Pursuit of Happiness English 1302

What is happiness? “Happiness is prosperity combined with virtue.” -Aristotle Happiness: 1)a state of well-being and contentment: JOY 2)good fortune: PROSPERITY -Merion- Webster Dictionary A happy life = a good life

Can we find happiness? Yes!!! Spiritual/Religious Happiness Philosophical Happiness Psychological Happiness (emotions, close relationships) What about: Realist Happiness (wealth and power)????

The University of Michigan researchers asked a national sample of Americans to express their feeling through various facial expressions. Which face comes closest to how happy vs. unhappy you feel you are? Really Happy: 20% Pretty Happy: 46% Happy: 27%Average: 4% Really Unhappy: 0% Pretty Unhappy: 1% Unhappy: 2%

On a Scale of 1-10, how Happy & Unhappy 3/10 – NINE and SEVEN 2/10 – EIGTH 1/10 – SIX 1/10 – NINE 1/10 – NINE. EIGHT 1/10 – TEN 3/10 – ONE 2/10 – TWO 1/10 – THREE 1/10 – FIVE 1/10 – SEVEN 1/10 – EIGHT Are Participants?

Religious/Spiritual Happiness Deeply spiritual/religious people are happy and willing to left their happiness rest in the hands of a higher power, such as God, a Buddha, etc. Their relationship with God, or whomever, is so intimate, it bring them high self-esteem, their source of contentment. Inner Contentment -The first method is to obtain everything we have wanted, such as the perfect dwelling, vehicles, career, spouse, body, and enough money to satisfy ourselves. -More importantly, to apply the second method in which we appreciate and desire what we have, instead of focusing on not having what we want.

Philosophical Happiness -Epictetus: Accept that we cannot solve everyone’s problems, other than our own. Play your own part, and play it well. -Add value to you life with your goals and ambitions to achieve happiness. -Aristotle: ‘It is for the sake of happiness that we all do everything else we do.’ As long as we have a sensible plan for our life, our goals will show that we mean it to be a worthwhile, happy life.

Psychological Happiness (emotions and close relationships) -“Four in five adults –adults of all ages– rate love as important to their happiness. And they are right.” David G. Myers -We want and desire companionship and family. -Divorce rates go up- Independence acceptable at old age. -It has been a pull between giving your heart and independence, but both can be their own kind of prison.

-Close relationships have shown to promote health and happiness. We find support and comfort in them. That is what keep us going. -People cite family as the source of pleasure and emotional strain. Close relationships are the sources that bring the most heartache, but also the greatest joy.

Realist Perspective -Money doesn’t buy happiness!!! “Apparently, money power, or learning was not the most important aspect of a good life.” Ventegodt, Søren

IN THE END “Happiness is one of the most important things in life but happiness is something you have to find in yourself — being who you are and accepting who you are — and no one can do that for you.“ -Michelle Dockery