Happiness as an Industry: Why We Want to Be Happy—And What’s Wrong with That

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The expansion of ‘happycracy’ into everyday life unfolds against the backdrop of a diktat of positive thinking, mindfulness, and self-improvement. Yet researchers point to the hidden traps in the pursuit of happiness. Why can being happy sometimes be dangerous? Maria Kucheryavaya, sociologist and visiting lecturer at the HSE School of Communication, reflects on this in her column for IQ Media.

Maria Kucheryavaya, Visiting Lecturer at the School of Communication at the HSE Faculty of Creative Industries

Happiness Versus the Economy

How can one become happy? Sociologists, psychologists, and philosophers have tried to answer this question, while the self-help industry continues to churn out guides on how to make life happier.

In the 21st century, happiness has become one of the key concepts in modern life, and the pursuit of happiness is promoted as a primary goal.

However, it is important to note that one of the main reasons happiness has come into focus is the emergence of new ways to measure progress and wellbeing.

For a long time, gross domestic product (GDP) served as the primary indicator of a society’s prosperity. Yet this approach has faced increasing criticism. Researchers point out that GDP overlooks the non-economic dimensions of wellbeing, which are also important. Progress and wellbeing are not limited solely to economic metrics. It is thus only natural that various methods for assessing levels of subjective wellbeing have evolved, with happiness becoming one of their indicators. As a result, happiness has turned into an objective criterion that can be evaluated and compared across countries. Measuring wellbeing through the lens of happiness reflects a growing tendency to interpret happiness as a fundamental human right—and a goal of a prosperous society.

The Therapeutic Turn: Happiness as a Worldview

Another reason why happiness has become a new imperative of our time is the development of what is known as therapeutic culture and the transformation of self-development into a lifestyle.

The psychologisation of different areas of life places the individual at the centre of their own world. Their wellbeing becomes their chief concern, and all problems are assumed to be solvable through sheer willpower, by changing one’s mindset or perspective.

Being a product of North American culture, psychotherapeutic culture was shaped under the influence of neoliberalism. This ideology champions values of self-improvement and autonomy, resting on individualism, constant personal growth, and the enhancement of one’s own life circumstances.

Within this cultural context, happiness has firmly established itself as a key outcome expected of the neoliberal subject. Happiness is framed as a worldview—one can be happy in any circumstances, and a person’s happiness lies entirely in their own hands.

Alongside the discourse of happiness, there has also emerged an emphasis on positive emotions. Happiness becomes the aim of positive thinking, which denies negative emotions and strives to transform the ‘faulty’ unhappy individual into a positive and happy one.

This sort of tyranny of positivity constructs a direct link between one’s mindset and one’s achievements. Positive emotions and states lead to desirable and approved outcomes, while negative ones result in failure or dissatisfaction.

Happycracy: The Tyranny of Positivity 

The proliferation of happiness into everyday life has led to the emergence of what is often referred to as the happiness industry. Here we face a paradox of attaining happiness: although anyone can, in theory, become happy, achieving it alone proves exceedingly difficult. This gives rise to an entire system that includes the various sciences of happiness, as well as experts who assist individuals in becoming happy.

Happiness transforms from a collective good into a skill—something that can be taught and improved. As a result, it becomes increasingly detached from the individual: not only is it more difficult to attain, but it also becomes impossible to do so without the help of professionals. Thus, happycracy—or the tyranny of positivity—takes shape: being happy and positive becomes both a necessity and a primary life goal.

This process leads not only to the commercialisation of happiness but also to its transformation into an instrument of control. Researchers note that happiness becomes an ideology—a tool for producing a certain type of subject.

The Traps of Happiness

The transformation of the happiness discourse into a mechanism of control gives rise to a number of issues. Researchers point out that this increasingly turns the pursuit of happiness into a trap set by modern positive thinking.

Firstly, happiness becomes a criterion by which people judge one another. In other words, a happy person is seen as good and worthy, while an unhappy one is regarded as bad or dysfunctional. This creates a new form of inequality, based not on socio-economic status, but on feelings and emotional states.

Secondly, the rhetoric of happiness individualises social problems. The pursuit of happiness is framed as a personal issue, with little consideration for external factors. Social issues are replaced by a narrative of emotional deficiency. A worldview is legitimised in which structural problems are denied, and individuals are deemed solely responsible for their own happiness, wellbeing, and success. This gives rise to the illusion of choice: individuals supposedly have the power to choose between positive and negative emotions, and to rid their lives of anxiety through sheer personal effort.

Thirdly, a further concern lies in the assumed legitimacy of happiness as a universal and objective concept. Researchers emphasise the need to examine the social and cultural contexts in which happiness is rooted—how it is understood and constructed across different groups, nations, and cultures.

It is clear that this line of critique aims to challenge the idea of happiness as a universal benchmark—one that defines wellbeing and life satisfaction according to a single standard.

Read the article in Russian on IQ Media