Happiness Source Test | What Makes You Truly Happy

1. What Is Happiness?

Happiness (Subjective Well-Being) is an overall evaluation a person makes of their quality of life according to their own standards, containing two core components: emotional experience and life satisfaction. It is not merely momentary pleasure but a sustained psychological state, reflecting whether a person feels satisfied, fulfilled, and that life is meaningful.

Martin Seligman, the father of positive psychology, proposed in his PERMA model that lasting happiness comes from five core elements:

• Positive Emotion: Feeling positive emotions such as joy, gratitude, and hope
• Engagement: Being fully absorbed in an activity and entering a 'flow' state
• Relationships: Building meaningful connections with others
• Meaning: Belonging to and serving something beyond yourself
• Accomplishment: Pursuing success, mastery, and competence

2. Why Do Sources of Happiness Differ from Person to Person?

Some people gain energy from being alone, while others need lively socializing; some pursue career achievement, while others cherish the warmth of family. This difference stems from the combined influence of an individual's personality traits, upbringing, values, and environment. Understanding your sources of happiness can help us allocate time and energy more efficiently and build a lifestyle that truly suits us.

3. The Four Dimensions of This Test

Based on the subjective well-being theory and the PERMA model, this test designs 15 questions around four core dimensions to help you identify the sources that most boost your happiness:

• Pleasure and Satisfaction Dimension: To what extent can you gain happiness from everyday small blessings, sensory enjoyment, and leisure and entertainment?
• Meaning and Growth Dimension: Do you value personal growth, goal achievement, and contributions to others or society more?
• Relationships and Belonging Dimension: How much do intimate relationships, friendship, and a sense of community belonging affect your happiness?
• Control and Achievement Dimension: Are completing tasks, gaining recognition, and controlling your life the main sources of your happiness?

4. Theoretical Background: Subjective Well-Being and the PERMA Model

Ed Diener, a founder of this field of research, proposed that subjective well-being consists of three parts: life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect. Martin Seligman's PERMA model further points out the specific paths to happiness. Respecting these theories, this test has been localized and contextualized, ensuring both scientific rigor and a closer fit to real everyday experience.

Unlike a simple 'happiness test', what we focus on is your inner, lasting source of happiness - the core factors that make you feel 'today was a good day' when you look back.

5. Purpose and Target Audience of the Test

This test is suitable for anyone who wants to understand their sources of happiness, especially:

• People who often feel unhappy but are not sure where the problem lies
• People who want to optimize their lifestyle and spend their time where it counts
• People interested in positive psychology and hoping for self-exploration
• People at a turning point in life who need to rediscover their center of gravity

6. Scoring Explanation

Each question is scored 1-5, from 'strongly disagree' to 'strongly agree'. Based on your scores across the four dimensions and your overall tendency, the system gives your happiness source type (four typical types in total) and targeted action suggestions.