Happiness or Joy. Is There a Difference?

We strive to have a happy life; we hope that our loved ones also have joy and happiness. When we use those two words, joy and happiness, do we mean different things? Is there a difference between them? What does it mean to experience either of them? What are the health effects of each?

Read this month’s blog to learn more about the differences, effects of each, and ways to bring more joy and happiness into your life.

Defining Happiness

Happiness tends to be a temporary positive feeling. It is most commonly the result of external circumstances that we find desirable or comforting. The traffic was light; you completed your to-do list; the suggestion you made was well-received by the recipient. We get a boost in mood and can feel some level of elation that a thing, person, or experience is as we hoped it might be. It could even be better than we expected. It gives us a positive feeling and increases our positive sense of self.

Should we all be in pursuit of happiness?

We have all heard Jefferson’s famous quotation about the importance of the “pursuit of happiness.” However, are you aware of what that phrase means? It relates to one striving for personal development, contribution to society, and the practice of virtues. The phrase is often linked to philosopher John Locke. Locke was a central figure during the Enlightenment and is often called the Father of Liberalism. This title is in deference to his espousing separation of church and state, defence of human rights, and the need for limited government.

Lorna Wallace references historians who suggest that the pursuit of happiness was an echo of the Greek concept of eudaimonia which translates as human flourishing or living well. Meaning, pursuing happiness was about life circumstances and the ability to change them for the better.

The pursuit of happiness meant being free to flourish in healthy and moral ways that contributed to society. It was the opportunity to find your own means of thriving without interference and being able to change life circumstances if that would increase your positive sense of self.

As Eleanor Roosevelt summed it up, “Happiness is not a goal…it’s a byproduct of a life well lived.”

Does looking for happiness make it elusive?

If you type “quotations about happiness” into a search engine, you will find a number of quotations that suggest trying to be happy will lead to feeling its opposite.

Here are a few examples:

“The search for happiness is one of the chief sources of unhappiness.” Eric Hoffer

“Happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue.” Victor Frankl

“You don’t become happy by pursuing happiness.” Roy T. Bennett

“Now and then it’s good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy.” Guillaume Apollinaire

As many scholars quip, Jefferson didn’t promise happiness, he only offered, as an unalienable right, protecting the right to try to find happiness for yourself and freedom to practice activities that brought individuals happiness. Perhaps the pursuit of it puts it in the future versus the present and could make finding it more a challenge.

According to Emily Esfahani Smith, author of the Power of Meaning, goals are something we are constantly working towards, not something we have reached.

She suggests that happiness is a positive emotional state, but it comes and goes. Whereas meaning is a stabilizing force in people’s lives. The goal of meaning could include connecting and contributing to something bigger than yourself. This could be work related, spiritual or religious in nature. Meaning is there no matter what emotional state we are in. Emily Esfahani Smith states that happiness lives on the surface, and when in distress, including when feeling depressed or anxious, what is needed is  something deeper than happiness. She argues that if people pursue happiness, they tend to be disappointed. If they pursue meaning, there is a deeper sense of wellbeing.

Defining Joy

This deeper sense of wellbeing brings us to the subject of joy. Joy originates from within and is an inner state of contentment and wellbeing. It is closely tied to connection and purpose as well as gratitude. It is being present in the current moment; it is being connected to community or internal values; it is practicing gratitude for gratitude’s sake.

The benefits of connection and gratitude are coming into focus through more research. Understanding the difference can help in cultivating both happiness and joy.

Differences of Happiness and Joy

Are there differences between happiness and joy?

Richard Wagamese, Ojibwe author and journalist, framed the difference in the following way:

“I’m learning that happiness is an emotion that’s a result of circumstances. Joy, though, is a spiritual engagement with the world based on gratitude. It’s not the big things that make me grateful and bring me joy. It’s more the glory of the small…”

Part of the potential to feel unhappy when trying to be happy could be the external and fleeting nature of some things that produce happiness versus joy. A new purchase, reaching a goal, receiving praise from someone, though all of these events can lead to feeling happy, they will pass relatively quickly. By no means does this mean we shouldn’t be aiming for those experiences or moments that can bring happiness, but rather, understand they are moments in the external world, dependent on occurrences that are temporary.

