Stumbling on Happiness Essay

Mahatma Gandhi one defined happiness as “when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” Barring any better definition of happiness from either positive psychologists, self-help gurus, or any other academic source, I tend to think this is a great summation of the definition of happiness. Gandhi doesn’t say anything about how these things make you feel, rather looks at it from a point of view of harmony between thoughts, expressions, and actions. Since one single accepted definition of happiness doesn’t seem to exist, and happiness is different for everyone, this begs the question; how can you increase your own personal level of happiness?

Success is extremely coveted in the society, however on the path to success, obstacles will stand in the way. Failure is inevitable and the response of an individual towards these obstacles and the failures in their lives determines whether or not they will have success. Failure gives allowance to learn from mistakes and motivates to do better the next time. The Pursuit of Happyness uses lighting, music and camera angles to give viewers an insight into Chris’ journey through the film demonstrating his resiliency, optimism and loving personality. Filmmaker, Gabriele Muccino, uses the protagonist, Chris’ final triumph to illustrate the significance of failure in achieving success.

Happiness: a Human Disease -- An Examination of the Allegorical Theme of Existentialism in the Happy Man

“Choose to be happy.” This is what mom has always said, since a very young age and still to this day she tells everyone. For so long, it was just “mom talk”, those things your mother says that is supposed to make you stop and think. Yet, being too young, dumb and full of it, to really understand what she means. Curiosity emerges and suddenly there is a need to understand what it really means to be happy, what constitutes Happiness? So follow up with some research, entering the bookstore, gliding in and out of the rows and rows in the self-help sections are others, asking the same question. What is happiness? Where does it come from, are we born with it or do we make it happen? Happiness is but a belief, an idea, a theory; but theories,

Genuine Happiness Philosopher, novelist, playwright and screenwriter Ayn Rand once said, “Achievement of your happiness is the only moral purpose of your life, and that happiness, not pain or mindless self-indulgence, is the proof of your moral integrity, since it is the proof and the result of your loyalty to the achievement of your values”. Stated differently, one's sole purpose in life is to strive for happiness by ignoring the temptations of selfishness and greed and instead, focusing on maintaining your righteousness and virtue. Ayn Rand hasn’t been the only one to voice her opinion towards authentic satisfaction. Over time, there have been a plethora of conclusions made by various authors and philosophers on what truly makes an individual

The story of the movie The Pursuit of Happyness directed by Gabriele Muccino portrays a family who struggles with finding enough money to pay taxes and afford living expenses. The movie takes a place in San Francisco during the 80s. The two main characters are the father Chris Gardner and his son Christopher, Will Smith and Jaden Smith respectively. Gardner tries to support his family. But every time he attempts to make things better, they always end up worse. Gardner in the story wonders on "how to be happy?" He earns his money by selling the bone density

In 1984, the concept of happiness is portrayed as meaningless and that the truth opposes happiness. According to Big Brother and the party, they can only survive by suppressing individual happiness and freedom. People are not allowed to pursue happiness because if they have the freedom they could revolt against the party, and the party wants to control people’s minds and emotions so that they follow Big Brother. Big Brother, though he never appears in the book, he is an extremely important figure. He is perceived as the ruler of Oceania and his image is everywhere, in every telescreen in every room. His image haunts Winston’s life and fills him with hatred. The party controls people through fear. The main character in 1984 is Winston, he

Happiness is a result that we deserved, furthermore, it becomes a motivation for us to keep trying and getting success in life.

What is being happy actually like? With the money, school, work, friends, family, etc. issues, how is it possible to become fully happy if there is always something that could be interfering with it? We live in America that promises us to to be all equal and can experience the “life, liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” But every news show that’s turned on, we hear about a 13 year old “entertaining” child who’s trending on every social media network about her disrespecting her mother more often than the issue on two American adults making terrorist threats and waving a confederate flag at a black child’s birthday party. We Americans get the free education until we graduate to find out that we actually don’t know what

“When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life.When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down “happy”. They told me I didn't understand the assignment, and I told them they didn't understand life.(google.com/images)” Unlike John Lennon, some see happiness as a shallow goal in life. Some think wisdom, self-improvement, or improving the world is more worthwhile and unselfish. Yet philosophers throughout history still thought it was important enough to spend time and energy exploring the way to reach it. Even today, people are still on a constant search for it, whether consciously or subconsciously. Happiness is more than just a feeling, it is its own entity with meaning,

Happiness occurs often in my life. I take pleasure in many simple, small things, I’m happy when I take a hot shower, and when I leave footprints on newly fallen snow. These types of small actions fill me with the unmistakable warmth of happiness, and I often question why. What was so deeply fulfilling about such simplicity?

Happiness; it's something everyone at one point in their life aspire to have, it's the beginning of the start and end of the finish; it’s the life that is being made, but the lifestyle that is being forgotten. Happiness can be defined as: A state of well-being and contentment. There are many definitions of the word “happiness” I picked this one because it’s the one that was closest to what i believe happiness is. The definition states that you need to be in at state of well-being, I believe that that means that you acquire not what you want but what you need, it also means that you have to be wanted and not forgotten. What that means is that people want to be with you because you make them feel happy and they make you happy… You need friends. Along with friends you need a good support system that you call “family” that will back you up one every decision you make. Your “family” should be the ones you eat with, laugh with, have good and bad times with, people that you can talk to. The definition also states that you have to be content. What that

The everlasting question of "What is Happiness?" has been inquired since the creation of men. Unfortunately, the only agreed answer that humanity came up with is that all the creatures seek happiness, but no one has the concrete directions for achieving it. Our libraries are overwhelmed with books about happiness, but no dictionary definition explains which path men must take to be happy. No mathematician gave us the axiom which we could use to solve the problem of living in bliss. No scientist brought up the formula of fusing certain ingredients to produce the "drink of happiness". Still almost all the people consider that their ultimate purport in

Humans can imagine the future and make plans for later, whereas animals can only make predictions about the immediate future. We often look forward in time to reduce the impact of unpleasant situations and to try to control and change our future. Gilbert goes on to describe what “happiness” is. He says happiness is a “subjective feeling”, meaning it is impossible to compare two different individuals’ level of happiness at a given time. When humans try to compare happiness they often compare their happiness in the present with something they experienced in the past. Gilbert explains that even when our minds compare two different things in the present we still tend to fail to notice differences.

I believe that an ideal life is mostly based on happiness. It took me a while to discover what truely makes me happy because in my childhood, I perceived happiness as something unreachable by mankind. Especially, because of my struggle. We live in a world of so much problems and crisis. And. . . I come from a place that’s full of it — Africa. If we think of it, real happiness doesn’t come to us in an easy way. I agree with Tzu’s definition of happiness in his book: a desire or a fortune that remains eternity. According to Tzu, happiness is a fortune just as wealth and fame. Just to be honest, I had once thought that an everlasting happiness I unattainable. But, that was before I discovered that self-satisfaction and contentment results in a happier life. I achieved my happiness after I went through some situations and circumstances that hit my life for good. Before I share my story, I’d like to make a salient point that God is the bedrock of the overflowing fountain of happiness that prevails in my life. Through prayer and hard work I achieved an indescribable life of so many blessings and it all happened in the year 2014.