Dr. Azam Noferesti: Happiness is an accelerator in the process of social development / We should seek to develop national indicators of happiness in the country / The lack of happiness is rooted in the performance of officials and the part is rooted in the culture of luxury

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Considering the importance of this issue, especially among young people and students, Leila Ahmadi, a public relations expert, has conducted an interview with Dr. Azam Noferesti with the aim of explaining the different dimensions of happiness and happiness and its components, especially in Iran, which is as follows:

- Madam Doctor, thank you for participating in this interview. As a first question, what is the definition of happiness as a psychological phenomenon?
In order to define happiness, we must distinguish between two concepts. The concept of happiness and happiness. Happiness is the translation of subjective wellbeing, which is translated as happiness. Happiness has two components: the emotional component and the cognitive component. The emotional component is how good I am and how good I feel. How much positive emotions, joy, joy, joy, hope, and joy I experience, and of course, part of it is related to not having negative emotions, that I experience sadness, fear, anger, anxiety, and hatred less. That is, the less negative emotions a person experiences and the more positive emotions they will experience in return, the happier they will be. This is just the emotional dimension of happiness. Happiness also has a cognitive dimension, which is life satisfaction, that is, when you take a general look at the past and present life, are you satisfied with your life in different areas or not? The higher the level of satisfaction, the happier you are. Happiness means experiencing more positive emotions and fewer negative emotions, so we feel more fulfilled in life. If these three things are present, the person will be happy. According to this definition, happiness is a part of happiness. Vitality or happiness is more than just an important individual goal or pleasurable mood swings.

Psychologically, are happy people classified as psychologically healthy people and people who are not happy as unhealthy people?
It cannot be divided in this way. If it means whether the person has a mental disorder or not? Just because you are happy doesn't mean you don't have a disorder and you don't have to be happy. This means that there may be many people who are not happy, but they do not have a disorder, for example, they do not suffer from depression. They do not have any special feelings, that is, they are neither happy nor disturbed, and there are not a few of them. In the American society, they found that 20 percent are like this. Therefore, these people do not have a specific disorder and are not happy. While happiness is our goal in life. Happiness is what we refer to as happiness and wish it for ourselves and our loved ones.

- In contemporary society, in most cultures, special attention has been paid to happiness at the individual and social level. Why and since when was this issue considered?
Happiness, because it is always associated with satisfaction, optimism, hope, and trust, can act as an accelerator in the development process of a society. Accordingly, in most cultures, special attention has been paid to happiness at the individual and social levels. The importance of happiness or happiness is to the extent that national indicators are prepared about it today, and every country is obliged to develop a national happiness index for its society.
Of course, human beings have sought to enjoy life the most from the beginning, so in all cultures, we see that happiness, good mood, positive excitement, and a sense of satisfaction with life have been the goal of all people in all cultures and has nothing to do with a specific culture, special circumstances, and time, and in Islamic texts, the issue of happiness has also been raised, who is a happy person? Therefore, this issue is old since the time of the creation of man.

What are the components of happiness in our country and what are the differences between these components in our country and in Western countries?
Argyle defined happiness and happiness as a combination of the presence of a positive emotion, the absence of a negative emotion, and satisfaction with life. He considered happiness as the emotional component of happiness and life satisfaction as the cognitive component of happiness. Most of the researches conducted in the field of happiness have also emphasized these components. The most important findings in the field of happiness also affect positive emotion and life satisfaction.e. The most important components of happiness and happiness have been emphasized. Nevertheless, sociologists believe that it is not possible to study happiness and happiness without taking into account the social situation in which the person finds himself. In essence, happiness and vitality are a social concept.
In this regard, we have also conducted a comprehensive and qualitative study and obtained four components about happiness, which we have divided into four categories and each of them into several subcategories: In the components of happiness, the discussion of meeting basic needs and welfare means that when a person is able to provide his basic needs and have well-being for himself, he can achieve happiness to achieve it. The next discussion is communication: the quality of one's relationship with society and people in society is another component of happiness. Another component is positive emotions, which we talked about how happy and uplifting a person feels. The last component that I have categorized in this way is positive orientations, which include progress, spirituality, contentment, and satisfaction, all of which are included in a subset called "positive orientation" or positive orientation. These are the components of happiness that we have achieved in Iran. One might wonder how it differs from Western countries. The difference we saw is the issue of providing basic needs and welfare, which was paid more attention in Iran than in other countries, because of the economic conditions in the country, but it is similar to other countries when it comes to positive emotions. In the section of spiritual orientation and the sense of meaning and purpose in life in Western countries, although these categories have been addressed, but in our country, due to the importance of religion, the components of understanding happiness are known.
If I want to say in a nutshell, the components of happiness in Iran are meeting basic needs, having good relationships with others, having positive emotions, and having positive orientations, which means progress, spirituality, contentment, and satisfaction in life.


