NARRATOR:
This is Walter's human, Jessica.
Hello.
NARRATOR:
And this is a film about happiness.
The School of Life is sending
on a series of field trips to explore
some of philosophy's most intriguing ideas.
This time, Jessica Kellgren-Fozard
a content creator with more subscribers
than the population of Iceland,
the second-happiest nation on Earth,
is finding out what most of us
are getting wrong about happiness.
[KISSES]
As long as humans have traveled the Earth,
people have been motivated by one thing above all.
-The desire to be happy.
But we humans seem to have an uncanny knack
of making ourselves miserable.
Why? What are most of us getting wrong about happiness?
And how could we all strive to be happier?
Oh, that is a tough question.
NARRATOR:
we need someone with a different outlook on life.
That's where Jessica comes in.
Jessica suffers from nerve disorder HNPP,
and rare auto-immune disorder MCTD.
Which means she sometimes has to use a mobility aid.
I'm mostly deaf and partially visually impaired.
NARRATOR:
I guess that's why you've asked me
to be your exhibit on happiness in this film.
It's important to remember
that I have the same needs and desires for happiness,
just like everyone else.
It's just that I faced a fair few obstacles along the way.
And, I guess that's given me a unique perspective
on what actually makes people happy.
NARRATOR:
So what do people think is the key to happiness?
We went on to the streets of Brighton,
where Jessica lives, to find out.
Hmm. That's a good question.
Financial stability, probably.
A hundred grand a year, I guess.
More money,
and a nicer car.
Probably like a Chanel bag or something, yeah.
Um, enough money to travel the world.
Shares in a business.
Just to be able to buy a house would be, uh,
would be nice.
A plane.
NARRATOR:
really what would make
Or might the secret of true happiness
be a little more surprising?
A 60-second guide to happiness.
The belief that we have a right to happiness
is a very modern idea,
like Segways or selfies,
but no one can agree what makes us happy.
Many think that material wealth will do the trick,
but as societies become richer,
they tend to become more miserable.
The ancient Greeks had
to our ideas based on what we own or how we feel.
Aristotle defined happiness as eudaimonia,
a state achieved by living
While the Stoics believed that true happiness
comes from not expecting very much.
Then, in the 20th century,
happiness became all about how we feel, not what we do,
and when chemists discovered
that the feeling of happiness
a billion-dollar industry was born.
Now, happy pills like Adderall
and anti-depressants like Prozac
are taken by hundreds
But do they actually make us happy?
The Auschwitz survivor
saying that happiness is served by selfless acts.
The more you pursue happiness,
the less likely it is to come to you.
So, is happiness something we can all find
if we just stop looking for it so hard?
What does our happiness expert Jessica think?
Because I have health problems,
I've had to learn to find happiness
when my body is trying to bring me down.
As such, I developed a pretty unique perspective
on what actually makes us happy.
And thus I present...
[READING]
[JESSICA READING]
Human connection is the most vital path to happiness.
There's moments when we open up
and share our mushy, vulnerable insides
with someone else's mushy, vulnerable insides.
[JESSICA READING]
Living with a disability and chronic illness,
I've had many, many horrible days,
when things have gone badly wrong and I've ended up in hospital
in excruciating pain and the edge of dying.
But that's not today.
And that's really important to remember.
-And to celebrate...
...the amazing things about today,
both big and small.
Even if that's something as little as having your favorite drink.
[JESSICA READING]
I accept my limitations, because by setting a limit,
I also set myself free
within that framework that I've created.
[JESSICA READING]
Happiness might come all in a rush from a big development.
But it's sweeter when
Whether that's a warm bath,
a beautiful dress, a good night's sleep.
[BARKS]
NARRATOR:
[TILLY WHIMPERS]
Love doesn't have to be grand and obvious and involve a ring and marriage.
It can also be the simple kindness
from one human to another.
By showing other people love,
we show ourselves love too.
[JESSICA READING]
We can nourish our happiness with the love and care of personal growth.
Every time I develop my skills and abilities,
I feel the warmest inner glow of pride.
[JESSICA READING]
I find happiness in the smallest things.
My wife's smile, my puppies' excitement,
a walk on the beach at sunset,
what could be happier than that?
[LAUGHS]
We all have
really, don't we?
We often strive for things that just aren't possible,
and then get upset when they don't happen.
I believe that happiness should be like health.
Something that we prioritize and acknowledge takes work.
We've all been dealt different cards in life,
but only through acceptance
of our misfortunes and what we're missing
can we truly see the beautiful things that we do have in life,
and, goodness, isn't that lovely?
So, that's my list of what makes me really, genuinely happy.
But my challenge to you
is to think about what that is in your own life.
And then, to live it.
If you'd like to see more in this series,
subscribe to The School of Life channel.
[THEME MUSIC PLAYING]