In life, happiness is a term that characterizes a “state” of well-being, contentment, and or emotional and physical satiety. [1] From a human chemistry perspective, happiness can be defined as the reaction "state" in which a human molecule finds bonding or reaction satiety. [4] Recent studies, for instance, have found a correlation between happiness and the number of bonds in a person's social or friendship network. [5] One of the first to write about the thermodynamics of happiness was American writer Elizabeth Dole in her 1987 book My Twentieth Century Philosophy. [2]

Porteus’ theory of happiness

See main: Porteus' theory of happiness

One of the first to discuss a possible connection between thermodynamics and happiness was American writer Elizabeth Porteus Dole, daughter of the James Dole the “Pineapple King” of Hawaii. In her 1987 book My Twentieth Century Philosophy, Porteus outlines the view that since, according to generalized colloquial point of view, the second law of thermodynamics is a “law of disintegration”, meaning that “complicated arrangements always break down into less complicated ones”, a state of life happiness would occur when one aligns themselves with the force or “impulse of integration” in unison with the current of creation or growth of structure and form as seen in evolution. [2]

By “creative”, Porteus refers to not only what is commonly considered creative such as “painting pictures, making music, writing books, making pottery or making art of any kind,” but also to “any impulse to create a new integrated arrangement of the elements of reality”, such as “making new arrangements of words, colors, musical notes, or ideas”, “joining together small things, or big things, or “joining together inanimate elements, or it might be joining together living ones.” In relation to people, Porteus states that creation may refer to “joining together people into new groups or in organizing groups into bigger groups, or in organizing better the groups that already exist, or as in trying to work out better laws. Likewise, it might be “in joining ourselves to what is in the world by learning about it”, “joining with other people in sex, friendship, or love”, or something as simple as “cleaning out a drawer or mopping the floor”. [3]

References
1. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 2000.
2. (a) Dole, Elizabeth P. (2005). “Life, the Second Law of Thermodynamics, and Happiness”, Journal of Human Thermodynamics, Vol. 1, Issue 3. (pg. 21-26). October. Chicago: Institute of Human Thermodynamics.
(b) Porteus, Elizabeth, D. (1987). My Twentieth Century Philosophy. New York: Carlton Press, Inc.
3. Porteus, Elizabeth P. (1999). The Porteus Philosophy of Life: The Secret of Happiness, (Nov. 14). Hawaii: Porteus Family Publishing.
4. Thims, Libb. (2007). Human Chemistry (Volume Two), (preview), (ch. 13: "Human Chemical Bonding", pgs. 515-560). Morrisville, NC: LuLu.
5. Data: When two American psychologists studied hundreds of students and focused on the top 10% "very happy" people, they found they spent the least time alone and the most time socializing. (Source: Wade, Dorothy. (2005).
So what do you have to do to find Happiness? The Sunday Times Magazine, Oct. 02.)