Ikigai in the Workplace and its Impacts on Happiness

Abstract

In an exceptional society, each person would follow their belief and their dream of becoming whatever or whoever they want. In American society we have been constricted under the influence of schooling and the common American society’s ideals. These shared ideals of the American community have led students to believe in the pursuit of wealthiness, which in turn has also guided a lack of passion among American citizens. In Japan, the focus is less on the interest in pursuing a wealthy life in riches, but more in the pursuit of a fulfilled life through the continued use of Ikigai. Each person does think about the wealth that will be accumulated in their profession, but they focus more on the fulfillment of the job in relation to their “meaning of life”, or their Ikigai. Ikigai in a profession falls under four common categories, what the world needs, how talented you are in the profession, how much you love/like your job, and the income the job provides (Hughes, 2021). Those that can meet these categories in their job are said to be happier than someone who does not. The purpose of this study is to determine if Ikigai in the workplace really leads to a happier life. The results of this study support the theory of Ikigai leading to increased happiness in life.