Happestumist

Happestumist is a neologism used in some philosophical, sociological, and psychological discussions to denote the deliberate process or practice of maximizing happiness or well-being in individuals or societies. The term is often described as a synthesis of the concept of happiness with a generic process suffix, and is treated as a heuristic concept rather than a fixed theory.

In theoretical debates, happestumist is discussed as a policy or life-practice framework that emphasizes outcomes measured as self-reported happiness, life satisfaction, or well-being indices. Proponents argue that it can guide public policy, urban design, education, and technology development toward increasing happiness. Critics caution that pursuing happiness can lead to instrumentalization, overlook intrinsic goods, and raise measurement and consent concerns. The term is not part of a formal discipline and has no single agreed-upon methodology; different authors propose various indicators and methods, from survey-based subjective well-being to composite indices.

In practice, happestumist is often contrasted with utilitarianism, hedonism, and eudaimonism, highlighting tensions between maximizing utility, maximizing immediate pleasure, and pursuing flourishing as a lived experience. The concept has appeared mainly in speculative, interdisciplinary discussions and online forums rather than in established peer-reviewed literature. As such, it functions more as a thought experiment or provocative lens for examining how societies value happiness and what risks may accompany attempts to optimize it. Related discussions appear in areas such as happiness economics, well-being studies, and ethical theories about flourishing.