Morality can be a source of happiness.

Morality cannot be an obstacle to personal happiness if there are instances in which it has facilitated happiness. It may be a source of distress in some cases, one of which is admitted below, but we cannot wholly claim that it prevents us from being happy.

Morality establishes social bonds and facilitates community-building.

• We have an evolutionarily rooted drive to belong to and maintain social groups as they conferred a greater likelihood of survival. Prosocial behaviours, those that are performed with the intention of helping others, domainate our moral frameworks and are clear sources of social approval.
• Therefore, following a shared moral code that invokes prosocial behaviours - as is often the case - can facilitate happiness as it allows us to meet "our basic psychological needs for relationships, competence and autonomy."

One might argue that, by establishing an ethical norm, we create a responsibility (you must help someone), restriction (you cannot take what isn't yours), or other potential barrier to an action that has the potential to make you happy.

• With morals come guilt, however. Therefore, by adhering to an ethical framework we are establishing a barrier to personal guilt and shame, two deeply negative and distressing emotions.
• In circumstances wherein one does not experience guilt, they are free to engage in the activity and the moral itself is no longer a barrier.

For the sake of completeness, I recognise that it may also be possible to avoid guilt without experiencing any pride or pleasure in being ethical. Instead, one may even feel frustrated or experience cognitive dissonance in the conflict between their desire and their morals.

Another interesting argument presents morality as a source of happiness by essentially arguing that morality is necessary for equality. Equality facilitates an appropriate evaluation of the self, leading to "self-knowledge." Self-knowledge is necessary for self-respect and self-respect, in turn, is necessary for happiness.

In a more specific case, prosocial behaviours can also guard against the slippery-slopes of greed and self-interest.

• Research has shown that income is a source of happiness only when it fulfills basic needs, implying that the pursuit and acquisition of greater wealth is less likely to yield happiness. As we gain wealth, for example, our social groups often change and with them, our relative perceptions of our status - leading to a chain of dissatisfaction.
• This is the 'Hedonistic Paradox'; those who act solely in the interest of their own happiness are less likely to experience happiness compared to those who are altruistic.
• Though this argument assumes that the moral framework includes selfless behaviours, it demonstrates again that morals themselves are not barriers to happiness.

Ignorance is bliss…

My opinion on this is in no way arguing that we shouldn’t be moral citizens and make good choices in aid of our own personal happiness as I think morality and social consciousness are very important virtues.

What I do argue – or maybe I should say what I have observed in my own life and experiences – is that people who are more distanced from or more ignorant to social or environmental issues or less empathetic towards suffering and injustices are more personally happy.

Humans were not designed to know the extent of our own world and society. Through the internet, we are bombarded with so much information and news every day and there is a lot of pressure to be up to date with these things and to be educated on what’s going on in the wider world. However, for the human brain, it is extremely overwhelming and depressing to simultaneously be aware of world hunger, the climate crisis, the migrant crisis, terrorism, disease, labour exploitation, racial injustices, sexual violence, charity issues and everything overwhelming in our own lives and with ourselves and our loved ones. And a lot of moral decisions come with recognising that your life is quite often better or more fortunate than a lot of people’s which can invoke guilt and become an obstacle to your personal happiness when you are almost mentally dragged down by all the bad in the world.

In my opinion, I can’t blame people for taking a step back from such things to priorities themselves.

Morality and the desire to live ethically can be a source of happiness if it was feasible and accessible to everyone

• To live morally, in a world where your actions have indirect consequences is challenging and can be off-putting to some. Becoming a vegan, buying ethically made clothes can be great morally speaking, but constantly having to source out ethical things in a world where exploitation creates profit can be hard.

• For those that are unable to live morally due to economic reasons, are they any less moral/happy because living ethically is beyond their means?

• Those that follow a religion have their faith and morality tested throughout their lives, which can be seen as a source of happiness as it strengthens their relationship with their God/religious deity.

Morality is the source of happiness.
Epictetus’s work on a stoic life is predominantly around the topic of happiness and morality. Happiness can only come from within. The happiness you create must come from your fulfillment of your own moral duty. The best part about that is it’s up to you to determine what a moral life is. It’s up to you to determine what a good moral person should and would do. You act in accordance with your morals regardless of the external outcomes. You should never compromise yourself and thus by resisting the worlds external events you create happiness and tranquility within. Morals support the foundation of happiness.