The Fun Scale: Did you know there are three types of happiness?

Happiness. Isn’t  it what we all want from life? However, not all joys have the same weight and not do all the paths of happiness look the same.

According to the Skills Collective blog, psychologist Martin Seligman divides happiness into three tiers to better grasp it.

Similarly, as The Uncommon Path outdoors blog points out, the enjoyment you get from moments in life can also be divided into three. Let’s see how merriment and satisfaction can compare.

The first type of fun is the most basic. It’s something you enjoy doing and that you will enjoy reminiscing about afterward.

This tier, also known as the Pleasant Life, is all about indulging in small pleasures: having a few drinks with friends, going out for a swim, or just enjoying a good meal. This is the one that requires the least amount of effort to enjoy.

However, they say that sometimes the finest pleasures in life are the things you have to work hard to get. That’s where other types of fun come into play.

Then there’s Type 2 Fun. As Kelly Cordes writes for The Uncommon Path, this type of enjoyment is defined by actually feeling miserable while it’s happening but feeling satisfied afterward.

Although it might sound like a contradiction, this level is all about engagement and overcoming challenges. Going to the gym, hiking forest trails, going climbing. It’s all about that one moment where you can take a breath, look back, and feel good about yourself.

Cordes also includes in this tier being a parent. After all, kids can be a nightmare sometimes, but the satisfaction they can provide can’t be compared to anything in this life.

Finally, there’s Type 3 Fun. According to outdoors blogger Jessie Evers, this isn’t something that is fun to do or fun to remember, but it does make a great story.

This stage could be known as the Meaningful Life. Ultimately, these experiences allow us to grow as individuals and better understand who we are and what we want from our lives.

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Of course, these rules aren’t exactly set in stone. After all, happiness is very personal and will mean different things to different people.

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