Suppose I started this off automatically with a clear definition over what happiness really is. It would result in a highly unlikely answer simply because everyone’s perspective on happiness would be different and could not be accounted to be true for everyone. According to Jane Kenyon’s poem, Simon Critchley’s critique, Douglas Preston’s encounter with the famous religious and political figure Dalai Lama, and Mihaly Csikzentmihalyi’s theory, each hold a different view on what happiness really means and why it is such a concern to people. Jane Kenyon in her poem Happiness published in Poetry magazine (February 1995), writes, “There’s just no accounting for happiness, or the way it turns up like a prodigal who comes back to the dust at your …show more content…
In “Happy like God”, New York Times, May 25 2009 he writes, “However frenetic our environment, such a feeling of existence can be achieved and as long as this state lasts we are self-sufficient like God.” Critchley is stating in his point of view that happiness is living in the moment and a feeling of existence and losing track of time. When he refers to being “self-sufficient like God” he means to be like God is to be without time and not worry about the troubles we hold and suggests to experience calmness instead. This is supported when Critchley writes, “I think that happiness is the feeling of existence, this sentiment of momentary self-sufficiency that is bound up with the experience of time.” Critchley quotes the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein in Tractatus that “The eternal life is given to those who live in the present.” As well as quoting poet Walt Whitman in Leaves Of Grass, “Happiness is not in another place, but in this place…not for another hour.. but this hour.” Considering these two quotations they both suggest that one can truly live an “eternal life” if one focuses on where they are at right now and focuses solely on the present and not worry about the future in the sense that time should be lived in the moment. Critchley is really praising the virtues of the solitary person’s happiness in his …show more content…
Csikszentmihalyi is a social scientist who came up with the theory that consisted of a flow chart that acts as a “magnet” for learning by developing new levels of challenges and skills that helps with personal growth. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi became interested in the search for what kept people happy even after the World War when he was growing up and came up with this theory of flow. He writes that flow is whenever one gets involved in something so deeply that nothing else seems to matter that one loses track of time. It isn’t until after being so in tune to what we’re doing that one realizes they were happy in that point of time. For example, Csikszentmihalyi says, “ When we are in flow, we are not happy, because to experience happiness we must focus on our inner states, and that would take away attention from the task at hand.” Messing up the “flow” would mean if one were to stop during a basketball game while being in “flow” one would be distracted and could even mess up during the game by being out of tune. “One can be happy without experiencing flow” is also something he adds on to this idea and he states and explains that it isn’t until after the task is completed we can look back at what happened and be happy for the experience on what has happened. Some of the sources to happiness listed would be playing a musical piece, tennis, chess, weaving
Therefore, happiness is “what provokes us, incites us, need not come from our own time. Indeed, our own time may be and probably is so d
When we are engaged in "flow" we must be doing something that we enjoy, and as Csikszentmihaly so aptly states, "Allocation of time, presents difficult choices that eventually determine the content and quality of our lives" (146). It is important to note that these activities during "flow" are good only in small amounts; because in large doses can consume our lives and even be harmful. People who do spend large amounts of time on one activity will be consumed by it and not have room for anything else in their lives, so this can actually cause unhappiness. It is important to note that during a "flow" experience people have not been shown to have a increase in happiness, but only after the activity is completed they are in a more positive state. Over time small doses of flow can lead to an overall increase in well-being and happiness over a period of time doing these activities, Csikszentmihaly tells us, " The prerequisite for happiness is the ability to get fully involved in life" (150). From this we are able to learn and focus on building balance, happiness and we must experience everything life has to
It is very simple to everyone if we have the spirit in positive thinking. The happiness is always around us, but we have to acting and looking forward the happiness. Therefore, the author shows us two examples of Judith, Markus, and Roland in adaption of happiness. With Judith, she was choosing happy because she thought her life got better in the future. Although she were already born in the low set point for happiness and difficult life circumstances, she were still choosing happy is the goal for her. Every time she had bad thought, she were always stopping her mind to think about it. As in the chapter, “There is no happiness without action.” (p.68) This is quote for me to learn in the happiness. Related to the topic, I used to face to the problem with my first love. It was really worst. I had depressed almost over three months. At that time, I could not eat and do anything. It was wounds and traumas. I thought I couldn’t overcome. Finally, I could deal with it. I chose the happiness to live it because I realize I can find the new one who will be love me more than him. From my first love, I draw the experience “be happy” to myself because no one has responsible to produce the happiness to me. I cannot depend the happiness too much on
