ClaireLeffler

HappinessProject
SaraPrice
27April2015
TheSusceptibilityofHappiness

Happinessismorethanjustanemotionitisthepersistentstateoflivingagoodlife.
Everyonewantstobehappy,weallstriveforitbothintentionallyandunintentionally.
Margaret
LeeRunbeckstatedthatHappinessisnotastatetoarriveat,butamanneroftraveling.
Achievinghappinesstakesmucheffortandthought.
Lookingbackandacknowledgingthekey
componentsofwhatmakesushappyasacommunityandasindividualscanonlydeepenits
meaning.Happinessisstrictlydependentonyourexperiencesinlife,weallcomefromdifferent
places,everyonevaluesdifferentthingshoweverweareallstillconnected.Thereisnoreal
mutualmeasurementofhappiness,itcannotberecognizedasaproblemorgivenanystraight
forwardsolutionwemustexplorehappinessandmeaningtothefullesttoachieveitforourselves
andournation.Theworldweliveinhasalteredandchangedhowwethinkofhappinessasifwe
arestrivingforsomekindofeffortlesshappiness.Wearetrickedbypropagandaandadvertising
intothinkingthekeycomponentsofhappinessarenolongerneeded.Asindividualsfinding
meaningcanbeassimpleasacceptingthevalueofsufferingandachievinghappinessthrough
giving,asanationweneedtolookatourcurrentwrongsthroughtechnologyandrightsthrough
othercountriestoformanewgoalforachievinghappiness.

Theconnectionbetweenmeaningandhappinesswhenitcomestotosufferingandpain
hasbeencompromisedinoursocietytoday.Thesetwothingshavebeengreatlymisconceptedby
ourculture,theycausediscomfortwhichisnotwelcomeinasocietythatconstantlyvalues
comfort.InthearticleThere'smoretolifethanbeinghappyEmilySmithsaysthatthevalue
ofsuffering,andresponsibilitytosomethinggreaterthantheselfseemstobeatoddswithour
culture.Everynecessityinoursocietyisgiventous,wearecomfortedtotheextremeandat
timesareofferedmorethanwecanhandle.Ifourcultureistryingtocompletelyeliminate
sufferingandpainthenhappinesscannotbecompletelyfulfilled,thusmakingitdifficulttofind
meaningandworthinessinourlives.Howeverwearealreadyveryadaptedtoacomfortedlife
andarescaredofdevastation,whichmakesusveryvulnerable.Butwecannotgetridofour
vulnerabilitywithoutgettingridofeverythingelse(happiness,allemotion).Realizingthefact
thatpeopleareonlydevastatedforshortperiodsoftimecanhelpusunderstandthatdevastation
canhelpusfindmoremeaninginourlivesandencourageustobemuchhappier.Inthemovie
Happy,P.ReadMontaguestatesThere'snosuchthingaspleasurewithoutpainIbelievehe
isexpressingtheideathatyouneedatasteofwhatitslikewithoutsomethingsoyouwillbe
moregratefulandhappyaboutitwhenyouhaveitagain.Beingabletodiscovermeaningin
harshcircumstancesandlookingforthegoodnotthebadineverythingyoucan,willultimately

increasehappiness.Findingmeaningcansimplydependonyouattitudetowardshappinessand
itsstrongconnectionwithinit.

Givingbackandhelpingothersdependsuponhowwillingyouaretorecognizeyourself
asanindividualandasawholewhensearchingforhappiness.InarticleThere'smoretolife
thanbeinghappybyEmilyEsfahaniSmithshewritesLeadingahappylife,thepsychologists
found,isassociatedwithbeingatakerwhileleadingameaningfullifecorrespondswithbeing
agiver.Ifyouareatakeryousatisfyingyourneedswhenevernecessary,howeverbeinga
givercorrespondswiththinkingasawholenotasanindividual,sacrificingsomethingforthe
benefitofthegroup,thinkingbiggerthanyourself.Trulyfindingmeaningfulnessisthekeyto
findinghappiness,whichcorrespondswithgivingbackandhelpingothers.InTedtalkThe
NewEraofPositivePsychologyMartinSeligmanstates...knowingwhatyourhighest
strengthsareandusingthemtobelongtoandinthisserviceinsomethinglargerthanyouare.
Thereistruthinthefactthatthefeelingyougetwhenhelpinganotherpersonlasts,itisa
differentkindoffeelingthatpeoplearenaturallyconnectedanddrawnto.Onceyoucan
understandyourhappinessthenextlevelishelpingothersachievetheirhappiness.Scientifically
therearesomanythingsyoucandotoessentiallycreatehappinessinyourlifeunderstanding
theimportanceoffamily,creatingdopaminethroughphysicalactivity,doingthethethingsyou
love,experiencingflowregularly,ect.However,intheendoneofthesinglemostimportant
conceptsthathasbeenshowntogreatlyincreasehappinessishelpingothers,allwewantisto
knowthatsomeonecares.

