Impact of Cross-Cultural Differences on Different Perceptions of Happiness

“The Geography of Bliss,” by Eric Weiner, was truly an enjoyment to read. Wiener, a former NPR correspondent and self-proclaimed Grump, takes his own shot at trying to answer the age old question, what makes people happy and why? Writing with wit and humor, Weiner had me laughing on every page. To summarize the novel, Weiner sets out to countries that are deemed happy, such as the Netherlands, Bhutan, and Qatar to try and figure out what happiness is, but also why is it in that given location? He then travels to countries with low levels of contentment such as Moldova, to discover the differences between the two.

I believe that one of the ultimate questions that all members of the human species asks is ‘How can I find happiness?’ and reflected in this question is a desire to find a happy, fulfilling, quality life. Many people try to find such happiness through their careers, material possessions, and all manner of other pursuits. What a large portion of these people do not realize is that happiness and the elements necessary to achieve a quality life may not come from place, position, or possession but from attitude. In both Gilgamesh by Stephen Mitchell and Sunny Chernobyl by Andrew Blackwell, the reader can see these ideas explored in great detail.

Happiness is an essential goal for most people. From books and expensive classes that teach people how to achieve happiness to the fundamental right of “the pursuit of happiness” in the Declaration of Independence, the importance of happiness is evident in society. This causes the rise to two fundamental questions: “How does one attain happiness?” and “,How does happiness create a meaningful life?” Both happiness and living a meaningful life are achieved simultaneously. The search for happiness and the factors that make it brings meaning to life. Happiness can stem from several factors such as wisdom and knowledge, savoring life and its experiences, and even suffering and pain. Analyzing these factors brings meaning to one’s life.

Senior compares what people think about people in other states and locations happiness, finding that usually these comparisons are untrue. Different studies and polls found that the Swiss and Canadians rank themselves among the happiest, while the Japanese are less happy. European countries tend to rank themselves the least happy, with Russia coming in last. Is happiness really based on location? I find that just because people don’t like the snowy weather doesn’t mean that they are unhappy during the holiday season. Families seem to come together and rejoice in each other’s company during this bad weather season. “And no matter where they live, human beings are terrible predictors of what will make them happy” (426). Senior discusses how we fill in the gaps, where we tend to remember only happy events and feelings and phase out bad ones. She discuss how our imaginations work in rationalizing situations and feelings, setting ourselves up for big disappointments, but deal with the successfully at the

Attention Materials: Many times I have wondered what is true happiness. Is there such thing as true happiness? Can it even be attained if there is such a thing? Is it more of fulfilling desires, or satisfying psychological needs? Every person attempts to realize happiness in its fullest essence. It seems like today people are too busy trying to get rich. Nowadays it is believed that happiness lies in that new mansion, or a nice Ferrari. People are mistakingly assuming that wealth will bring to them a personal significance in which they will achieve happiness.

In Happy by Roko Belic (a 2011 documentary), “All I want is to be happy in life” was a reoccurring statement from the people in the film. A majority of people in today’s world agree with that statement. Everyone wants to be happy, but what truly defines happiness? The Happy documentary presents different things that make certain people happy, and what influences their feelings. The film does not only imply that direct message, but also paints a bigger picture for the audience. The bigger picture being: how ecology is the main factor behind people’s happiness. The director of this film combines real experiences from people around the world along with research from scientists to explain our simple emotion, happiness.

Happiness. It is not tangible, measurable or even understandable. Yet, above all other things, it is what people seek the most. Individuals draw happiness from a number of different sources,presumably causing the confusion as to why happiness can not be traced back to a specific object. Still, how can you possibly meet the expectations of being happy? This article will attempt to demystify the subject of happiness.