According to Tatarkiewicz, in order to grapple with the idea that the present plays such a small role in our perception of happiness, we must realize that our perception of the present is ambiguous. This means that each person experiences the present differently. Tatarkiewicz makes this clear when he says, “According to one notion, the present is made up of what one is experiencing at a given moment. According to another, it is made up of everything which is in existence in that moment” (Tatarkiewicz 199). There is no way to truly say what is the present, but it can be ascertained that our present experiences linger in our consciousness even after the present moment. Because of these problems, Tatarkiewicz introduces a new idea, the present period. The present period differs from the present moment because it is the time that surrounds the present moment, both in the past and future. The present period moves with our life. it can be longer or shorter at times, and the period that makes up the present period keeps pace with our lives (Tatarkiewicz
Death is inevitable; if you want happiness in life, try A. Margaret Atwood, the author of “Happy Endings,” uses six separate short stories to depict outcomes with different scenarios. The author practices the use of flash fiction which adds to the entirety of each version. Though this short story has portions of unusual context, the content can teach a reflection on life. As the reader analyzes all six versions, the gender roles are evident as the story progresses. Atwood starts the short story by introducing the two main characters, John and Mary, and then proceeds to tell a variety of options as to who they are and what happens to them. In Margaret Atwood’s short story, “Happy Endings,” the central theme of fiction provides several different
The author understands that there are several factors that will or might not interfere with the pursuit of happiness. Into every life, adversity will fall; nobody is immune. every life also will receive its share of happiness. it 's the strategy by which one deals with the inner and external forces that may determine the quantity of joy present in one 's life. The author explains flow to be “the sense of effortless action they feel in moments that stand out as the best in their lives”. When I am with friends and family – the ones that I love, I am engaging in “flow activities” I get involved so deeply in the task that is at hand that there is no recollection of time. It’s as if nothing else really matters because of the happiness that I am feeling within myself. I took a trip with family to Miami last year, it was beautiful. When I was there, I had almost forgot all the day to day issues that I faced, the atmosphere and even the smell consumed me and took me to a place of euphoria. There is a “flow” to Miami that makes you forget everything besides what is happening in that exact moment. When a person can ascend the steps of challenges and skill, they
"The Futile Pursuit of Happiness" by Jon Gertner was published in September of 2003. It is an essay that discusses the difference between how happy we believe we will be with a particular outcome or decision, and how happy we actually are with the outcome. The essay is based on experiments done by two professors: Daniel Gilbert and George Loewenstein. The experiments show that humans are never as happy as we think we will be with an outcome because affective forecasting and miswanting cause false excitement and disappointment in our search for true happiness.
The philosopher Aristotle once wrote, “Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.” This famous quote compels people to question the significance of their joy, and whether it truly represents purposeful lives they want to live. Ray Bradbury, a contemporary author, also tackles this question in his book, Fahrenheit 451, which deals heavily with society's view of happiness in the future. Through several main characters, Bradbury portrays the two branches of happiness: one as a lifeless path, heading nowhere, seeking no worry, while the other embraces pure human experience intertwined together to reveal truth and knowledge.
The article discusses happiness and a few of the many complications associated with happiness. The article is named “Nation The Happiness of Pursuit.” The authors Kluger, Aciman, and Steinmetz wrote this article for “Time Magazine”. It discusses happiness in many ways, including details about what happiness is from a neurological and physical standpoint. The article begins by examining how Americans were happy in the past and
who achieve sense of meaning in their lives are happier than those who live from one pleasure to another.
But in this debate, one question still raises its head - What is happiness? Happiness is not actually leading a luxurious life, but the luxury of living a life. Happiness is not actually about expanding your business, but it lies in expanding the horizons of life. Happiness is not having a meal in the most famous restaurant, but having it with your most beloved family. It does not lie in attending honorable parties, but to attend a party with honor.
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 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.
There are many definition of happiness. For instance, family, friends, and memories. In Eduardo’s essay he asserts different types of happiness that is much more complex. Happiness is much more than having a pleasant, engaged and meaningful life. It may be important but not as important of being happy with you innersole. Happiness is an encouraging feeling ,which is influenced by many factors. German inventor once said , “We tend to forget that happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.” This quotes represents it isn 't based on what we don’t have, it is what we do have and we need to appreciate and cherish life.
Happiness is a feeling that cannot be broken if strong enough, no matter how much sadness or hate is around you. Happiness can come from the smallest thing, for instance, music makes me happy and can easily change my mood, or when I am doing something I love my mood is easily changed. For others it could be whenever you do something well, or right and get recognition for it. It is the easiest feeling to be spread and given out but often neglected and forgotten about which is something we should all be more aware