Do we need faith to be happy?

I don't know if we need religion or spirituality to be happy. I would say no, religion - the whole going to church, prayer, and any other rituals or rules don't make for happiness. If your religion is important to you, then yes, taking part in those things will probably bring you some joy or comfort.

Studies have shown that religious people are in fact happier. Maybe that's because of the morals and teachings of religion - how they encourage being helpful, tolerant, creating a more connected community, and so on. And as we've said in a previous blog post, being kind and compassionate with other people is a way to be happier yourself, so that makes sense. But I'm definitely not saying that people who aren't religious don't have those morals - I don't believe that for a second. So, who knows how strong the correlation is. Studies can show whatever they fancy but that has little impact on an individual and their situation.

But I think the more important thing is spirituality - knowing your purpose, what your path in life is, what you want and how to get there. I would say we do need faith in something in order to be happy, even if it's simply faith in ourselves.