There are several works of literature that can substantiate the preceding thesis. One of the most convincing is Tom Hewitt's article "Learning From Tison" which appeared in The Sun Star. In this piece, the author does well to explain the relative nature of happiness, which he does by presenting the lives of Indonesian villagers

In an unofficial poll of students at State University, I found that of the fifty-eight students and one professor, males and females of several ethnic backgrounds and age groups, that I asked the question "What is happiness to you?", all of them had very different physical, intellectual, or emotional motivator for their happiness. Only the

I started to question about happiness in America after I saw a pattern in high school that students are often confused or stressed. I started out with the question, “why is it hard to be happy when being happy shouldn’t be that hard?” To answer these questions, I found Sophie Chan’s 2011 study, “Hong Kong Chinese community leaders’ perspectives on family health, happiness and harmony: a qualitative study.” This study would help answer questions on my audience’s curiosity about other countries happiness compared to the United States. Then I started to think that there were also other issues that friction with happiness in America and

This will provide the clearest difference of how happiness is viewed I believe. A study from the University of Wellington in New Zealand showed that happiness was not the supreme value held across all cultures. In the West, the culture there has established that happiness should be maximized and is among the most precious of all the feelings a human has. Also in this study, it was found that non-Western cultures expressing happiness is frowned upon in certain situations. The researchers believed that being raised in a culture that devalues happiness can cause individuals within the culture to draw away from happiness. To compare countries in these different cultures I will showcase the Japanese and Americans. The United States is perhaps the best example from Western culture to showcase the importance of happiness. It could perhaps be attributed to the words within the US Constitution, which guaranteed that every American citizen is entitled to the right of the pursuit of happiness. When looking at Japan, one sees an almost opposite take. Instead of individualism and the promotion of happiness, Japan promotes conformity and puts a lesser value on happiness. Because of this, more Japanese citizens will back away from happiness and not focus on it as much, which is why they are so focused on their work. They make no time for anything else and put everything into it. For Americans, they work to become happy. The focus is making it to the weekend to relax and enjoy recreational time. It is clear that the way the two cultures view happiness is greatly

The world seems to be a dark and unforgiving place, but happiness is hidden within. It is found in a beautiful view, an uplifting song, or a compliment from a friend. According to the Ted Talk video, The Habits of Happiness, Matthieu Ricard claims that everyone “has a deep, profound desire for well-being or happiness”(Ricard 2:39). Ricard uses the three techniques of Ethos, Pathos, and Logos to captivate and move his audience. With the use of metaphors, personal experiences, and even graphs Matthieu explained to his audience the full force and perception of the bendable word that is happiness. This Ted Talk dove into philosophical meaning on just how to achieve well-being, without having everything in the world.

Hello everyone! I’d like to start off with a question. If I were to ask how many of you are happy right now, who would raise their hands? Anyone who raised their hands, I am officially jealous of you. I was definitely not happy when I was in high school. It was when I found out I was not as smart as I thought I was. Sure, I got straight A’s my freshman year, but certainly not the last three years. The depression I had been struggling with since 7th grade really grabbed a hold of me in 10th grade, and I was definitely not happy. But I’ll tell you what kept me going, and what still keeps me going despite my continuing battle with depression along with other mental illnesses. That thing is hope. Okay, so before you begin to disregard this entire

Our internal world governs our happiness, not conditions put upon us from our external environment or conditions we place on ourselves. To put it another way, our search for happiness is the very reason we’re unhappy (McLeod, 2007). Psychology considers happiness an emotion or mental state and a predictor of how well one’s life is going. Some say that happiness is a choice, and therefore a behavior that one chooses. Happiness is a way of interpreting the world, since while it may be difficult to change the world, it is always possible to change the way we look at it (McLeod, 2007).

At first glance, happiness is a state of mind that many, if not all people aspire to achieve in their lifetime. What exactly is that state of mind is up for debate among the east and the west, and varies between different cultures, traditions, and religions. In the west, happiness is mostly associated with success, wealth, fame and power. In the east, happiness can be viewed as freedom from mundane occurrences such as the occupation of western powers from within a country, the end of war, poverty and famine, and liberation of the false self. In contemporary times, and with the arrival of eastern philosophy, religions, and traditions in the west, many are turning inwards and using a tool believed to have more power than an atomic bomb, the human mind. In China, India and various other Asian countries, the mind has long been a powerful tool used to liberate one from suffering, the cyclic cycle of life, as well as a means to reach enlightenment and immortality. However, the mind is only a tool, and not the way per se.