"I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition." -- Martha Washington
"Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions." -- Dalai Lama
An emotion is an intense feeling. Happiness is one of the many emotions humans experience. It may perhaps be the most important feeling a person can have and it is the one feeling everyone strives to achieve, yet strangely, for the most part, people seem to only get a glimpse of it. Pleasurable satisfaction, a state of well-being and contentment are the more outstanding elements of happiness. Happiness, known
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Happiness is denoted by the way a person behaves. Usually when someone is happy it is obvious and they express this feeling outwardly, whether by their actions or verbally. The facial area is the main part through which happiness is shown. The expressions of the face such as a twinkle in the eyes when joyous, the ever-present laugh lines around the eyes, which constantly smile at you, makes the on-looker aware of a happy person. The mouth plays an important role in showing that a person is content, through both physical and verbal means. The radiant smiles with the accompanying dimple, spreads delight and pleasure. Laughter, a universal expression of joy, travels through the air spreading cheer to all that hear it. Other verbal expressions of gaiety take the form of song singing, which has always been used over the years to express feelings of happiness, and exuberant chatter, which infuses the air with excitement and enthusiasm. Physical expressions of joy are not limited to the facial area alone. Extending to the whole body, happiness is shown through skipping, the swinging of hands, twirling, dancing and almost any rhythmic movement of the limbs. Children show their happiness, mostly but not solely, by running, jumping, skipping and sometimes rolling on the ground. Adults are for the most part less energetic with their expressions of joy, and show their joy by twirling and dancing, mostly females, and by punching the air. It is not necessary however, for a
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that ALL men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” As you know these words come from the preamble of the Declaration of Independence, perhaps one of the greatest documents ever written. However, I do have a little problem with the last four words sentence, “the pursuit of Happiness” because I believe it actually sends an easily misinterpreted message.
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.
People travel through life with what seems like a single goal: to be happy. This may seem like a selfish way to live, however this lone objective is the motivation behind nearly all actions. Even seemingly selfless deeds make people feel better about themselves. That warm feeling experienced while doing charitable acts can be described as happiness. But what is authentic happiness? There is an endless possibility of answers to this question, and man seems to be always searching for the solution. Although one may reach his or her goals, there is always still something one strives for in order to be happy. In the book Stumbling on Happiness, Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert takes the reader through
“All seasons are favorite for the person who holds happiness within” 47. “The greatest happiness is to convert feelings into actions” 48. “True happiness is letting go what is not wanted” 49. “Happiness is a benefit, not its prize”
“Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” –Abraham Lincoln.
Every other Monday morning the workers of the fast food restaurant next door line up in my lobby waiting to cash their paychecks. There is a wide range of ages, races, and sexes; there is no one demographic in the lobby. The conversations are about coworkers not present or about their spouses. They complain about the long shifts or an angry customer they encountered in the drive up this morning. One young woman discusses her daughter’s adventures at kindergarten. There are complaints of the cost of car repairs or a visit to the hospital last week. There are questions of who is working tonight and what time does the bus come, all of these conversations could be happening in any bank lobby anywhere in the United States. The noise level continues to rise in the lobby as more workers enter the building, the energy in the lobby rises as the excitement of the workers increases, today is payday. Or is it anxiety? Are their thoughts, masked behind idle chit chat, of how am I going to pay rent and feed my family? How am I going to make this pay last for two weeks? These fellow humans are the full time working poor.
“People are just as happy as they make their minds up to be.” –Abraham Lincoln
Happiness: a Human Disease -- An Examination of the Allegorical Theme of Existentialism in the Happy Man
What is happiness? People have agonized over this question for centuries. Let me start this essay by answering a somewhat easier question: what isn’t happiness? Happiness is NOT feeling good all the time. Happiness is a combination of human emotions and states of mind. Exploring this state of being has consumed the philosophical minds of the ages and will continue to do so for ages to come.
In the article “What Happiness Is’’, by Eduardo Porter, states his point of view about the definition of happiness. Gandhi states “Happiness is when you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony” (qtd. in porter 459). In my opinion happiness can be described in many of ways from different individual’s point of view. My perspective of happiness is when you accomplish something in life, because makes you so proud of what you have done. Happy is something that makes you happy whether it’s a person, a thing or stuff and happiness is desired to be happy. Happiness is important role to maintain happy because without happiness the world would be different.
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
For our Economics subject, we watched The Pursuit of Happyness, a movie based on Chris Gardner, a salesman who was not making that much money and eventually experiences homelessness with his five-year old son. He faces problems when his wife is unwilling to accept his goal to become a stockbroker and leaves him. However, he perseveres even under all this stress.
The pursuit of happiness is critical in our lives. Oftentimes, we become confused as to what defines happiness. Happiness is an emotion, but it may also be the steps we take to feel said emotion. Happiness is using virtues and achieving your goal, while appreciating the little things in life.
“Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude.” -- Denis Waitley