The pursuit of happiness and what factors influence individual well-being, has long been a point of worldwide interest. This literature will provide insight on the secrets to happiness and what desires must individuals accomplish to live a happy life. This essay will begin by discussing mental attitudes and the inner resources one has to experience a happy state of mind. It will then examine current research on social relationships and the central role it plays on nurturing wellness. It will then consider the importance of navigating through a wide-range of feelings and emotions at work. The final section will indicate that true wealth is not measured by money. This essay will argue that happiness is cultivated from choices rather than a product …show more content…
According to Norton (2011) individuals who spent money on themselves, showed no marked improvement in personal happiness, however those who spent or donated inconsequential amounts money on their fellow peers reported feelings of contentment and promoted greater happiness. Einarsdottir (2012) established the positive effect of gratitude expressed by parents of sick children in the NICU had on health professionals. The process through which a good attitude played a significant role in the way the health professionals were able to balance the highly stressful working conditions in-turn enabled the professionals to feel positive, valued and ultimately happier. Additionally, Achor (2012) outlined the importance of engaging in random acts of kindness, praising and thanking peers in one’s interpersonal network, supported feelings of contentment, which allows the brain to perform better, therefore leading to success professionally and personally which amplified individual happiness further. Significant importance has been placed on engaging in altruistic mannerisms, by focusing one’s intentions, thoughts and actions on benefiting others, contributes substantially in making the individual
Ryan, Richard M., and Edward L. Deci. "On Happiness and Human Potentials: A Review of
Everyone wants to be “happy.” Everyone endeavors to fulfill their desires for their own pleasure. What makes this ironic is, the fact that most don‘t know what the actual definition of happiness is. “In Pursuit of Unhappiness” presents an argument, which states that not everyone will be happy. Darrin McMahon, the article’s author, explores the ways our “relentless pursuit of personal pleasure”(McMahon P.11;S.3) can lead to empty aspirations and impractical expectations, making us sad, and not happy. Rather than working to find the happiness of others, we should all focus on finding what makes ourselves happy. It is easier to find happiness in the little things
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
Its practice has been seen to be efficacious in healing and improving the quality of life of many people. Whether in terms of enhancing mental health or preventing illness, gratitude is one of life’s vitalizing ingredients. Clinical trials indicate that the practice of gratitude can have dramatic and lasting positive effects on a person’s life. It can lower blood pressure, improve immune function, promote happiness and well being, and spur acts of helpfulness, generosity and cooperation (Emmons & Stern, 2013). Emmons and Stern (2013) from their experiments, assert that gratitude has one of the strongest links to mental health and life satisfaction in any personality trait, more so than even optimism hope or compassion. They maintain that people who experience gratitude can cope more effectively with everyday stress, show increased resilience in the face of trauma-induced stress, recover more quickly from illness, and enjoy more robust physical health.
In the book, The How of Happiness, author and researcher Sonja Lyubomirsky sets her book apart from other self-awareness books by being the first to utilize empirical studies. She uses data gained through scientific method to provide support for her hypothesis. This hypothesis consists mainly of the idea that we have the ability to overcome genetic predisposition and circumstantial barriers to happiness by how we think and what we do. She emphasizes that being happier benefits ourselves, our family and our community. “The How of Happiness is science, and the happiness-increasing strategies that [she] and other social psychologists have developed are its key supporting players” (3).
What defines happiness? In the words of positive psychologists Stephen Schueller and Acacia Parks, “happiness is characterized by positive subjective appraisals and feelings.” Martin Seligman, father of positive psychology, kickstarted an initiative that aimed to “increase global well-being.” Positive psychology alludes to the evolution of human flourishing, by using methods that enable individuals to thrive. It also concerns “self help” as a way to aide scientists and therapists in the study of psychology and happiness. People of all cultures have been continuously striving to reach such a state of contentment by utilizing techniques termed by positive psychology. Research has been done by numerous psychologists in order to unravel the truth; does it really make us happier, or is happiness biological and dependent on our environment - and thus mostly out of our control? These two antonymous viewpoints have led to multiple discoveries concerning whether or not positive psychology truly makes us happier.
Is there a relationship between death, wisdom, and happiness and the well-lived life; and what is the structure? I struggled to form an answer to this question, because I’m not sure if my real feelings on the subject are conducive to the assignment. As I feel like you’re looking for some profound and deep explanative that correlate back to the teachings of this class. I know for a fact that I don’t need 750 words to answer, and adding summaries of material that don’t affect my position is very frustrating. However, this class is part of a journey that sits under an umbrella of life lessons I have to digest in order to meet my goals, strengthen my meaning and allow me to get closer to the purpose of my life. In order to get to happiness,
It is a common thought that happiness is key to a successful life, and many try to find out how to achieve the
“The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living” is a collaboration by His Holiness the Dalai Lama XIV and Howard C. Cutler, M.D., who identify many possible components that could lead to a happy and satisfying life. Their approach combines and integrates the thoughts of East and West; Buddhist principles and practices on one hand and Western science and psychology on the other. Many everyday difficulties are highlighted in this book, and Dalai Lama and Dr. Cutler attempts to help the readers find appropriate solutions in order to find a balanced and lasting happiness. Dalai Lama’s understanding of the factors that ultimately lead to happiness is based on a lifetime of methodically observing his own mind, exploring the nature of the human condition, and investigating these things within a framework first established by The
Happiness is a feeling that everyone aims to accomplish, yet some people seem to only catch a sight of it. Gratifying atonement, a state of well-being, and serenity are the more eminent elements of happiness. David G. Myers and Ed Diener propose the article “Who Is Happy?” which present aspects of happiness, a theory that recognizes adaptation, cultural world view, and personal goals. I believe through word of mouth and through those whom we look up to, we are told many myths about happiness, especially the biggest myth that money can buy happiness. In Daniel Gilbert’s “Reporting Live from Tomorrow”, he argues that the definition of happiness is not defined by wealth and that we rely on super-replicators and surrogates to make decisions that we feel will enhance our happiness. Our economic history has proven the idea of declining marginal utility. If we pursue life and liberty without happiness, our lives, quality, and value will slowly vanish, but the absence of wealth has nothing to do with one’s happiness.
For our Economics subject, we watched The Pursuit of Happyness, a movie based on Chris Gardner, a salesman who was not making that much money and eventually experiences homelessness with his five-year old son. He faces problems when his wife is unwilling to accept his goal to become a stockbroker and leaves him. However, he perseveres even under all this stress.
Contrary to belief, genuine happiness is very rarely found at the bottom of a shopping basket or on the leather seats of a brand new car. Often we hear the cliché saying “Money can’t buy happiness” but this is in fact true. Whilst the elation and delight brought from finally owning a wanted item is extraordinary, you must remind yourself that your happiness should not become dependant upon your ownership of this item. Being happy is not something you can purchase from a shop or car dealership, it is the way you take on life. Unfortunately, happiness does not have its own aisle at shops and never will.
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.
Throughout history, philosophers and scientists of various kinds have been trying to define happiness, identify its causes and the obstacles to reaching it. According to Jon Gertner, psychologist Gilbert and economist Loewenstein have succeeded in pointing out several reasons why people are unhappy (pp: 444-6). It is important to note that according to Gilbert, it is not that people cannot g...