It might seem crazy what I am ‘bout to say

The Retune Blog - 21st April 2023

On the 4th July 1776 the Declaration of American Independence set forth this famous phrase:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

But what does it mean to have the right to the pursuit of happiness? Clearly, happiness in itself is not, and cannot, be enshrined in a constitution. It seems pretty straightforward that this is about limiting the power of authority to give individuals freedom to determine, but again, this is a complicated idea. How much do we really get to choose? Especially when it comes to happiness. And so, we get to this week’s song, Happy by Pharell Williams:

It might seem crazy what I am 'bout to say. Sunshine, she's here, you can take a break … Huh (Because I'm happy). Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof.

A room without a roof? Williams starts to set out the idea that there is a form of happiness which we can experience regardless of our circumstances. He continues:

Here come bad news talking this and that (Yeah). Well give me all you got, don't hold back.

And the craziness continues. The song's lyrics actually seem to be inviting difficulties. But this is perhaps not as crazy as it seems. In The Happiness Trap, Russ Harris explores how Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can help us break the trap of running after fleeting instant happiness by teaching us how to deal with unpleasant thoughts and feelings to create a more meaningful and lasting life (and happiness).

ACT is based on the idea that our internal conversations take place between what can be characterised as our observing self and thinking self, and that we can intervene in the primacy of the thinking self to become more present with the observing self. This is done through accepting that we feel how we feel, then defusing the power of these thoughts and emotions by recognising they are really just words and sensations. We then create some mental space by connecting with the present. This allows us to take a contextual look at our situation and put it into a wider perspective where our happiness is determined by a long-term vision of our outworking of what is important to us rather than short term comfort. To use Williams lyrics:

Clap along if you know what happiness is to you.

So, rather than being crazy, Williams' lyrics probably hold a lot more in common with the principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy than it may at first seem. And this in turn, helps us to get beyond the short term idea of pursuing instant happiness to a more lasting and meaningful empowerment to choosing genuine life and happiness.