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With the start of summer, the words ‘entertainment’, ‘enjoyment’ or ‘happiness’ are largely heard all over the world, including our beloved Island – Malta. Different people have different understanding of the happiness, contentment and satisfaction; and they apply different means and ways for their entertainment and happiness. Some see the glass half filled, when some see it as half empty; some find peace in spending thousands for concerts, where some find peace in helping those in need. This is a very dynamic subject to deal with.

In search of fun, many outings, gatherings, dinners, fun and boat parties are organised throughout the summer. Moreover, numerous musical nights, concerts, shows, wine tours, dance nights, just to name a few, are held in the name of entertainment and fun.

So, what is happiness and what does it mean to be happy? What are the true means for entertainment, enjoyment or happiness? What remedy one should apply in the search of having true and lasting satisfaction of heart and mind?

What is happiness?

It is a natural phenomenon that human nature wants happiness and peace of mind. Every human being – be it Asian, European, African or American – has an ingrained thirst of happiness. And when we analyse this further we find that, all human efforts are in pursuit of gladness, contentment and satisfaction. Man is in a constant struggle in finding the real meaning of life, the real purpose of life, the real objective of life, and for that they set many goals to achieve their aims.

One can argue this notion is holistically individualistic and subjective because happiness means something different for everyone, everywhere. Some attribute their happiness to a strong sense of community, some relish traditional forms of singing which makes them happy, some ascribe happiness to their infrastructure, strong social support and a healthy appreciation for individual liberty, whilst some associate happiness through living in harmony with, and having an appreciation for the natural environment around them. The religious understanding and cultural differences also shape our understanding of happiness.