Meaning of Happiness

The meaning of happiness can be as elusive as achieving it. It can be found in the long term of our lives but it can also be found in moments day to day. There is no single definition of what happiness is or how it is found. Happiness is one of the emotions that we can experience everyday or held within the recollections of our past. There are even moments when happiness are be defined as an action. When you give happiness you can receive it in return. As well, there are occasions when true happiness is achieved by giving up something or even everything. The texts present the different perspectives of individuals will pursuing their own happiness through risk.

The “Swing Valley” describes a group of kids adventure with a rope swing. It was clear to the narrator and his friends that the rope was old and rotten but in the pursuit of what they believed was happiness, the kids still took the risk and utilized the rope swing. The line “We thought he was all right when we heard the bushes moving, and he was.” clearly demonstrates that one of the kids indeed were injured on the swing. Yet they continued their pursuit of happiness and returned days later with a new rope. For me, this is a very dangerous way to purse happiness. The temporary happiness and excitement that is experienced using the rope swing does not out weigh the impact of the dangers that the kids are putting themselves into. I believe that it would be more rational to go back and find a new rope before using the swing itself when you know clearly yourself that the rope rotten. This way they temporary happiness would be elongated because if someone were to get hurt parents would get upset and it would cause many more problems. Therefore unhappy memories would be created from the situation instead of the happiness they intended to pursue.

The image of the man and the woman on a date at the zoo. From the image the man’s facial expression clearly implies that he is not happy. The woman’s crossed