- What are the characteristics of people who enjoy happiness?
Research in the field of happiness and happiness shows that socially valuable traits such as mental health, longer lifespan, adequate income, and success are positively correlated with happiness. It stimulates a person's vitality, increases their awareness, boosts their creativity, and facilitates their social relationships. Cheerful people have high self-esteem, strong friendships, and meaningful religious beliefs. People who are happy feel more secure, make easier decisions, have a more collaborative spirit, participate in political activities, and feel more satisfied than those who live with them. Also, happiness reduces social deviations, increases social security, increases social solidarity, and reduces alienation from society. While the lack and lack of it include depression, pessimism and negative evaluation of events, lack of interest in society and work, fading work conscience, drug addiction, social abnormalities, the prevalence of violence in social relationships, divorce, tendency to foreign and foreign culture, etc. It brings about it. Therefore, happiness and happiness are valuable not because it is a positive and pleasant emotion, but because it is a wise public and social asset that has many benefits for the individual and society.
 

- Is it possible to achieve a single nature of happiness and its components?
No, it's not really possible. Studies conducted in the field of happiness and happiness in different dimensions show that although happiness has been considered as an important goal in most societies, its sources and determinants are different in different cultures and groups. Demographic characteristics, psychological, physical, social, economic, religious, spiritual, and cultural factors have been studied in several studies to determine the extent and contribution of each of these factors in determining the social vitality of individuals in a society. Demographic characteristics include age, gender, education, marital status, and race. For example, Argyle showed that the older people get, the happier they are. Women tend to express more happiness than men. There is a positive and significant relationship between increased education and happiness, as studies have shown that married people have a higher level of happiness than single people. Also, a study has shown that there is a significant difference between different races in terms of happiness rate. Psychological factors include personality and its dimensions, optimism and vitality, mental health, and life satisfaction, which have a positive and significant relationship with happiness. From physical resources, health, exercise, and other variables such as eating, drinking, and resting.
 

- Considering that our country is a religious country. To what extent does religion affect the evaluation and determination of the components of happiness?
In the study we conducted, it was shown that faith and trust in God in times of hardship and performing religious rituals such as praying, fasting, etc., were important sub-components in the discussion of happiness in Iran, and in the interviews that were conducted, people emphasized this issue. Of course, the discussion of religion and spirituality was summed up in the subset of positive orientations that I mentioned earlier. So, whether religion has played a role in happiness or not, yes, it certainly does.
Of course, this is not only unique to Iran, it is also discussed in many countries and even Western countries, although it is not in the name of religion, but under the name of spirituality, that is, spirituality and spirituality are one of the components of happiness, but the difference between it and Iran is the religious color and smell that exists in our country.
 

In a society like Iran, studies indicate a high level of negative emotions, while a careful study of Iranian literature and its related branches, including mythology, stories, poetry, and folk tales, also shows that happiness-seeking has a special place in Iranian culture. As an expert, what strategies do you recommend to release these emotions?
Yes, that's right. A careful study of Iranian literature and its related branches, including mythology, stories, poetry, and folk tales, shows that happiness has a special place in Iranian culture in the individual and social dimensions, and holding numerous social celebrations such as Nowruz, 13 to Dar, Mehregan Festival, and Syrian Wednesday in ancient Iran is also a testament to this claim, however, studies and research evidence show that the state of happiness In Iran, in recent years, it has not been very satisfactory. The largest study conducted so far in this field examined the level of happiness and happiness of people in 156 countries from 2004 to 2013. In this study, Iran's rank among 156 countries is 115, and the average happiness of Iran was between 0 and 10, 4.6. The study also showed that the level of happiness in Iran decreased from 2005 to 2013. The reason for Iran's low rank in social vitality has been attributed to factors such as lack of social welfare, material status, economic security, inequality, health status, social freedoms, widespread economic corruption, widespread religious ceremonies and mourning, and unhealthy living conditions in Iran. On the other hand, the Gallup poll institute (2013) announced that among 138 countries in the world, Iran is the second country in the incidence of negative emotions after Iraq. In this study, which was conducted by phone and face-to-face interviews, people were asked how much negative emotions they had experienced such as anger, stress, sadness, physical pain, and worry in the previous days. The high unemployment rate and the increase in the inflation rate, which prevents the provision of welfare facilities for the people, are considered the most important reasons for this. Research conducted inside Iran also confirms these findings to some extent. For example, one study showed that only 3 percent of Iranians described themselves as "very happy." Also, the statistics related to the deaths of young people who seek to create false happiness and happiness through the use of psychotropic drugs and narcotics in the country in a sporadic and inaccurate manner are announced in the public newspapers is another proof of this claim. These findings indicate the high rate of negative emotion and low level of vitality in recent years in the Iranian population.
 

