Jung's Keys to Happiness

Coleen and I are reading the Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. She recently posted this tidbit to her website about Jung's keys to happiness. I recently wrote about Jung and his concept of synchronicity and it's connection to Chopra's synchrodestiny. I couldn't pass up the chance to post this piece of the article since it combined a few of things I am interested in recently. After all, if we aren't chasing happiness, what are we chasing? "In 1960, journalist Gordon Young asked Jung, "What do you consider to be more or less basic factors making for happiness in the human mind?" Jung answered with five elements: 1. Good physical and mental health. 2. Good personal and intimate relationships, such as those of marriage, the family, and friendships. 3. The faculty for perceiving beauty in art and nature. 4. Reasonable standards of living and satisfactory work. 5. A philosophic or religious point of view capable of coping successfully with the vicissitudes of life. Jung, always mindful of paradox, added, “All factors which are generally assumed to make for happiness can, under certain circumstances, produce the contrary. No matter how ideal your situation may be, it does not necessarily guarantee happiness."