Experts Reveal the One Key Difference Between Joy and Happiness

Most of us including Merriam Webster consider joy and happiness synonymous. If you're joyous, you're happy, right? Wrong. Joy and happiness, while similar, are not the same. You can be happy but not joyous and vice versa. That's because joy and happiness are positive emotions experienced differently. And both serve different purposes.

Sounds confusing? We know. Below, we're breaking down the differences (and similarities!) between joy and happiness and whether you can experience both emotions simultaneously. And because we're a bit ~extra~, we also outlined a few activities that can help you cultivate both joy and happiness. Happy reading.

So, What Is Joy, Exactly?

“Joy is a deep primary emotion individuals experience when they feel truly connected in relationships, are in alignment with their values, and/or have a sense of meaning and purpose,” Lindsey Rae Ackerman, LMFT, vice president of Clinical Services at Clear Behavioral Health, explains.

A complex emotion, joy signals pleasure but can also come with “a combination of grief and gratitude,” says Daniel Boscaljon, PhD, cofounder of Alchemy of Love. “Joy is the ability to affirm the goodness of life even in the midst of sorrow.”

And Happiness Is What?

Research has mixed definitions of happiness, but according to Ackerman, it's “an emotional state that can occur through momentary experiences and is often dependent on external factors such as an achievement or gaining material satisfaction.”

“Happiness often occurs spontaneously, in a moment arising through a convergence of time and place,” Boscaljon adds.

The Difference Between Joy and Happiness

Joy and happiness may be synonyms, but they are different experiences. “The two are fairly distinct, according to most researchers,” says Matt Sosnowsky, LCSW, founder and director of Philadelphia Talk Therapy.

Sosnowsky adds that happiness can come from things in a “here and now” state like eating an ice cream cone or spending meaningful time with a loved one. He explains that joy, in comparison, comes from a sustained internal and external relationship that creates fulfillment. Think of things like being a part of a community, raising a child, or engaging in a personal hobby you're passionate about.

“If happiness is the emotion we experience during lunch with a good friend, joy is the aggregate satisfaction we feel from all of our meaningful relationships,” Sosnowsky says.

The Psychology of Joy vs. The Psychology of Happiness

Positive psychology has long focused on the differences between joy and happiness. In fact, the father of positive psychology, Martin Seligman, defined “wellbeing as a construct comprised of four domains: positive emotions, relationships, meaning and accomplishment,” Sosnowsky notes. “Moments of happiness might be akin to positive emotions.”

Sosnowsky continues, adding that “joy can be found across all four buckets in things like our connection to others, living in accord with our ethics, or commitment to something larger than ourselves— it comes from the inside-out, rather than outside-in.”

Things That Can Spark Happiness

Though happiness often happens unintentionally because it tends to be spontaneous, there are ways to spark happiness, says Boscaljon. For instance, you can spend time in nature, socialize with people you like, or engage in hobbies you enjoy.

Sosnowsky recommends being present in your experiences to amplify your happiness. This could look like practicing mindfulness, as “it helps us to be more present for the experiences happening around us many of them happy ones,” he explains.  

Cultivating True Joy

True joy is about a sustained state of meaning. You can cultivate joy by “develop[ing] a practice of self-awareness or mindfulness through journaling, therapy, or other spiritual practices,” Boscaljon says. Or, practicing gratitude, vulnerability, and acts of kindness, Ackerman suggests.

Ultimately cultivating true joy comes from “providing a deeper appreciation for the arcs of life,” Boscaljon says. “Finding meaning and purpose through human experiences and appreciating the difficulties added to life enables a truly joyful perspective.”

Can You Experience Joy and Happiness Simultaneously?

Experiencing joy and happiness at the same time is possible. Boscaljon gives the example of an actor during his final performance of a given play: “Happiness is enabled by moving through a well-rehearsed scene [while] a deeper recognition that the moment, in being fulfilled, will never happen again [produces joy].”

In fact, not only can you experience joy and happiness simultaneously, you can also experience grief or sadness with joy. “One of the goals for emotional growth and stability is not being completely overwhelmed by one emotion on a regular basis,” says Ackerman. “The ability to feel and identify multiple emotions at one time is a helpful skill to develop because as humans we regularly experience emotional complexity.”

Can You Have Joy And Not Be Happy?

You can be joyful and unhappy at the same time. Sosnowsky sees parenting as an example, noting that “many parents experience a deep sense of contentment in their role as a caregiver but may also feel chronically exhausted and stressed.” Another example could be an exhausting assignment at work. Your job brings you joy but certain assignments make you unhappy.

Ultimately, experiencing just joy (and not happiness) can help you build emotional resilience and support you with major life stressors.

Reconnecting With Joy and/or Happiness

There are numerous ways to find joy and happiness in your life.

Boscaljon says being more present in your life will ultimately bring more joy and happiness. “To reconnect with joy and happiness is to make more time to be present to yourself and the world around you,” he explains. “This requires having developed self-awareness and a deep familiarity with your inner world, including your emotions, to know how it is that you’re feeling.”

Wrapping Up

Happiness and joy are both pleasurable, but happiness is short-term, spontaneous, and tends to be linked to external factors. Joy is more long-term and tends to be linked to intrinsic factors. You can cultivate both, but remember happiness, despite what modern wellness culture says, is not a constant state, Ackerman notes.

Instead, know that emotional experiences are complex, and while we should cultivate joy and happiness when we can, we should realize that no emotion is permanent.