Module 1: Readings-1(a): Science of Happiness
Topics Covered in Module-1: Reading-1(a):
As you watch, think about how the ideas and perspectives he shares compare to your own. Do they align or conflict with your own thoughts and intuitions about happiness?
Philosophical and Spiritual Views on Happiness (Dr.Pris's Lecture Video)
As you watch the video, consider the challenge that scientists face: finding a definition of happiness that is "one size fits all," applying to people across a wide range of ethnic, regional, and socioeconomic backgrounds. What do you like or dislike about what they've come up with?
How Scientists Define and Measure Happiness (Dr.Dacher's Lecture Video)
But suggested in the previous video, to understand the causes and effects of happiness, researchers first need to define it. Many of them use the term interchangeably with subjective well-being, which they measure by simply asking people to report how satisfied they feel with their own lives and how much positive and negative emotion they’re experiencing. In her 2007 book The How of Happiness, positive psychology researcher Sonja Lyubomirsky elaborates, describing happiness as “the experience of joy, contentment, or positive well-being, combined with a sense that one’s life is good, meaningful, and worthwhile.”
That definition resonates with the focus of this course toward happiness: It captures the fleeting positive emotions that come with happiness, along with a deeper sense of meaning and purpose in life—and suggests how these properties of happiness complement each other.
How Do Psychologists Measure Happiness? (Dr.Schwart Explains in this Video Lecture)
There are some of other terms that describe what scientists measure when they set out to measure happiness such as Life satisfaction, positive affect, and subjective well-being. You'll encounter them across studies of happiness featured in this course.
Optional viewing:
1. Do you want to be happy? Then focus on making other people happy, argues Darrin M. McMahon in his article "Happiness, the Hard Way".
2. In the article "Is a Happy Life Different from a Meaningful One?", Jill Suttie and Jason Marsh discuss the distinction between popular ideas about happiness being derived from high arousal positive emotions, achievement and comfort in life, and happiness (or what some call meaning) derived from human connection, generosity and being committed to something that transcends self-interest. It turns out happiness and meaning are synergistic, but only when people prioritize both. Read more to know the scientific controversy about the relationship between meaning and happiness that raises fundamental questions about how to live a good life.
So far, we're zeroing in on a definition of what happiness is. But it might be just as important to clarify what happiness is not.
In this next video, I'm addressing some misconceptions about happiness, particularly those that might motivate a more severe pursuit of happiness that discourages feeling emotions such as grief or sadness. I'm citing recent research that challenges such a lopsided view of happiness. Below my video, you can read an article by June Gruber of Yale University, a scientist who has conducted some of this research.
Misconceptions of Happiness (Video Lecture by Dr Pris)
Optional viewing:
1. Can feeling good ever be bad? New research says yes—and points the way to a healthier, more balanced life. "Four Ways Happiness Can Hurt You" article by Dr.June Gruber talk about this in this article.
2. Video: What Gets in the Way of Happiness? (8:23)
Research by Ed Diener & Martin Seligman, Robert Biswas-Diener, Richard Easterlin, and others suggests that money might boost happiness when it lifts people out of impoverished circumstances, but beyond that, its effects are limited. "More money may enhance SWB [subjective well-being] when it means avoiding poverty and living in a developed nation," write Drs. Diener and Biswas-Diener in a widely cited paper, "but income appears to increase SWB little over the long-term when more of it is gained by well-off individuals whose material desires rise with their incomes."
Video: Money and Happiness (Dr.Dacher's Lecture)
In this next video, Dr.Lyubomirsky will dive into the research linking happiness to significant improvements in health, creativity, and relationships. Along the way, you'll learn about a famous study of happy (and less happy) nuns, why your boss should care about happiness, and why happiness matters for the state of nations.
The Benefits of Happiness (Dr.Sonja Lyubomirsky's Video Lecture)
Why Be Happy? Sonja Lyubomirsky elaborates on some of the evidence for why we should be happy in her seminal book, The How of Happiness.
Need some extra motivation to get happier? Check out the ways that well-being has been linked to good health- "Six Ways Happiness Is Good for Your Health"
Optional viewing:
1. A new paper finds that cultivating a diversity of emotions—positive or negative—can make us happier and healthier. "Variety is the Spice of Emotional Life" read this article to know more about this.
There are lots of opinions and cultural ideas about happiness. Though all are interesting, scientific examination can illuminate which ideas are likely to generalize - that is - to impact happiness for the better in the lives of many people, including your own. In this section we'll also discuss certain mental habits known to influence emotions, thinking and decision-making, and consider how these can get in the way of pursuing happiness.
