The International Day of Happiness, which falls on March 20 every year, reminds people of the importance of happiness. 【小题1】

According to Martin Seligman, a US psychology professor, happiness is about doing things that are engaging and meaningful. 【小题2】 “Meaningful” means using our strengths to help others or to be part of something bigger than ourselves.

Psychologist Dan Baker says our purpose doesn’t have to be huge. For example, a 17-year-old’s purpose might be to get into their preferred college. 【小题3】

After understanding what happiness is, you might wonder what affects our happiness.

【小题4】 According to Sonja Lyubomirsky, a US psychology professor, about 50 percent of our happiness comes from genes (基因), 40 percent from our intentions (意图), and 10 percent from our circumstances (境况).

Life circumstances like getting a new car or a promotion don’t lead to long-lasting happiness because we get used to them. To keep feeling happy, we need to control how we act and think.

【小题5】 When we were kids, we felt happy when we got attention and things from our family and friends. As we get older, we realize that caring for others is important, and being selfless brings fulfillment (满足).