Whereas cultivating joy can lead to a more persistent, internal state of wellbeing, happiness is dependent on something specific occurring in the way we have anticipated it occurring. When things don’t occur as we hope or expect, there can be negative feelings that have effects on mental, emotional, and physical health. Deeper, negative mental and emotional states can have profound impacts on health.

Effects of Loneliness

Some research into health outcomes conflates happiness and joy and may use the terms interchangeably. This can occur when discussing the effects of negative mental health states. This includes discussions of loneliness – a negative state that research is showing to have detrimental effects on mental, emotional, and physical health. 

What is loneliness?

Loneliness is feeling disconnected. It carries with it a negative sense of being alone, isolated, or separated from the kinds of connection you want. There are different types of loneliness:

• Emotional loneliness – this can be someone missing close bonds to others.
• Social loneliness – this can be someone missing a wider circle of people and communities they feel close to.
• Existential loneliness – this can be someone missing a sense of connection to the wider world.

Loneliness can be situational or more global. Meaning, a person can feel lonely in certain circumstances or with certain groups but feel connected to other communities or experiences. Think of the person who may not have close relationships in their neighbourhood but have close ties to their family or friends.

Is there a difference between loneliness and social isolation?

While loneliness is feeling disconnected, social isolation is having limited contact or support from others. This means someone can live alone and not feel lonely, and someone can be surrounded by people and still feel lonely. As the Canadian Mental Health Association states, “What matters most is not how many people someone knows, but whether they feel understood, valued, and meaningfully connected.”

This distinction can also be culturally influenced. In the Finnish culture, spending time alone does not equate to being lonely. Additionally, nearly half of Finnish households are single person, yet Finland, for nine years running, was rated as the happiest country. This contradicts the generalized view in many parts of the world that frequent and numerous social connections are the main way to protect people from loneliness and promote happiness.

You can read more about being alone versus being lonely in CALL’s  blog, Alone - Not Lonely.

What are the effects of loneliness on health?

Prolonged loneliness is associated with anxiety, depression, and substance use.

Research indicates loneliness can lead to higher blood pressure, elevated hormones, and sleep that is less effective in improving mood and performance as well as restoring alertness. Any of those negative effects can impact both short-term and long-term health.

Do older Canadians experience more loneliness than other age groups?

Research indicates that about 10 percent of Canadians, ages 65 and older, report feeling lonely. The reports of loneliness increase for seniors with the lowest income and for seniors facing social barriers including language, health limitations, or transportation challenges.

People with disabilities and those with lower incomes report increased loneliness.

Youth also report higher rates of loneliness compared to other age groups. In 2024, 17 percent of Canadians ages 15 to 24 indicated they felt lonely “always” or “often.” Research indicates that technology may contribute this: while using smartphones and digital media allows people to contact others, it may not foster emotional closeness that in-person connection can.

This research indicates that loneliness does affect different groups and given its negative impacts finding ways to combat loneliness through the happiness of connection and the joy of gratitude could help improve the risks of loneliness.

The above findings were reported in Joint Research Centre. (n.d.). Defining loneliness. European Commission.

Effects of Aging on Happiness

There is a stereotype of the grumpy older person, the curmudgeon, who criticizes and complains, but is that true for the older cohort?

There is some research on aging and happiness that indicates that those born after the Great Depression and before early baby boomers report an overall higher rate of being “very happy.” Some theories for the reasons behind this self-report include people becoming more comfortable with themselves and their social roles as they age. (Today's Research on Aging)

Additional research indicates that those who have a positive self-perception of aging tended to live longer. According to Dr. Keri-Leigh Cassidy, researcher into late-life psychotherapy, mood, and anxiety disorders, research indicates certain habits are likely to increase lifespan as well as increase happiness and life satisfaction. These habits include physical activity, social connection, activities that challenge the brain, and mental health self-care.

Dr. Keri-Leigh Cassidy offers the following:

Throughout our lives, our brains continue to grow and rewire through neuroplasticity. While we may be more likely to encounter loss and adversity as we age, we can also become better at handling life’s challenges. The research also shows that levels of happiness, compassion, and gratitude increase with age. Getting older: feeling better. Mental Health Commission of Canada

Effects of Happiness on Aging

Findings from the Harvard Study of Adult Development, an 80-year longitudinal study, have provided insight into factors that support healthy aging. Among those findings is that close relationships increased happiness more than money or fame. Positive relationships delayed mental and physical decline and were predictive of longer lives. Additionally, the participants who were most satisfied with their relationships at age 50, were the healthiest members of the study when they reached the age of 80.

