Introduction: The New Paradigm
This introductory chapter briefly describes the ways in which happiness and well-being can be laid out in quantitative terms. It argues that this endeavor is crucial both for individuals as well as for policy makers. Here, the chapter focuses on individual well-being over individual lifespan. In adulthood that is measured by life-satisfaction, and in childhood by mood and feelings. Having measured happiness, the chapter turns to the next step: explaining it—to understand why some people flourish, while others languish. It does so by introducing a single framework which shows the relative importance of the different factors involved in one's well-being. Finally, the chapter offers some warnings regarding the findings in this book and provides some concluding thoughts.