Is the totalitarianism of happiness really making us happier?

In 2022, around 1 in 6 (16 per cent) adults aged 16 years and over reported moderate to severe depressive symptoms. At the same time, positive psychology has emerged as a dominant force in pursuing understanding and enhancing human well-being, promising to unlock the secrets to a happier life.

We are surrounded by prompts on how to encourage hope, joy, and gratitude, set clear expectations, give people a voice in meetings, support work-life balance and keep the focus on coping strategies, resilience, and how to reduce stress. Positive psychology has acquired widespread popularity because the study of human flourishing is just as important as the study of human suffering. However, a perverse thought lies under positivity – the totalitarianism of happiness. 

Individual happiness and success tend to oversimplify the complex interplay of social, cultural, and structural factors that shape our lives. By reducing well-being to personal traits and behaviours, this approach neglects the contextual factors that influence mental health and perpetuates a narrow, individualistic understanding of happiness. The positivity industry often places the burden of well-being on the individual, encouraging people to cultivate positive emotions, engage in positive behaviours, and adopt optimistic outlooks.

While these strategies can be beneficial, they divert attention from systemic issues contributing to inequality and social injustice. A myopic focus on individual happiness distracts society from addressing the root causes of collective discontent. 

The relentless pursuit of happiness may inadvertently create a culture of conformity. The focus on positivity and success as markers of a fulfilling life may stigmatise those who experience negative emotions or face adversity. People may feel pressured to hide their struggles, contributing to a culture of silence around mental health issues. There is the potential for positivity to become a tool of social control, promoting a narrow definition of acceptable emotional experiences and marginalising those who deviate from it. 

Byung-Chul Han contends that in the contemporary era of neoliberalism, society is increasingly characterised by a 'burnout society', where the relentless pursuit of success and happiness becomes a source of individual suffering. Isn't positive psychology, by focusing on personal achievement and satisfaction, aligning with this neoliberal ethos, and fostering a culture of self-exploitation? Isn't it contributing to a society where individuals internalise the pressure to be constantly positive and successful, ultimately leading to burnout and exhaustion?

The commodification of happiness in a market-driven culture of positivity transforms joy into a product to be consumed. Positive psychology's commercialisation becomes a reflection of societal values and a tool that reinforces the neoliberal narrative, perpetuating a cycle of dissatisfaction and commodification that undermines collective well-being. 

Positivity has spawned a thriving industry of self-help books, workshops, and coaching programs, promising to unlock the secrets to a happier and more meaningful life. Some of these resources may provide valuable insights into the risks of commodifying happiness, but they exclude those who cannot afford to participate in these expensive interventions. This commercialisation reinforces existing social inequalities and perpetuates the idea that happiness is a product to be bought rather than a right to be pursued by all. 

This positivity often relies on quantitative measures to assess well-being, reducing the richness of human experience to numerical scores. Such metrics oversimplify the complexity of well-being and neglect the subjective and culturally embedded nature of happiness. By relying on standardised measures, the positivity industry may marginalise diverse forms of well-being that do not fit neatly into preconceived notions of happiness.

In fact, our well-being is deeply interconnected with the well-being of our communities. The individual focus often overlooks how social relationships, cultural factors, and systemic inequalities affect mental health. Are we not, when living under the totalitarianism of happiness (whether in the office, the classroom, the gym or elsewhere) at danger of oversimplifying well-being, individualising happiness, and commercialising the pursuit of a good life?  

Dr Bruno De Oliveira. Lecturer in Psychology, University of Chichester