“It’s not how much we have”, says Charles Spurgeon, “but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness.” At first, I did not agree with this statement. I believed that success reflected the amount of money and fame someone had. But after giving some thought to this saying, I discovered that I was completely wrong. In his article, “When All You’ve Ever Wanted Wasn’t Enough”, author Harold Kushner illustrates the idea that happiness is not something that is tangible, because it cannot be measured by a person’s accomplishments. The article further states that society’s approach towards pursuing happiness will not fulfill them in the long run. Kushner concludes that being happy is pursued only by living a meaningful life. I strongly agree with the author’s statement. Although the meaning of happiness always depends on certain morals and understanding, the idea of happiness is universal. Giving back to others, working hard, and striving for a persistent life exemplifies the true idea of happiness. From the experience of giving back to the community in The Happiest Refugee and through my personal experiences, it is recognized that happiness is a byproduct, not a primary goal. For one thing, giving back to others is one area in which the universal concept of happiness is a final result. In his work, Kushner says “no matter how hard we work at being successful, success won’t satisfy us.” I strongly agree with this statement. Society tends to be preoccupied with themselves and their busy lives. They often fail to realize that success does not equal the amount of happiness someone has obtained. Additionally, happiness is something that is elusive and indefinable. If people focus on the big picture instead of themselves all the ti... ... middle of paper ... ... principle. What is “happiness”? Happiness is something that is not measurable. Constantly searching for happiness is like an eternal game of hide and seek. We might actually find happiness at one point in life. But this happiness decides to hide in another place for us to seek once again. Don’t be scared to find what genuinely makes you ecstatic in life, no matter what others may think. While the meaning of happiness always depends on standards and values, the concept of happiness is universal. Giving back to others, working hard, and becoming motivated to live a meaningful life accurately explains happiness. In the long run, life is about discovering irreplaceable, gratifying, and eternal happiness. After all, it is clearly up to us to choose what truly makes us happy. Works Cited The Happiest Refugee, “When All You’ve Ever Wanted Wasn’t Enough”
Happiness plays an important and necessary role in the lives of people around the world. In America, happiness has been engrained in our national consciousness since Thomas Jefferson penned these famous words in the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” (Jefferson). Since then, Americans have been engaged in that act: pursuing happiness. The problem however, as Ray Bradbury demonstrates in his novel Fahrenheit 451, is that those things which make us happy initially may eventually lead to our downfall. By examining Guy Montag, the protagonist in Fahrenheit 451, and the world he lives in we can gain valuable insights to direct us in our own pursuit of happiness. From Montag and other characters we will learn how physical, emotional, and spiritual happiness can drastically affect our lives. We must ask ourselves what our lives, words, and actions are worth. We should hope that our words are not meaningless, “as wind in dried grass” (Eliot).
Ryan, Richard M., and Edward L. Deci. "On Happiness and Human Potentials: A Review of
Happiness is a reprise from the many trials and turmoil of life, and so it is natural that we should actively seek it. Ironically though, in our naïve belief that we can somehow augment the amount of happiness in our world, we are actually making our world more depressing to live in. Both John F. Schumaker, in The Happiness Conspiracy, and Ray Bradbury, in Fahrenheit 451, argue that our myopic pursuit of happiness is actually counterproductive. The two authors attempt to persuade the reader that happiness is, and should be, an almost-serendipitous byproduct of a truly fulfilling life, and therefore should not be an explicit objective.
In contrast to Aristotle, Roko Belic’s documentary “Happy” provides a fresh perspective that takes place far more recently. The film sets out to similar goals of Aristotle in defining the nature of happiness and exploring what makes different people happy in general. Unlike Aristotle, however, the film’s main argument refers to makes people happier. In this case, the film argues that merely “doing what you love” is what leads to happiness (Belic). The argument itself appears oddly self-serving, considering that message is what underlines the foundation of happiness, yet there is a subliminal message that a simpler lifestyle is what leads to what the film is trying to convince you of. The message itself is obviously addressed to Americans, considering
In the essay titled “What is Happiness?” author John Ciardi deals with the interminable task of defining happiness. He discusses the true meaning of happiness and how many Americans rely on material things for happiness. He highlights how commercials and advertising contribute to our unhappiness when we are unable to satisfy the desires these commercials create. He points out that there is no fixed definition of happiness and it varies from person to person. Ciardi uses location to demonstrate the variation in how people define happiness. He tells us that westerners are under the illusion that happiness can be bought. Easterners perceive happiness as achieving perfection. However people may define happiness, Ciardi claims the real goal is the
...s? Just like the Once-ler and his family value financial success to obtain happiness, the same goes for contemporary society. Society is convinced happiness is achieved by acquisition and financial possessions rather than a state of mind. According to Rider “Despite increasing material wealth, Americans are not happier” (Rider). Happiness does not come from fortune and many people make the mistake in perceiving it that way. True happiness comes from one’s self and their outlook of life. In the “The Lorax” Dr. Seuss not only spread an important message about taking care of the planet, but also helped his readers become aware that wealth does not lead to happiness. Every person has their own perspective of what it means to be happier and to live a happier life, but it is important to realize that happiness comes from within and not by something obtained.
