerlan-kuzgov/) > [Love is feeling both happy and sad at the same time: happy to have found someone special, sad that forever seems too short to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-feeling-both-happy-and-sad-at-the-same-time-happy-to-have/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In the years that I have been an actress, I have told the story of my life many times, and I get tired of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-darrieux/in-the-years-that-i-have-been-an-actress-i-have-told-the-story-of-my/) [Danielle Darrieux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-darrieux/) > [Contrast the experience with something worse and you cannot help feeling happy and grateful because... The change from trouble to comfort gives us more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maimonides/contrast-the-experience-with-something-worse-and-you-cannot-help/) [Maimonides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maimonides/) > [I have the most creative control so nothing gets released without me feeling 100% happy about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/griff/i-have-the-most-creative-control-so-nothing-gets-released-without-me/) [Griff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/griff/) > [I've always been a workout type guy. So if I'm feeling down or I'm not happy with something, I go to the gym and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamarcus-aldridge/i-ve-always-been-a-workout-type-guy-so-if-i-m-feeling-down-or-i-m-not/) [LaMarcus Aldridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamarcus-aldridge/) > [“It feels so great when things finally fall into places and you can smile all over again seeing that incomplete puzzle all complete in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadia/it-feels-so-great-when-things-finally-fall-into-places-and-you-can/) [Nadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadia/) > [The less you want, the richer you are. The more you need in order to be happy, the more miserable you’ll be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yanni/the-less-you-want-the-richer-you-are-the-more-you-need-in-order-to-be/) [Yanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yanni/) [Browse all 113 Feeling happy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feeling-happy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY? Over two thousand years ago, Aristotle came to the unsurprising conclusion that what a person wants above all is to be happy. In 1961, the US psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi wrote: ‘While happiness itself is sought for its own sake, every other goal – health, beauty, money or power – is valued only because we expect that it will make us happy.’ Csikszentmihalyi looked for a term that described the state of feeling happy. He called it ‘flow’. But when are we ‘in the flow’? 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