Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Start your free trial
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
Happiness summary
A Guide to Developing Life’s Most Important Skill
16 mins
Brief summary
Happiness by Matthieu Ricard is a guide to reaching inner joy and peace through meditation, mindfulness, and positive thinking. It discusses the science of happiness and offers practical exercises to cultivate positive emotions and improve overall well-being.
Topics
Table of Contents
Happiness
Summary of 8 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 8
Real happiness is a long-term mental state we have to consciously work toward.
Are you happy? Interestingly, how you answer that question might depend on where you’re from. There’s a wide gap between the Western conception of happiness and the Buddhist idea of true, long-lasting happiness.
Many Westerners think of happiness as a momentary, fleeting feeling. The intensity and duration depend on circumstances outside their control. A Westerner might feel happy about passing an exam, for instance, or winning a game or having a pleasant encounter with someone.
Happiness, however, shouldn’t be limited to such fleeting moments. Real, profound happiness is something more: it comes with having a healthy state of mind.
That means cultivating a mental state unburdened by memories and future plans. The only thing that matters is what’s happening now: the present. So the key to leading a happy and fulfilling life is being at peace with the present.
This approach to happiness mirrors Buddhist thought, which holds that one can attain a state of profound and sustained well-being when freed of negative emotions. Buddhists denote this state with a Sanskrit word: sukha.
Happiness is something that can be cultivated, but you do have work at it. Studies have shown that about 25 percent of our potential for happiness is defined by our genes – but that means 75 percent is up to us!
So you have a lot of power over your happiness. The way you think, live and perceive the world around you has a major impact on your mental well-being.
All in all, happiness is a matter of interpretation. It may be very difficult to change the world, but changing how you interpret it is manageable.
Want to see all full key ideas from Happiness?
Key ideas in Happiness
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
What is Happiness about?
Happiness (2007) guides you toward a state of true happiness. Many people today falsely believe that happiness comes from ephemeral things like money or fame, but truly long-lasting and profound happiness stems from maintaining a higher sense of well-being. And these blinks will help you do exactly that.
Happiness Review
Happiness (2006) by Matthieu Ricard is a thought-provoking exploration of what it means to truly be happy. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- It provides a scientifically-backed framework for cultivating happiness, offering practical steps to apply in daily life.
- Through philosophical insights and personal anecdotes, the book presents a holistic approach to happiness that goes beyond material wealth.
- Ricard's expertise as a Buddhist monk and trained scientist adds depth and credibility to his arguments, making the book both enlightening and trustworthy.
Who should read Happiness?
- Aspiring and practicing Buddhists
- Anyone interested in psychology
- Those wanting to lead a happier life
Categories with Happiness
Book summaries like Happiness
People ❤️ Blinkist
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
People also liked these summaries
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
33 Million
Downloads on all platforms
10+ years
Experience igniting personal growth
Happiness FAQs
What is the main message of Happiness?
Happiness teaches us how to cultivate inner joy and find fulfillment in every moment.
How long does it take to read Happiness?
The reading time for Happiness varies, but the Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is Happiness a good book? Is it worth reading?
Happiness is a profound exploration of happiness and well-being. It offers practical guidance for a more meaningful life.
Who is the author of Happiness?
Matthieu Ricard is the author of Happiness.
What to read after Happiness?
If you're wondering what to read next after Happiness, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- Hardwiring Happiness by Rick Hanson
- Savor by Thich Nhat Hanh and Lilian Cheung
- The Optimism Bias by Tali Sharot
- Either/Or by Soren Kierkegaard
- The Art of Reading Minds by Henrik Fexeus
- Buddha’s Brain by Rick Hanson
- Positivity by Barbara L. Fredrickson
- Lessons in Stoicism by John Sellars
- Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn
- Get Better at Anything by Scott H. Young