“Follow your happiness” is a spiritual concept popularized by Joseph Campbell, which advises individuals to identify their passions and pursue them wholeheartedly. The phrase originated from Hindu thought and Campbell’s study of mythology. It is not about doing whatever one wants, but about finding purpose and wholeness.
The phrase “follow your happiness” is a spiritual or philosophical statement that advises people to identify the parts of life they are truly passionate about and pursue them wholeheartedly. The phrase originated with American mythologist and writer Joseph Campbell (1904-1987), who most famously used it in the book and television show The Power of Myth, published after his death in 1988. The concept of following one’s Bliss comes from a sacred Hindu text, the Upanishads, among other influences.
Born into a middle-class Catholic family in New York City in 1904, Campbell developed an interest in Native American mythology at an early age. After graduating from Columbia University, he traveled to Europe to study languages and literature. He traveled and studied for several years before taking a position as a professor at Sarah Lawrence College in Yonkers, New York in 1934. Campbell’s interest in mythology continued and he expanded his work, adding Tibetan and Hindu mythology to the his study of Native American myths.
Campbell believed that although human mythology varied by culture, the mythologies taken broadly shared a number of universal themes. For Campbell, the purpose of mythology was to illuminate sacred truths that could only be revealed through analogy. He argued that myths served to explain the universe, validate the existing social order, create a sense of awe at the “mysteries of being,” and guide individuals through the stages of life. In Campbell’s study of mythology and religion, he encountered the concept that would lead him to popularize the saying “follow your happiness.”
Hindu thought includes the concept of “sat-chit-ananda” or “satchitananda”. This is an amalgamation of three Sanskrit words: “sat,” meaning truth, being, or eternal; “chit”, which means consciousness; and “ananda,” which means bliss. In The Power of Myth, Campbell explained that he was unsure of his being and consciousness and decided to focus on bliss.
The idea summed up in the phrase “follow your happiness” is that the path an individual should take exists within him or her at all times. Bliss is the method by which this path reveals itself. Following your bliss therefore means identifying your purpose and pursuing it. Campbell’s statement sums up this philosophy of self-discovery and self-empowerment.
Some critics have interpreted “follow your happiness” as a claim that individuals should just do whatever they want. By using the word “bliss,” Campbell was attempting to describe a sense of purpose and wholeness greater than transient longing. “Follow Your Bliss” was meant to be an exhortation to others to examine their lives, discover the path that leads them to a feeling of wholeness, and pursue it wholeheartedly.
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