The End of Happiness – A Look at the Philosophy behind it

The End of Happiness is a popular philosophical book by Martin Seligman. It is subtitled, “The quest for Meaning – The Search for Universal Mastery.” The theme of the book is that people are searching for something that will provide them with happiness, fulfillment, and contentment. They seem to be led down a path of self-pity, sorrow, depression, addiction, and misery. The message that this book tries to convey is that you can go beyond these experiences and find your inner peace and happiness.

Seligman starts the book with, “seekers of happiness, have you ever stopped to wonder what your life has been like?” This question is followed by a story about a man who wanted to find his way to happiness, but found that it was the kind of journey he’d rather avoid. He became depressed and started to think that his search for happiness was futile. This is followed by a story about a young woman who became deeply unhappy following the death of her mother.

What The End of Happiness teaches is that there is a power greater than ourselves that knows the path to happiness. It’s a process of learning and discovery. It does not matter what level of experience someone has in their past. The key to finding this power lies in exploring and opening oneself up to the feelings of love, peace, and serenity that can come from being open to these sensations. If we can open our heart, then these feelings will flow forth and bring us joy and happiness.