History Main / ForHappiness

* This is the motive behind every little thing Tyalie does in ''VideoGame/BoxxyQuestTheGatheringStorm''. No matter the situation, she’s always trying her best to make someone smile - whether it’s herself, her fellow teammates, or especially [[spoiler:you, the player, since she’s [[MediumAwareness Medium Aware, and desperately wants you to remember her fondly when the game is over and she’s gone]].

** This is OlderThanTheyThink, since it was part of [[{{UsefulNotes/Epicureanism}} Epicurean philosophy]] in AncientGreece. Notably, Epicurus believed that happiness came not from simple carnal gratification, but things like friendship and learning. His school, The Garden, was also known as the only place in Athens (or anywhere else in Greece) which [[ValuesResonance welcomed women and slaves in as equals]].

* Tormund Giantsbane in ''Series/GameofThrones''. He always has a funny story or a dick joke or whatever to lighten up the mood whenever something horrible is going on. Which is all the time, of course. He's also one of the few characters who genuinely cares about people. He ends up kind of playing [[CourtJester]] to Jon Snow.

** Bentham also believed in "pleasure" as the ultimate good, while Mill said that it is "happiness". Modern utilitarians tend to agree on happiness rather than pleasure as the ultimate end, including most of those who agree with Bentham in being act utilitarians rather than rule (act utilitarianism is probably at least somewhat more common than rule utilitarianism).

** Note that UsefulNotes/ThomasJefferson [[OlderThanTheyThink lifted that quote from John Locke]], but Locke called the rights "Life, Liberty and Property," property being one's self and anything that one made with one's hands. As nice as that sounds now, [[ValuesDissonance for a slaveholding society]] this would be problematic at best.

Let's, for example, say that [[ForTheEvulz Alice is having a great time hurting Charlie]]. Bob disapproves: It's a good thing that she's doing something she enjoys, but it's not cool that she's doing it at Charlie's expense. Bob has no desire to punish her for her misdeeds, but might do so if that's the most efficient way to make her stop and to help Charlie get his self-esteem back.

* Johnny Appleseed was famous for this. Although he spent most of his life a simple hermit, he made it his mission to cover the United States territories with apple trees so that everyone could enjoy their flowers and fruit. That and get drunk. Apple cider (what he was best remembered for giving to people) ferments very quickly.

* Finn from ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'' wants to solve everyone's problems. In another show, the way this was set up would lead to him realizing he can't, and making most people happy, or [[SweetAndSourGrapes giving up but finding that making himself happy makes everyone else happier]]. But this is ''[[CrazyAwesome Adventure Time]]'', after all. So [[{{Determinator}} he does]] [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome it]].
** He does eventually learn that he can't make everybody ''like'' him for or by doing so though.

* ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'': [[Characters/XMenFilmSeriesProfessorCharlesXavier Professor Xavier]]'s modus operandi is to alleviate the suffering of his mutant students and to guide them to become happy, healthy, confident individuals who can achieve whatever goals they set their mind to. In ''Film/XMenFirstClass'' and ''Film/XMenApocalypse'', Charles is [[TheCutie positively beaming with sunshine and rainbows]], and he hopes that with enough education and the tender loving care he offers, everyone he takes under his wing will eventually bask in that merriment as well.

* ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'': Professor Xavier's modus operandi is to alleviate the suffering of his mutant students and to guide them to become happy, healthy, confident individuals who can achieve whatever goals they set their mind to. In ''Film/XMenFirstClass'' and ''Film/XMenApocalypse'', Charles is [[TheCutie positively beaming with sunshine and rainbows]], and he hopes that with enough education and the tender loving care he offers, everyone he takes under his wing will eventually bask in that merriment as well.

* Mabel Pines from ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' loves [[TheMatchmaker romance]] and [[FunPersonified having fun]], and she wants these things for the people around her as well.

* Mabel Pines from ''Series/GravityFalls'' loves [[TheMatchmaker romance]] and [[FunPersonified having fun]], and she wants these things for the people around her as well.

** Her introduction did serve as an examination. While Uncle Grandpa offers fantastical adventures, Aunt Grandma offers immediate practical solutions. However, Uncle Grandpa's adventures also lead to the kids learning lessons that will benefit in the long run, which is more valuable than the immediate help Aunt Grandma presented. Furhermore, his whole trip with her was for her to learn how to unwind and not take things so seriously because of how intensely and unheality focused she was on winning.

* ''VisualNovel/DokiDokiLiteratureClub'': [[spoiler:If you delete Monika early, Sayori becomes the Club President. After her [[FreakOut freak-out]], she crashes the game. Upon reopening the game, you will be greeted by a black-and-white screen of Sayori hanging herself with ''everyone''—including Sayori herself—deleted. Wait ten minutes, and you will be greeted with a special message.]]

* The [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin aptly named]] Maximum Fun-Fun Ultra Super Happy People from ''ThreeWorldsCollide''.

Compare TheNeedsOfTheMany, GoodFeelsGood and ThePollyanna. For more on the philosophy behind For Happiness actions see UsefulNotes/EthicalHedonism. Compare ''and'' contrast TotalitarianUtilitarian and HappinessIsMandatory, as well as GettingSmiliesPaintedOnYourSoul, for when this goes horribly, ''horribly wrong''.

* The titular character from ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica''. [[spoiler: Apparently, her selfless dedication to make other happy causes her to pull a HeroicSacrifice at the end involving removing all despair from witches across time at the expense of erasing her own existence.]]

[[folder:Comics]]

* {{Superman}} is a rare TheCape example of this trope, at least with regards to his treasured home city of Metropolis. For the rest of the world, he usually takes a more low-profile ForGreatJustice route, and even then these can swap around. It's all DependingOnTheWriter.

* This is [[Comicbook/TheWickedAndTheDivine Dionysus's]] philosophy when it comes to his divinity; he'll be dead in under two years, but everyone at his parties will have lasting memories of experiencing joy and release long after he's gone.

* [[FanFic/HarryPotterAndTheMethodsOfRationality Harry Potter-Evans-Verres]] follows this. Rather than settling for less than making everyone become happy, he decided to try to [[AGodAmI become God]].
* [[Fanfic/PassionatePragmatism Erwin and Hange]] even have this as their stated goal: they want to maximize happiness for humanity.

* ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'': [[Characters/XMenFilmSeriesProfessorCharlesXavier Professor Xavier]]'s modus operandi is to alleviate the suffering of his mutant students and to guide them to become happy, healthy, confident individuals who can achieve whatever goals they set their mind to. In ''Film/XMenFirstClass'' and ''Film/XMenApocalypse'', Charles is [[TheCutie positively beaming with sunshine and rainbows]], and he hopes that with enough education and the tender loving care he offers, everyone he takes under his wing will eventually bask in that merriment as well.

* ''[[Literature/KushielsLegacy Kushiel's Mercy]]'' has Ptolmey Solon, the world's probably smartest man, who holds that happiness is the highest form of wisdom.

--->"Sometimes it's not about being happy, but courting happiness." --Siobhan.

* This is pretty much [[VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}} Felicia]]'s outlook on life -- pursue happiness, and try to make as many other people happy as possible along the way.

* [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Pinkie Pie]]'s talent is making ponies happy, often via parties. Her song [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNrXMOSkBas "Smile Smile Smile"]] (from the episode "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E18AFriendInDeed A Friend In Deed]]") could be the anthem of this trope.

* This is [[TheWickedAndTheDivine Dionysus's]] philosophy when it comes to his divinity; he'll be dead in under two years, but everyone at his parties will have lasting memories of experiencing joy and release long after he's gone.