Whilestudyinghappinessaroundtheworldonecountrythatstoodoutwasthe
Netherlands,theyareseeasoneofthehappiestcountriesintheworld,formanyreasonsthat
shouldinfluencetherestofus.Therearemanyrecognizablethingsinthiscountrythatbuildup
itshappinesssuchasahealthyenvironment,satisfactoryhousing,equality,respectwithin
communities,genericityamongpeople,volunteeringalongwithhelpingothersandconnection.
Manyofthesethingsareabsentthroughoutourcountryandtherestoftheworld.Eventhough
allcountrieshavedifferentbeliefsandvaluessomeofthesekeyfactorsshouldinfluenceour
decisionsaroundtheworld.Currentlyinournationonethingthathascreatedtheperceptionof
happinessismoney.Itisstatedoverandoveragaininfilms,writing,speechesandstudiessuch
asthemoviesHappyandIamthatmoneydoesnotequalhappiness!Thisisthemost
commonconnectionpeoplemakewithhowtobehappyandifanythingitwillonlydecrease
happinessinourworld,italreadyhas.Itisthoughtthatinordertoliveafulfilled,long,happy
lifeyouneedmoney.Moneyisnottheonlyway.Itcaninfluenceyourhappinessandhowyou
viewyourhappinessuptoacertainpoint,thenitisonlyanillusiontodriveusintogivinginto
whatsocietyhastooffer.ThroughouttheNetherlandspeoplearemorefocusedoncommunity
andconnectionratherthanmoremoney,peoplearesatisfiedwiththeirincomeandworkhours.
Weareyettoeliminatethisillusionofmoney,thekeyistolookatwaystolessenour

consumerism,bytargetingpropagandaandwhatweareadvertising.Aroundtheworldcountries
havefoundsuccessincreatingaculturenotcontrolledbymoney,recognizingthesethingscan
onlyhelpusimprovehowweshouldstriveforhappinessandharmonyinoursociety.

Oneofthemostclearcurrentobstructionsinoursocietytodayistechnology.Technology
helpsusachievenewthingsandcomfortourselvesinnewways,peoplearedrawntoconnection,
howeverthisconveniencehasbeengreatlymisconceptedandtrickspeopleintothinkingthat
theyarehappier.InthefilmTheInnovationofLonelinessitisexplainedthatTheindividual
ismeasuredbypersonalachievements(career),wealth,selfimage,andconsumerism.Itis
obviousthatsocialpeoplearehappy,butinrealitybeingsocialthroughtechnologycreatesthese
individualgoalsandmakespeopleloserealsocialconnection,thusmakingthemlesshappyand
morelonely.InthevideoTheInnovationofLonelinessitisalsostatedthatpeopleare
Sacrificingconversationformereconnectionandsoaparadoxicalsituationiscreatedinwhich
weclaimtohavemanyfriendswhileactuallybeinglonely.Withtechnologywecancontrol
whatwesayinconversationsanditletsuspresentourselvesthewaywewanttobesee,we
deleteandeditourselvestobeaperfect.Wehavefoundanewwaytoconnecthoweveritis
artificialanddoesnotallowustonaturallyfulfillourneedsforhappiness.Insteadofexpanding
ourhappinessthroughconnectionwearereallylosingit.Wehavemoreurgentthingstobe
worryingaboutinthisworldthanexpandingsocialnetworkstokeeppeoplebusyandconnected
throughtheweb.Weneedtouseourbrainsandtechnologytogivepeoplebasicneedsworld
widesotheycanevenpotentiallybehappy.Insteadoffocusingonfixingallofourlittle
inconvenienceweshouldworktowardswhatmakespeoplehappyinthelongrun,notthesecond
longsparkofjoyyougetwithanewphone.

Inconclusionfindingexactlywhatmakesushappytofulfillourpotentialindividually
andnationallyiscrucial.Happinessdiffersonwhatyoumakeofit,uptoacertainpointitisout
ofeveryoneelse'scontrolexceptyours.Wecanpusheachother,influenceeachotherand
connectwitheachothertostriveforhappiness.Withoutcomparingourselvestoanyoneelse,
lookingpastanyillusionsthathavebeensettotrickyou,howachievableishappiness?
Examiningwhat'sbeendonewrongandwhat'sbeendonerightinachievinghappinessand
growingoffofthatwillonlyimproveoursociety.Lookingatthetoolswehavebeengivento
createahappiersocietyandusingthemforeveryone'sadvantageratherthanjustourownis
criticalinachievingworldwidehappiness.Wereallconnectedyetwereallcompletelydifferent.
Happinesscantbemeasured,itcantbeputintoanequation,there'snoeffortless,painless,
straightforwardsolution.Happinesshasnoboundaries.Discoveritforyourself,butremember
youdonthavetohavehappinessallfiguredouttohelpsomeoneelse.Weliveinasociety
wherethekeycomponentsofhappinessarelost,wearemanipulatedbythedominanceof
authentichappinesswhilebeingtrickedintothinkingwerehappy,ifwecontinuetoencourage
thistheconsequencewillonlybedevastatingforthetruemeaningofhappiness.