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The Happiness Hypothesis, By Jonathan Haidt

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In life, people tend to face the question of what makes them happy. Happiness can be defined as “a state of well-being and contentment” (Merriam-Webster). Everyone has their own opinion and definition of what happiness is in their own lives. When I am asked this question, I tend to say that being with my friends and family who I can fully be myself around is what makes me happy. But, a lot of people can find this question difficult to answer due to the fact that there are quite a few things that factor into one’s level of happiness. In Jonathan Haidt’s, The Happiness Hypothesis, Haidt introduces the “happiness formula”, H=S+C+V, that psychologists Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ken Sheldon, and David Schkade created that contains the three main factors in one’s happiness. This formula determines the level of happiness I actually experience in my life through my biological set …show more content…

As a commuter here on campus, I related to Haidt’s statement that commuters arrive at work with higher stress levels. “Those whose commutes are traffic-filled still arrive at work with higher levels of stress hormones. Driving under ideal conditions is, however, often enjoyable and relaxing” (Haidt 92). The fact that I live 40 minutes away and have to commute every single day really impacts the amount of time I have to study, do school work and spend time with friends and family, which causes a large amount of stress. But, driving for me is ideal because because I get to listen to my own music and have my alone time. Being an introvert, I always need to have time in my day where I’m by myself. Driving and commuting as a whole gives me that alone time I need and it makes me happy. Although I absolutely love driving, I found that having to commute had an impact on my happiness due to all of the stress it caused when in the very beginning of the school year. A lot of this stress is caused from things I have no control

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