A lot of people today are used to working, going on holiday, and having money---but many of them aren't happy. Yet other people seem to be really happy , even if they are poor. Why?          Professor Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, from the University of Chicago, has interviewed thousands of people who have a happy life to find out how they do it. "I've been studying happiness for over 30 years," he says. "My interest in the subject came from my own experience as a child during World War II , when I saw many adults destroyed by the terrible events. But there were always a few who kept their courage, helped others, and were able to give a sense of purpose and meaning to their lives. I wanted to find out how a person could build a fulfilling and enjoyable life."          In general, his research showed that people were unhappy doing nothing. The professor stresses that happy people didn't waste time, either at work or when they are free. "Many people feel that the time they spend at work or at school is wasted. But often their free time is also wasted. Many people are used to doing passive things----watching television, for example----without using any skills. As a result, life goes past in a series of boring experiences."          But it doesn't have to be this way. The professor has found that people are happy when get into something he calls "flow". When people get very involved in a task that they have chosen, and which is well-defined and challenging , they experience "flow", a state where they don't notice time passing.          They also experience enjoyment. Professor Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, makes a contrast between enjoyment and pleasure. "I used to think they were the same thing---- but they're not! Pleasure is a big bowl of ice cream, or taking a hot bath on a cold day ---nothing bad at all! But enjoyment is about doing something and achieving something. It isn't really important what we do, it's more important to do something, and feel positive about it, and to try to do it well."          People who are not used to happiness can learn how to be happy, says the professor, if they constantly get into "flow" states. Is happiness as easy as that? Perhaps it is. What can we learn from the passage?
Pleasures add a sense of purpose and meaning to lives. Happiness results from engaging in meaningful tasks. Happy people often relax themselves by doing nothing. Happiness has much to do with living conditions.