So what are the real sources of happiness? What sources of happiness can be applicable for everyone, or at least for most people? It is interesting to look at modern specialists and essayists’ opinions – where can people find happiness today?…
For centuries, society has shaped these abstract ideas of what happiness means and how one could achieve happiness in their lives. However, in order to even understand what actions could lead to one’s happiness, one must be able to understand the definition of happiness itself. Having read Charles Dicken’s book Great Expectations, happiness persists as a pleasure or sense of a meaningful and rich psychosocial integration in a person’s understanding of himself or herself.…
Novelist Ayn Rand, in her book Anthem, wrote, “My happiness is not the means to any end. It is the end. It is its own goal. It is its own purpose”. Although happiness may seem like a simple concept to many, sometimes we don’t recognize it but we always take different paths, face many obstacles, and spend most of our lives trying to achieve happiness. Depending on the circumstances, every person has their own definition of what it means to attain happiness, whether through wealth, success, health, love etc. Happiness is a notion that be developed by focusing on the smaller things in life which are not given a great deal of thought to, but still can heavily impact us. One of these smaller yet significant ideas in life is individualism. Today…
This week, our writing assignment focuses on individual definitions of happiness. For this writing assignment, you will prepare and conduct interviews with two people about their definition of happiness, how they gained this view, and whether they feel happiness is achievable.…
Jennifer Senior discusses her research concerning positive psychology and whether or not happiness is teachable and highlights some of the darker sides of happiness. To start the article, Senior reveals her score on her test from the Authentic Happiness Inventory. The test designed by Chris Peterson of the positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania. This test is intended to numerically score ones level of happiness. In a scale of 1 to 5, Jennifer got a grade of 2.88. This indicated she was below average for most rankings such as “age, education level, gender and occupation” (422). Senior states she is at the 50 percent mark for her given zip code. She stated that liking her job was helpful to her happiness and that her religious views did not. She also stated that she believes unhappy thoughts can take over ones thinking. I decided to find what the literal definition of happiness was, to better understand this research.…
When I was seventeen, I went to Temple High School and a sixteen year old girl, named Alexis, came to me asking for relationship advice on her and her boyfriend Dalton. I had to give the best relationship advice I could considering I was struggling in my relationship with my boyfriend also. Although I was not happy with my relationship, I was still trying to be the best role model and help I could be for her. David Brooks is a journalist who earned a B.A. in history from the University of Chicago. Daniel Haybron is an associate professor in the Department of Philosophy at Saint Louis University and holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from Rutgers University. Brooks and Haybron both wrote articles on happiness and their view of what it is and what causes…
Taylor, C., & Zeng, H. (2011). Case study in threats of workplace violence form a non-…
Thesis: In all aspects of the areas of social and solitary happiness the goal is to sort out happiness. Being self sufficient should never to be confused with a friendless atmosphere, and social will require an audience for accomplishing something good.…
We have been studying this in my other Education class – EDU 2110. We actually have read a great deal on what the term adequate education. Every state is able to set standards to address this question. Maryland for example has a definition based on the drop out rate vs the amount of students that meet APY.…
We all have a different definition of happiness, and it seems like it is still unclear what happiness really means. In “the sources of happiness”, by Howard Cutler, he discuss where happiness comes from and how the comparing mind works. As for the second article “happiness and its discontents” by Daniel Haybron, he talks about how being happy is being satisfied. Another observations of his that overlaps with Culter point which is how we always seem to confuse happiness with pleasure. Which makes us question if Satisfaction brings us happiness? Is pleasure considered happiness? And will comparing ourselves to other people people bring us happiness or misery?. It is important to understand that happiness is not just one element. It is something that is built over time and rewarded to those who work for it.…
