Happiness: What Does it Mean? Watching the sun rise, getting a raise, putting a smile on someone’s face these are all examples of when a person may feel a happy. They are all diverse, just like the individual’s in the world. Happiness is acquired through countless stimuli, whether they are material or emotional. One can not give a general definition for happiness, due to the fact that each person has their own perception of what happiness is. Happiness lies in the eye of the beholder