Ways to be Happy

Here are a few ideas that can support that sense of contribution and adding value to the people, places, and things around you.

Acts of services – volunteer your time or expertise; offer to help a friend or acquaintance; donate objects or money if you can. Giving of your time and talents can boost your mood and support many communities.

Practice positive self-care – be physically active as regularly as works for you; floss daily; get enough sleep for you; book medical checkups and car maintenance. Though sometimes boring, these types of self-care pay dividends in improved health and lowered stress and can give you a sense of accomplishment when completed.

Take a pause – schedule some time alone; create a gratitude journal to list people, places, or things you are grateful for; or keep a thought list to capture happy memories, moments of laughter, or list something you are looking forward to. These practices can increase positive thoughts and memories.

Ways to Cultivate Joy

Ingrid Fetell Lee was a design student the first time the concept of joy became something to consider and try to understand. When a professor in her design program told her they felt joy when looking at her designs, she wondered what exactly that meant. Further, she wondered what exactly was joy?

She studied objects in the world that were viewed as joyful and consistent patterns emerged across age groups and cultures. Ingrid Fetell Lee found that vibrant colours, roundness, and multiples of the same object were consistent in objects that people overwhelmingly listed as bringing them joy. Think of confetti, a sky full of hot air balloons, and ice cream cones with sprinkles.

Once she had an idea of what to look for to ‘spot joy,’ she started to see a positive change in her own mood and perception of the world as she kept finding these little joyful surprises all around her. She encourages others to use “joyspotting” to find small or large objects that bring an internal sense of joy. She suggests the viewer will know they have found something joyful through an elevated mood and the desire to jump up and down!

As Ingrid Fetell Lee explains: “While it started out as something serendipitous, it became like a kind of mindfulness practice for me, a recognition that no matter where we are, we can tune our attention to something joyful and use that to buoy our spirits. Instead of seeing the world around us as a distraction, joyspotting reminds us that it can be a reservoir of positivity, one we can turn to at any time.”

What contributes to joyful objects or places?

Ingrid Fetell Lee lists colours and curves as two ways that design can inspire joy. Curves tend to set the viewer at ease since angular shapes might be dangerous, such as sharp sticks or stinging nettles. Vibrant colours tend to give the viewer a sense of life and energy. Abundance of the same shape or object may put the viewer in mind of other kinds of abundance, abundance of food or material goods that might appeal to part of our ancestral brain linking abundance with survival.

Ingrid Fetell Lee also discusses places specifically designed to incorporate joyful design elements. These include a Danish hospital designed with vibrant colours to improve mood and ease of navigation; a Tokyo anti-aging apartment building with rounded shapes and bouncy floors to put a spring in your step and a smile on your face; and senior’s care facilities that incorporate colourful balls on the ceiling of communal spaces.

As she concludes in her TEDtalk, “The drive towards joy is the drive towards life.”

Check out the Aesthetics of Joy for resources to increase your joyspotting ability, including a downloadable guide with 50 ways to increase your joy.

If you are a member of CALL, there is an Interest Group that you might enjoy.  Participants of Finding Peace and Joy Within attest to the value of meditation in finding joy. 

Read more in the CALL Blog, Meditation: A Way to Peace and Joy in Aging. 

Happiness brings us a sense of contribution and self-value. Joy brings us connection and internal wellbeing. Having both can provide some protection against negative states like loneliness. What better way to spend a day then trying to spot some joy, pursue happiness and seek to find meaning in both.

Join the Conversation

The best part of lifelong learning is sharing ideas. If you have comments, questions, or a personal story related to this post, I'd love to hear from you. Please email Maureen info@calgarylifelonglearners.ca

Your feedback may inspire future CALL Blog posts.

References and Resources

Author

Maureen Osis

Maureen retired from her career -- first as a Gerontological Nurse and then a Marriage/Family Therapist in private practice working with mid-life and older adults. Maureen has published numerous articles and books, related to her professions. She is a member of CALL because she is passionate about learning. She is a volunteer with CALL, doing social media and the primary author of the Blog, because she likes to face new challenges.

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