In this next guest lecture, Professor Lyubomirsky considers evidence that relates to whether or not its possible to make lasting changes to our happiness level.
Pessimism about Pursuing Happiness (4:51) (Dr.Lyubomirsky's Video Lecture)
Below, you will be introduced to some key points from the science that tells us what can make people happier; the rest of this course will explore the ideas mentioned near the end of the video in greater breadth, depth and with ample opportunity for practical experience.
So What Can Make Us Happy? (Dr.Emiliana's Video Lecture)
Are your happiness levels different than your neighbors? Are differences like this related to your biological make-up, your life circumstances, or how you behave? Sonja Lyubomirsky and her colleagues have a theory about this, and in combination with what we know about the advantages of being happy, she decided to focus on what people can do to change their own happiness levels. Click here to watch the video.
Optional viewing: Trying to be happy can be a recipe for unhappiness. But researcher Lahnna Catalino explains how to go about it effectively.
Let me end with this- "What makes you happy*?" People ages 0-100 were asked life's biggest question- What makes you happy? Watch this and in comments below make sure to add your response.
[Address these questions in a "COMMENT" using the Rubric on the Assignments page in Canvas]
1.In light of the many different views on happiness that is covered in this blog-post, consider: How do you define happiness? On what do you base that definition? Does it stem from your first-hand experience of what makes you happy, or from your general observations about what you think constitutes happiness for most people?
2. From research studies in positive psychology mentioned here, write about why pursue happiness and what are some myths of happiness?
3. What are some ways to cultivate happiness? Mention them according to the research studies mentioned in "what makes us happy" from readings above.
4. The famous Beatles lyric "I don't care too much for money, money can't buy me love" relates to this question about money and happiness. Science suggests that the relationship between the two is fairly limited--more money can increase happiness up to a certain level, but then its effects taper off. What do you think is going on? Why do you think people continue to pursue greater and greater stockpiles of money, despite its diminishing contribution to happiness?
5. Has any of the material you've encountered so far challenged your beliefs or made you think differently about happiness, where it comes from, or what it means?
-
Philosophical and Spiritual Views on Happiness
-
How Scientists Define and Measure Happiness
-
Misconceptions about Happiness
-
Can money buy happiness?
-
Why study happiness?
- Is it possible to change your happiness?
-
What can make us Happy?
Philosophical and Spiritual Views on Happiness
Long before researchers started to study happiness scientifically, different cultures, philosophers, and spiritual leaders developed their own notions of what constituted a good, happy life. In this next video, I survey some of the many historical, philosophical, and spiritual views on happiness.As you watch, think about how the ideas and perspectives he shares compare to your own. Do they align or conflict with your own thoughts and intuitions about happiness?
Philosophical and Spiritual Views on Happiness (Dr.Pris's Lecture Video)
How Scientists Define and Measure Happiness
In this next video, we'll explore how scientists tend to think about happiness and zeroes in on how we think about happiness in the field of positive psychology.As you watch the video, consider the challenge that scientists face: finding a definition of happiness that is "one size fits all," applying to people across a wide range of ethnic, regional, and socioeconomic backgrounds. What do you like or dislike about what they've come up with?
How Scientists Define and Measure Happiness (Dr.Dacher's Lecture Video)
Happiness: Definition- This is a big one. Most of us probably don’t believe we need a formal definition of happiness--we know it when we feel it, and we often use the term to describe a range of positive emotions, including joy, pride, contentment, and gratitude.
That definition resonates with the focus of this course toward happiness: It captures the fleeting positive emotions that come with happiness, along with a deeper sense of meaning and purpose in life—and suggests how these properties of happiness complement each other.
How Do Psychologists Measure Happiness? (Dr.Schwart Explains in this Video Lecture)
There are some of other terms that describe what scientists measure when they set out to measure happiness such as Life satisfaction, positive affect, and subjective well-being. You'll encounter them across studies of happiness featured in this course.
Optional viewing:
1. Do you want to be happy? Then focus on making other people happy, argues Darrin M. McMahon in his article "Happiness, the Hard Way".
2. In the article "Is a Happy Life Different from a Meaningful One?", Jill Suttie and Jason Marsh discuss the distinction between popular ideas about happiness being derived from high arousal positive emotions, achievement and comfort in life, and happiness (or what some call meaning) derived from human connection, generosity and being committed to something that transcends self-interest. It turns out happiness and meaning are synergistic, but only when people prioritize both. Read more to know the scientific controversy about the relationship between meaning and happiness that raises fundamental questions about how to live a good life.
Misconceptions about Happiness
So far, we're zeroing in on a definition of what happiness is. But it might be just as important to clarify what happiness is not.
