Abstract
July, 2015. A transatlantic flight, somewhere between London and New York City. The monotonous hum of the plane; the slow-moving clouds; the tranquil expanse of water, miles below, that somehow seems within reach—all these soothe me into a state of calm repose. My mind is clear, open. And in this meditative state a question strikes me: How is it that there are fields of study dedicated to literature, psychology, physics, business, history, and dozens of other subjects, and yet none dedicated to the study of happiness?
One has to spend so many years in learning how to be happy.
—Mary Anne Evans
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Notes
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Ben-Shahar, T. (2021). Why Happiness Studies?. In: Happiness Studies. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64869-5_1
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