Some people think that happiness means feeling good. For them, happiness is a temporary state of mind, a mood, a “good vibration.” Others believe that happiness means contentment or fulfillment. So, they’d say that, over the long haul, they’ve lived well (or that they’ve wasted their lives).

I think there’s another view of happiness that’s worth considering. To be happy is to face life’s misfortunes–the death of a loved one, the loss of a limb, the destruction of our home–with resilience. Could it be that bending like a reed rather than falling into despair is necessary for flourishing in this “all too human” world? Where does an amputee find the mental resources to affirm his existence despite losing his right arm while a college student remains unable to summon the courage to deal with the smallest of life’s disappointments?