The problem we have in today’s society is that people work to acquire as much money and possessions as they can and they think this will achieve happiness. Unfortunately, nobody told these people that happiness cannot be purchased and our possessions will fade no longer keep our interest. As we engulf ourselves in our daily busy work, our relationships are becoming strained and we are distancing ourselves from real happiness. We are seeking the means of work and money as an end, and we are chasing the wrong things in life. We hide from our unhappiness by watching television or partake in activities to distract ourselves from our problems. We need to find true happiness and this is found in becoming virtuous, creating good friendships,
Happiness is an inclination that everyone aims to fulfill yet only a few appear to be exposed to it. There is a constant developing issue within our reality which is despondency. It appears that people tend to experience depression and desolation rather than contentment in relation to their lifestyles. This derives from seeking happiness in the wrong things or formulating a sense of dissatisfaction by comparing one’s lifestyle to another. Happiness does not derive from an experience of joy and pleasure. In fact, two essentials in discovering genuine happiness are self-acceptance and solidarity. Throughout the Happy Movie directed by Roko Belic, there were various examples regarding the happiness and unhappiness of people in our society. The
“Be happy… not because everything is good, but because you can see the good in everything” is a quote that is used quite often when referring to happiness. This quote fits in really well with the literature that we have been reading, especially when reading Until They Bring The Streetcars Back by Stanley Gordon West, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet A. Jacobs, The Crucible by Arthur Miller, and lastly Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck. The reason this quote fits in well is because The literature of our course suggests that one may experience more happiness by helping others, rather than themselves.
Is life really about the 'money', the 'cash', who has the biggest gold chain or who drives the shiniest or fastest car, who sells the most albums or who has the most respect? Today happiness is viewed in many different ways. Everyone defines happiness according to their personal perpectives. Each individual describes their inner feelings in a way that you can't compare with another. Happiness originally and logically means the inner state of well being or a pleasurable or satisfying experience. It enables you to profit from your highest: thoughts, wisdom, intelligence, common sense, emotions, health, and spiritual values in your life. What makes you happy and what makes me happy are different things. Whatever it is that gives you warm fuzzes is determined by you, and only you. This difference is what makes the world interesting.
According to Webster dictionary the word Happiness in defined as Enjoying, showing, or marked by pleasure, satisfaction, or joy. People when they think of happiness, they think about having to good feeling inside. There are many types of happiness, which are expressed in many ways. Happiness is something that you can't just get it comes form your soul. Happiness is can be changed through many things that happen in our every day live.
Happiness is a psychological term that is hard to define since it is particular to each individual. However, we can define it as a psychological sense of life satisfaction, pleasure, and positive emotional condition. For some people, it is difficult to achieve happiness. In contrast, other people can find happiness in the simplest things. However, remember that happiness is in our hands. Just keep seeking it and we will finally be
Happiness is an inner state of well-being and fulfilment, and therefore it has to come from inside. Every individual has his or her own emotions and way of thinking and as a result of this no one can really say what happiness is and what happiness is not. However, universally, happiness is a by-product of a healthy attitude and viewpoint. Happiness exists in everyone whether they choose to acknowledge and believe it or not. It is not rare nor is it something only the elite have: everyone has it but not everyone recognizes it. Contentment is finding a light at the end of every dark tunnel and in order to experience this we must ignore the pessimism surrounding us and remind ourselves that happiness is not a materialistic object but a choice and frame of mind.
Happiness is a feeling that humans naturally desire. Without it, one feels incomplete. In this generation, happiness has taken on a definition by how we are presented to one another. It is measured by how much money we have, how famous we are, or the things we possess. When in reality, none of these things guarantee a happy life. Happiness is something that cannot be bought with money, but rather, it must be found, earned, sought after. Each and every one of us has our own list of things that we consider to make us happy. However, happiness shines brightest through the relationships we create, and the goals we make for ourselves to strive after. Along with these two essential sources, we then can mix and match those things in life that we enjoy to create our own unique formula for happiness.
Everybody wants to be happy. Parents want their children to have a happy childhood and a happy life, people wish newlyweds a happy married life, and when someone passes on, they say, “S/he had a happy life,” as if that is comforting to those who are already missing the person and who are very unhappy. Why is happiness so important to people? Perhaps it is because humans are competitive by nature and one person exaggerates his/her happiness so that others are envious. Maybe it is because humans like to be distracted by a story and if they can believe someone actually achieves perfect happiness, then they can hold out hope for themselves. What is happiness exactly? No one knows because everyone defines it differently. In general though, happiness is an overall feeling of pleasure and satisfaction. If that is the case, then happiness seems easy enough to achieve, but whether humans are actually capable of realizing they are in the state of happiness though is another issue.