In this next video, I'm addressing some misconceptions about happiness, particularly those that might motivate a more severe pursuit of happiness that discourages feeling emotions such as grief or sadness. I'm citing recent research that challenges such a lopsided view of happiness. Below my video, you can read an article by June Gruber of Yale University, a scientist who has conducted some of this research.
Misconceptions of Happiness (Video Lecture by Dr Pris)
Optional viewing:
1. Can feeling good ever be bad? New research says yes—and points the way to a healthier, more balanced life. "Four Ways Happiness Can Hurt You" article by Dr.June Gruber talk about this in this article.
2. Video: What Gets in the Way of Happiness? (8:23)
Can Money Buy Happiness?
One of the most provocative and widely debated topics in the study of happiness is how it relates to money.
Research by Ed Diener & Martin Seligman, Robert Biswas-Diener, Richard Easterlin, and others suggests that money might boost happiness when it lifts people out of impoverished circumstances, but beyond that, its effects are limited. "More money may enhance SWB [subjective well-being] when it means avoiding poverty and living in a developed nation," write Drs. Diener and Biswas-Diener in a widely cited paper, "but income appears to increase SWB little over the long-term when more of it is gained by well-off individuals whose material desires rise with their incomes."Video: Money and Happiness (Dr.Dacher's Lecture)
We've all heard it - the more successful you are, the happier you are. But what if it was the opposite? What if being happier, actually made you more successful? View 'the study' here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16...; But, don't worry. Here's the video on Why Happy People Do It Better?
Why Study Happiness?
Though the definitions may vary, one thing most of us can agree on is that people generally want to be happy. In recent years, research has considered whether this pursuit of happiness is worthwhile, looking for evidence of its physical, mental, and social benefits.In this next video, Dr.Lyubomirsky will dive into the research linking happiness to significant improvements in health, creativity, and relationships. Along the way, you'll learn about a famous study of happy (and less happy) nuns, why your boss should care about happiness, and why happiness matters for the state of nations.
The Benefits of Happiness (Dr.Sonja Lyubomirsky's Video Lecture)
Why Be Happy? Sonja Lyubomirsky elaborates on some of the evidence for why we should be happy in her seminal book, The How of Happiness.
Need some extra motivation to get happier? Check out the ways that well-being has been linked to good health- "Six Ways Happiness Is Good for Your Health"
Optional viewing:
1. A new paper finds that cultivating a diversity of emotions—positive or negative—can make us happier and healthier. "Variety is the Spice of Emotional Life" read this article to know more about this.
2. Why Study Happiness? Why else is studying happiness--or this course--The Science of Happiness--worthwhile? As I explain in the next video, the study of happiness helps address some alarming cultural trends--trends that might be especially salient in the United States but are evident around the world. Have you seen evidence of these trends in your community or country? What do you think is causing them, and how might a deeper understanding of happiness help neutralize them?
Is it Even Possible to Change Your Happiness?
If you’re convinced that increasing your own happiness could be a good thing, we still must confront the question: Will pursuing happiness work? In other words, is it even possible to increase our happiness?There are lots of opinions and cultural ideas about happiness. Though all are interesting, scientific examination can illuminate which ideas are likely to generalize - that is - to impact happiness for the better in the lives of many people, including your own. In this section we'll also discuss certain mental habits known to influence emotions, thinking and decision-making, and consider how these can get in the way of pursuing happiness.
In this next guest lecture, Professor Lyubomirsky considers evidence that relates to whether or not its possible to make lasting changes to our happiness level.
Pessimism about Pursuing Happiness (4:51) (Dr.Lyubomirsky's Video Lecture)
So What Can Make Us Happy?
Our journey into The Science of Happiness started with defining happiness, then progressed into thinking about why it's worthwhile to try to cultivate happiness. After that, we reviewed some pessimism, barriers, and myths about happiness. Now for the good stuff.Below, you will be introduced to some key points from the science that tells us what can make people happier; the rest of this course will explore the ideas mentioned near the end of the video in greater breadth, depth and with ample opportunity for practical experience.
So What Can Make Us Happy? (Dr.Emiliana's Video Lecture)
Are your happiness levels different than your neighbors? Are differences like this related to your biological make-up, your life circumstances, or how you behave? Sonja Lyubomirsky and her colleagues have a theory about this, and in combination with what we know about the advantages of being happy, she decided to focus on what people can do to change their own happiness levels. Click here to watch the video.
Optional viewing: Trying to be happy can be a recipe for unhappiness. But researcher Lahnna Catalino explains how to go about it effectively.