INSTRUCTIONS: You will have 15 minutes to read and think about the following topic. You may make notes or outlines on the scratch paper provided. Remember, one way to have a good idea is to have many ideas. At the end of 15 minutes you will have 45 minutes to write your essay. Allow yourself at least five minutes to edit and proofread. Dictionaries may be used in this part of the examination. It has been suggested that true happiness lies in liking those things we approve of and approving of the things we like. Most people spend a great deal of time and energy trying to harmonize the two, often without much success. Such attempts may be about something minor, such as eliminating a bad habit or cultivating a good one, or about something more important, such as choice of major, career, or mate. Some people, for example, struggle to give up smoking: they like to smoke but don't approve of smoking because it is dangerous to their health. Others become computer science majors, aiming for a successful career, but find they really don't like working with computers. Write a clear and fully-developed essay giving an example or examples, which demonstrate what this statement means: "True happiness lies in liking those things we approve of and approving of those things we like." Your example(s) may be taken from your personal experiences or drawn from situations you have heard or read about. You should: 1. Describe your experience(s) or example(s) with specific details. 2. Explain why or how your example(s) or experience(s) show what the statement means.…
This emerging field of study has challenged the conventional thinking that humans are far more prone to misery than happiness. Research conducted by Ed Diener and Myers (Myers & Diener, 1996) measured the degree of subjective well-being among 1.1 million people in 45 nations, and found that most people are happy and satisfied about their lives. Further research has gone on to reveal that certain traits and temperaments seem to predispose one to experience happiness. The state of subjective well-being is also not achieved through “extrinsic” factors like high income, wealth or possessions, but comes from appreciating the “intrinsic” quality of one’s life, work, friendships and relationships. Subjective well-being is also positively co-related with religious faith, where one derives a sense of meaning and purpose beyond the pursuit of materialistic goals. Myers believes that research on subjective well-being will complement society’s emphasis on material and physical well being; and psychology’s preoccupation with negative emotions. By exploring the roots of happiness, we will hopefully help to reshape prevailing cultural attitudes and envision a world that enhances human well-being. (198 words…
Happiness, the intangible emotion that we all desire. Is there proof that this emotion even exists? Eduardo Porter has written an essay titled “What Happiness Is”. In this essay Mr. Porter took the time to study the emotion of happiness that we all experience in life. He makes an attempt to question not only his reasons as to why he is happy, but to have the reader question their own sense of happiness as well. What is it that makes us feel joyful emotions, and how can vastly different experiences cause us to feel the same emotion that we call happiness? While searching for the proof of this feeling Eduardo Porter reflects upon his own personal experiences, professional studies and ultimately decides that his questions may never be answered. Porter states that, “most psychologists and economists who study happiness agree that what they prefer to call “subjective well-being” comprises three parts: satisfaction, meant to capture how people judge their lives measured up against their aspirations; positive feelings like joy; and the absence of negative feelings like anger.” This is an important analysis of how we form the idea of how joyful we actually are. Something in life that one person might be ashamed of could improve the level of cheerfulness for another person. For example, the thought of getting a tattoo might cause one individual to feel guilt while another individual might feel pleasure at the same thought. Because there is no definitive formula that provides a calculated experience of happiness for everyone, it is interesting to question what actions or lack thereof in our lives cause us to be cheerful or to lose some of the happiness that we have already gained. The organization of this essay was well thought out and effective. The author opens with the statement, “Happiness is a slippery concept, a bundle of meaning with no precise, stable definition.” This opening statement provokes the reader to question their own beliefs in…
Happiness is a simple yet very complex term; if asked to define by individuals, many will have completely different definitions while some might be similar. Happiness is a feeling- a state of well-being, not an actual physical object. However, there are quite a few individuals that believe monetary possessions are what make you happy; therefor, the more they have- the happier they are. Since happiness is a state of being- a feeling; it cannot be measured, profited or traded, there are three aspects of life that if happiness exists in all three sections, the actual state/feeling of happiness may be achieved. The statuses of these three sections are what makes up human life and can account for most of individual’s…
Article: Carroll, J. (2002). Play Therapy: the children’s views, Child and Family Social Work, 7, pg 177-187…