Happiness is something we all strive to achieve. Most of us say that all we want for our children, our friends, and ourselves is to be happy. Happiness is also difficult to define. It looks different for everyone. One person’s happiness may not be proportional to another person’s happiness. There are many different types of happiness because “happiness” is only an umbrella term for a range of positive emotions. Some studies have shown that different types of feelings of happiness lead to different health benefits.

The different types of happiness can be divided into three levels. These levels range from short-lived and superficial happiness to long-term, deep and spiritual happiness.

Types of basic level of happiness

These types of happiness tend to be short-lived and can occur rarely or very regularly. It does not tend to affect your overall happiness. Basic level types of happy feelings are based on pleasure that usually only exists in the moment.

1. Pride
   Pride is a short-term type of happiness that can be directed to yourself or others. It means feeling happy because you have achieved something or feeling happy for someone dear to you because they have achieved the goal they wanted. This happiness is pride. It is a kind of selfless happiness that comes from seeing others succeed.

This type of happiness can vary in depth depending on the achievement and work it took to get there. A parent may be momentarily proud of their child for helping with chores. Their pride may last a little longer if their child gets the grades they worked hard for, for example.

2. Excitement
   Excitement is a type of happiness resulting from looking forward to something. Imagine a child on the night before Christmas. The happiness they feel is directed towards the future. They know what’s coming will be good, so they’re proactively happy.

Excitement is usually a “busy” type of happiness. It is very consuming and often causes you to become fidgety or feel unsettled. Impatience often accompanies excitement, because the exciting moment lies in the future. Although patience is difficult, our happiness is not affected.

It could also be something exciting at the moment, such as watching a story unfold or being part of an important project. This excitement is an active and enthusiastic type of happiness.

3. Joy
   Joy is a very simple kind of momentary happiness that we can all understand. You feel happy when you see or do something you like. It is a feeling of warm satisfaction and pleasure. This can be caused by something you are involved in, such as spending a moment with loved ones or a hobby you enjoy. Joy can also be brought passively, such as observing beauty in nature.
4. Humor
   Humor may be one of the easiest types of happiness to achieve. Laughter can be hard to deny and it boosts our mood dramatically. Even when we feel far from happy, humor can take us back. Funny movies, pictures or jokes will bring us short periods of happiness, regardless of how we really feel. As the saying goes, laughter is the best medicine.

Types of average happiness

This middle range tends to be what we use to answer the question “How are you?” These feelings are not fleeting but they also do not represent your entire life. When you say you are fine, you are likely to feel one of these types of happiness.

These average types of happiness are usually based on comparisons. These comparisons can be with your past or with the lives of others.

5. Optimism
   When you believe that good things will come your way, you feel optimism, which is a type of happiness. You may not have any evidence of this, but based on what the past looks like, you feel hopeful that good things are on the way. Your happiness comes from feelings of hope for the future.

Optimism is a type of happiness based on the belief that positivity will outweigh any upcoming negativity.

6. Gratitude
   Gratitude, unlike optimism, is founded in the moment. It is a kind of appreciation of happiness. You will feel grateful when you notice something you appreciate. When you feel grateful for the things you are given in life, from material possessions to the people who surround you, you will feel undeniably happy.

Gratitude may also be brought by comparison with others who are less fortunate. We are happy with what we do because we know that others may not be as lucky.

The highest kind of happiness

The deepest types of happiness are often difficult to explain or measure. They are also often difficult to achieve. These are certain forms of unshakable happiness. They are not affected by the coming and going of life. Not everyone is lucky enough to experience these types of happiness, and they are more common in older people.

In order to know whether you are experiencing the highest form of happiness, you may have to ask yourself some questions, such as:

Are you missing something from your life?
Are you living the life you dreamed of?

7. Love
   Happiness in the form of love is considered one of the deepest types of happiness. Love comes in many forms and is not limited to romantic interests. The presence of familial or platonic love is more than enough. Love as a form of happiness makes you feel safe. When we feel loved, we feel valuable.

When you know that you are loved, and that you love others in return, there is little that can take away your happiness. Lifelong love will keep happiness in your life no matter what.

8. Loyalty
   When we achieve our life goals, we have a sense of accomplishment that cannot be undone. This kind of happiness is deep and can also be spiritual – reaching your true purpose. When you reach your true life purpose, happiness will become a default state. You have no inner conflicts or feelings of longing, which brings you true peace.

When you are not looking for change, you become grateful for what you have and proud of what you have achieved. Complete fulfillment includes a number of other types of happiness, which enhance the overall feeling. When you feel good, you will feel a whole host of positive emotions that cannot be shaken off.

There is no one type of happiness. What you consider your happiest may not match someone else’s, but that’s the beauty of it. When something feels like happiness, whether it’s superficial, short-lived, or the permanent kind, grab hold of it. We can all use more happiness in our lives.