Let me end with this- "What makes you happy*?" People ages 0-100 were asked life's biggest question- What makes you happy? Watch this and in comments below make sure to add your response.
Let's Discuss: Reflection Questions
[Address these questions in a "COMMENT" using the Rubric on the Assignments page in Canvas]
1.In light of the many different views on happiness that is covered in this blog-post, consider: How do you define happiness? On what do you base that definition? Does it stem from your first-hand experience of what makes you happy, or from your general observations about what you think constitutes happiness for most people?
2. From research studies in positive psychology mentioned here, write about why pursue happiness and what are some myths of happiness?
3. What are some ways to cultivate happiness? Mention them according to the research studies mentioned in "what makes us happy" from readings above.
4. The famous Beatles lyric "I don't care too much for money, money can't buy me love" relates to this question about money and happiness. Science suggests that the relationship between the two is fairly limited--more money can increase happiness up to a certain level, but then its effects taper off. What do you think is going on? Why do you think people continue to pursue greater and greater stockpiles of money, despite its diminishing contribution to happiness?
5. Has any of the material you've encountered so far challenged your beliefs or made you think differently about happiness, where it comes from, or what it means?
1) Happiness for me is a combination of all of the explanations given in these videos. It encompasses many components such as: satisfaction in life, different sensations one is feeling, emotions, spiritual satisfaction. My best definition of happiness would be: The holistic feeling of satisfaction and joy that one is feeling at any given time. This definition is a combination of how I have felt, and how I have observed other people in social situations.
ReplyDelete2) The research showed that there is a correlation between happiness making you a successful person, and success is something we all want to achieve in our lives so becoming genuinely happy and satisfied with your life and pursuing this is important for our overall success and happiness in life. Several myths were mentioned, but the one that stuck out to me and seems to be the most import is: Happiness isn't something that you have to feel all the time. We are made to have different feelings and be upset or sad or mad about certain situations. Just because we have these feelings does not mean we are not holistically happy people.
3) Happiness is cultivated by many things, some of these things are: exercise, sleep, and feeling like you have accomplished something. As humans we have the need to feel like we matter and make a difference in the world around us, having this feeling of achievement often brings a lot of happiness to us. There are many research studies out there that prove to us the importance of sleep and exercise if we want to be happy. These two things go hand in hand with each other and are pretty common sense as to why they are important. When we are deprived of sleep we tend to be more irritable and unhappy because we are not able to fully function and process things. Exercise helps release hormones in the brain that tells us we are happy and it helps keep our hormones balanced.
4) I think people have this preconceived idea that money fixes everything and choose not to listen to research that proves otherwise. One major reason that I think people still firmly believe this is the unrealistic views that media puts on people. They show the rich and famous as these extremely happy and satisfied people and we are constantly exposed to that so we begin to adopt the idea that money is what makes them happy. People begin to save more and more money in hopes that it will solve all of their problems, and the more money they get they begin to realize it is not fixing their problems, but believe if they just have a little bit more money they will be happy so they get stuck in this cycle they cannot break free of.
5) So far, all the materials we have covered strengthen my beliefs, because they are basically the same beliefs and understandings that I already had of happiness and where it comes from and the effects of different factors on happiness.
1.) I would describe happiness as a feeling someone experiences in the moment, such as joy, feeling content, satisfaction and delight. I base my definition on asking others what they think happiness is and also off my own experience. This definition comes from first-hand experience. For me, happiness is something that I experience whether that happiness is from my family, friends, the sun on my skin, a beautiful day spent outside, or even just doing nothing. Sometimes I feel happiness in the most awkward situations, and sometimes I feel happiness even when things are going completely wrong. Because there is one thing I do know is that God can work through any circumstances.
ReplyDelete2.) I think based on this research people pursue happiness based on what they see, what others have, and the assumption that they are happy because of how they live. Some myths of happiness are that happy people are selfish and all about them. Even in one of the videos they say it is actually the complete opposite. That happy people are actually the best at thinking about others and helps others before themselves. I liked how in the video where they had two different groups and one had candies and snacks while the others didn't. They were testing to see if those who are happy have better problem solving skills etc. In the end of the video one of the women mentions that peoples definition of a successful life can be completely different, and that is how people base their happiness on most of the time. Success is very different to many people which means that happiness comes in different shapes and sizes for everyone. It is not the same feelings for everyone.
