A significant source of awareness based emotional response is through family and other significant relationships. Why you love someone is not solely the product of thought but is from emotion and awareness (and in this case may be awareness beyond readily identified sense information). There is much happiness potential to be gained from having and being with family and other significant relationships.

Friendships can be the product of thought, you can like their mind, how they think and their views on subjects. Ideally significant relationships should work on both levels.

However it also has to be recognised that this source of happiness relies on the availability and willingness of other people. And while it can be very long term it can also be cut short for various reasons. Relationships (and loss of relationship) can also be a source of unhappiness.

Hedonism

Another source of happiness that is related directly to awareness through emotional interpretation of sensual input is what can be called hedonism. It differs from Conscious Awareness of sense information discussed so far in that it involves the active seeking of sensual pleasure, rather than just absorbing the environmental inputs around you. Being active it also involves some level of thought in the planning to get the sensual pleasure. It may require resources to achieve the sensual pleasure. The source of the pleasure may be a material item. It is often a short term source of pleasure in that you only have the happiness while experiencing the sensual input, although there may be some happiness through the process of planning and goal seeking to get the pleasure, however this is a thought process - see later in this site. However once the item is obtained the pleasure gained may be through Conscious Awareness processes. Examples of simple hedonism could be a meal at a nice restaurant or a glass of fine wine.

Conscious Awareness and Other Aspects of Consciousness

Before I go on I will briefly mention that Conscious Awareness is not only relevant for sense information. Referring to the Consciousness Model, awareness is also used to be aware of emotion and thought. Again in everyday life this process is automatic or unconscious. However, as with Conscious Awareness of sense information, it need not be. Conscious Awareness can be used to be aware of both emotion and thought. When using Conscious Awareness of sense information to enhance happiness you are also aware of the emotion of happiness. In this process you can also be Consciously Aware of the emotion of happiness to further enhance the effect.

Next Page - Happiness and Thought

Top of Page

| Site Information | (C) |