Can people with this problem in society achieve positive emotions just by referring to a psychiatrist and counselor?
Visiting a psychiatrist is not a way to make yourself and others happy, only about a certain percentage of people who suffer from depression and other mental disorders are naturally considered sick and have a disorder that should be referred to a psychiatrist, but if we want to increase the level of happiness in the country, the solution is not to go to a psychiatrist. There are two solutions, some of which should be told to the authorities and some of which should be told to the people.
The state of social justice is not good, there is discrimination, social security is better than other things. There are few Iranians who are ashamed and sad about being Iranian. According to the studies we have done, social acceptance is not much of a problem. It is mostly about justice, security, and social prosperity. These are the things that politicians need to pay attention to. They should help people to meet various basic needs such as housing, food, clothing, and health. As long as people are not comfortable about this, they will not be able to experience happiness. But the other part goes back to the people. In other words, culture should be created through the media, and one of the things that has caused people to not have good conditions in terms of happiness is the issue of luxury. Many people may not have a problem in terms of providing basic needs, but they still don't enjoy life. Many who see happiness in materialism, a bigger house, and a better car. However, studies do not show this.
What needs to happen is that luxury is replaced by contentment and contentment, and if that doesn't happen, luxury is a well that will never be filled. Therefore, for the basic needs, the government should provide conditions that people can access them, but the second part is culture-building. Another part that is related to people is the discussion of communication, which is transmitted to the people through education. For example, if couples have problems or parents have problems with their children, they should go to a counselor and solve their problems. Expand their social relationships. The more extensive these social relationships, the more happiness they actually experience. Another thing that can be done on an individual scale to educate people is to teach people to do more of the things that make them happy. Such as recreation, sports, listening to music, going to places of interest and nature, and anything that makes them feel better. If sports become the culture of people's lives, it can make them feel better, another thing that people should do is discuss spirituality and religion, which is very helpful, and another thing that people should learn to work for their own growth and development. Studies have shown that the more people care about their personal development and learn skills, the happier they are.
Therefore, we have two categories of strategies to promote happiness. One is the promotion of happiness that officials should do, and the other is by the people through culture-building.
In order to vent negative emotions in Iran, it is necessary to create a culture and educate people to regulate and manage them when they suffer from negative emotions. To manage negative emotions, we must first see what causes negative emotions, social issues that are about justice and security, flourishing, and meeting basic needs. Once these are corrected, people should learn techniques for controlling negative emotions. Several things affect this emotion management: exercising, problem-solving, getting advice, getting out or leaving a stressful environment. These are things that can be taught to people on an individual level. But in principle, we have to see why negative emotions are high in Iran: a percentage of it has cultural dimensions and a percentage of it has social dimensions.
 

The final word?
Research in the field of happiness and happiness shows that socially valuable traits such as mental health, longer lifespan, adequate income, and success are positively correlated with happiness. It stimulates a person's vitality, increases their awareness, boosts their creativity, and facilitates their social relationships. Cheerful people have high self-esteem, strong friendships, and meaningful religious beliefs. People who are happy feel more secure, make easier decisions, have a more collaborative spirit, participate in political activities, and feel more satisfied than those who live with them. Also, vitality reduces social deviations, increases social security, and increases social solidarity. While the lack and lack of it include depression, pessimism and negative evaluation of events, lack of interest in society and work, fading work conscience, drug addiction, social abnormalities, the prevalence of violence in social relationships, divorce, tendency to foreign and foreign culture, etc. It brings about it. Therefore, happiness and happiness are valuable not because it is a positive and pleasant emotion, but because it is a wise public and social asset that has many benefits for the individual and society.
Accordingly, due to the importance of the effect of vitality on the comprehensive growth of the country and the reciprocal effect of vitality with various issues of society, especially social harms such as addiction, it is necessary for the country's officials and senior managers to act in the laws and executive methods of running the country in a way that continuously increases the vitality of the people. Planning and policy-making are necessary to increase vitality at the macro level of the country, and this planning will not be possible without knowing the indicators of happiness based on the social, political, economic, and cultural conditions of the country.