Joel Sawyer

Professor Jizi
UWRT 1102-010
4 March 2016
Reflections on Happiness Quiz
KEY
Question by Professor Jizi
Answer Joel Sawyer
1. When you started this research, how much did you believe circumstances played a part in
your happiness or lack thereof? What is your understanding now of the role
circumstances play in your current level of happiness?
When I started doing the research on happiness I thought that our circumstances
played a large role in our happiness. I felt like that is how I blamed when I was dealing
with some depression I just kept blaming my current situation. After the research I have a
slightly different view of it. I know that I read in the materials they claim that only about
10 percent is due to circumstance. I feel like that is accurate because you can always
change your circumstance by intentional action. If youre unhappy in your job then you
just have to take the steps necessary to change that instance.
2. Sonja Lyubormirsky tells us that at least 40% of our happiness is in our own hands. You
completed the Satisfaction with Life Scale, developed by Ed Diener, who concluded that
there were Satisfaction with Life Enhancers. What kinds of things have you learned you
can do to contribute to your own level of happiness?
I have learned that there are a couple of things that I can do to contribute to my
level of happiness, one thing is that I could build more positive social relationships. I
could also set achievable intrinsic goals for myself, and also I can make myself involved
in a community effort or a project that is bigger than myself.

3. The authors of Does Money Buy Happiness? State that the relationship between money
and happiness is complicated. Dan Gilbert, also, talks about money and happiness in his
TED Talk. What do these individuals say in their research that is similar?
They both have the same view that money can make you have a higher sense of
happiness, but only to a point you only need the amount of money to meet your needs
anything in excess will not make you happier. Although they both feel as though if you
do good things with your money for the sake of other people then that intern can bring
you a higher level of happiness.
4. Some cultures are averse to happiness. Reflect on your own response to researching
happiness. Do you feel happier learning about the things that research says can and
cannot bring you more happiness? Why or Why not? Also, do you feel your response
denotes that you are averse to happiness? Explain your answer.
In my research I feel happier that before, also I like the fact that the research has
given me the tools needed to bring more happiness into my life. I do not believe that I am
adverse to happiness, I have always tried to find ways to get to a higher level of
happiness. I think in terms of all the things the researchers say can and cannot bring me
happiness I agree with a lot of what they say. I am going to try to incorporate all the
knowledge I have gained to raise my happiness level.
5. Winning the lottery or experiencing a tragic loss, what does the research say will happen
to your happiness levels? Before researching happiness, what do you think the impact of
extreme events would have been on your happiness level?
In the research they stated that these major events in your life have a great impact
on your happiness level, but it may be only for a short period of time. The articles say
that you will return to some sort stable level based on your genetics. I know that what
they stated to be true because I have lost people close to me and even though it was a
tragic event and I was extremely sad, in a short time I was past the sadness and was not in
a constant state of unhappiness.

6. What was the most surprising thing you learned about happiness?
I feel as though the most surprising thing I learned was the fact that people all
have a certain baseline level of happiness. Also that you will return to it after major
events of sadness or joy.

7. What frustrated you in the research about happiness?

The only thing that frustrated me about the research was the material. I had a
tough time reading the material that was assigned to us, but I feel that is probably due to
the fact that I have been away from reading materials like that.
8. What part of the happiness research was the hardest to believe or accept?
The only thing that I had a hard time believing was the fact that there is a genetic
baseline to your happiness level. Even though I do understand that theory know and
believe the validity of it looking at the events in my own life and how my general
happiness always came back to an equilibrium.
9. If you were going to research happiness in the future, what would you like to know more
about it?
I guess that if I was going to start to research happiness some more I would want
to know if having a pet will make a permanent boost to your happiness level.
10. In the end, what is the most valuable information you gained in researching happiness?
How will you apply this knowledge to your life?

I feel as though the most valuable thing that I learned was that making intrinsic
goals is a sure fire way to boost my happiness levels. I am going to apply this to my life
by starting to set some goals and see if I do have that boost. I was never a goal setter for
myself and when I did make goals they definitely were just superficial and for vanity
purposes (i.e.; saving money for a new car, getting a new tattoo, etc...).