Which One Best Describes You: The 4 Archetypes of Happiness

In his book, “Happier”, Harvard professor Tal Ben-Shahar describes the 4 archetypes of happiness. Review the following and determine which one best describes you. First there is the “Rat Racer”. This individual is always delaying gratification and pursuing goals. Picture the mountain climber who is ultra focused on getting to the top of the mountain and won’t be happy until he/she gets there. Next there is the “Hedonist” who is all about now. Enjoying the moment. Picture a mountain climber wandering around the mountain aimlessly. Next is the “Nihilist” who has a ‘screw it all’ mentality. Not enjoying the moment and with little hope of future happiness. Picture a mountain climber just sitting on the path defeated with no motivation to move. The last archetype is the true “Happiness” type. This person enjoys the moment while moving towards goals and future happiness. Picture a mountain climber enjoying the journey towards his/her goal of reaching the top (or near the top) of the mountain. Ben-Shahar emphasizes the importance of keeping a healthy balance between enjoyment of the moment and working towards future happiness. IE: enjoying the journey and the destination. Which archetype are you?