3.) Some ways to cultivate happiness comes fro exercise, proper sleep, and a sense of achievement in their lives. In this study it shows that exercising can increase someones happiness, and intense workouts can increase it even more. So even just going for a simple walk around the neighborhood or at a park can increase your happiness more than you know. Sometimes we in this society take sleep for granted, our bodies need sleep in order to recuperate form the day. Getting a good amount of sleep, not being interrupted, and being comfortable can cultivate someones happiness. Also having a sense of achievement also can cultivate happiness in someones life. For examples, for us college students, getting through finals and passing and doing well on them is a sense of achievement and makes us happy, not only that its all over but because we passed and know we did our best. Also having a community and social connection can really help maintain and keep us accountable which can help in cultivating our happiness as well.
4.)I think that money does play a small part in peoples happiness. I know that for those who are struggling to take care of their family, money can really help those families out and can see why people say money can buy happiness but it cant do that for your entire life. The Beatles song says it all. Money doesn't buy love, love is a deeper more meaningful feeling that money cannot do anything about. Someone who is making loads of money means that they must be sacrificing something in order to do that. Such as staying later and working longer which then could lead them away from their families and less quality time with his or her kids. Someone who is working their way up bit by bit and then start making say $75,000 and continually make that they may feel at the time great and happy because it is something new and better, but over the years it is just money and it will soon just mean nothing to you. I think people continue to pursue greater stockpiles of money because they think that the more they make the happier they will be and the less stress they will have to endure.
5.) I do not think that the material we have discussed has effected my beliefs on what happiness is and where it comes from. I already knew that money can not buy happiness and that happiness comes from others, family, friends, etc. Like I said earlier, happiness comes in all different forms for people.
1. I define happiness as the state of being, a momentary/lifelong feeling of joy. I would base happiness on first, how I go to bed at night I say that from experience. A lot of times people don’t realize but how you go to bed can determine how you feel the next day. If you go to sleep happy you are more likely to wake up happy. Being happy isn’t always what I find in things but it can be based on what makes me feel, and what I see that can make me happy such as seeing the sunset go down while they sky is painted in blue, purple, and pink.
ReplyDelete2. In research it shows that people pursue happiness because they feel that they will be more successful in life. It was mentioned that happiness doesn’t mean you have to dismiss pain, anger, and sadness, as a matter of fact those feeling need to happen in certain situations in life. Some myths that I heard was having more money makes you happiest. Also another one is that in order to be happy we have to seek the positives all the times. I feel that finding happiness and trying to sustain happiness has to be tiring. I can’t imagine using all my time and energy just to feel a certain way all the time. I don’t think that happiness can be obtained by seeking it all the time, there has to be something that makes a person feel great. I do feel that yes if you are happy going into a project or test your outcome of it would probably be a lot better than going into a project or test discouraged.
3. Some ways that cultivate happiness would be sleep, exercise, and achievement. I find this to be very true. There is nothing like waking up after my body has had its proper amount of sleep and starting the day. Your whole being just feels amazing, it’s hard to explain but it feel almost as if nothing can go wrong. When it comes to exercise I have seen in a lot of instances where a person is dealing with large amounts of stress and they choose exercise to help them feel better. Also when a person is sad some choose to walk, and they choose to say that they need to clear their head. If they wanted to clear their head they can but walking for them makes it easier and better. For achievements, feeling like you have accomplished a task is one of the greatest feelings that can happen, and of course you feel happy, you have done something in your life and it has made you happy. The first ER post is a prime example of being happy; I feel that everybody that was typing their blog post was more than likely smiling while remembering what they had accomplished so far.
4. In the world today money is a huge factor in living a healthier life. The cost of living is way higher than it was twenty or thirty years ago, and people growing up in that time will tell you that. The more money people feel that they need the happier they will be. I personally don’t think that money can buy true happiness, but it can buy happiness for some. If you take a person who has had a rough lifestyle and you tell them that they just received 10 trillion dollars and they don’t have to work for the rest of their lives they will tell you that money did make them happy, at the moment. Money is a tangible thing that makes you happy for so long, and then it becomes stressful. People continue to pursue more money because it’s better to have more money, than to not have money. Being stressed on the loads of money you have seems easier, than stressing on what bill you can pay next pay check. The stress levels are different, and it depends on the person.
5. As of now I don’t feel that we have really challenged my beliefs, as much as we have covered, I had somewhat of a sense on how some people feel about happiness, just by watching people as far as the media, or close people who are doctors, and lawyers. I am excited to find out more about happiness.
1. I define happiness as something that comes from within your mind- such as your outlook and perception on life, that causes us to engage in positive experiences and emotions. My definition is based off of partly my own experience of what makes me happy, but also from my observations in the videos for this module. I highly believe that focusing on your happiness and nurturing that causes us to perpetuate a happy environment, and also causes us to ultimately be more successful as a result of a happy/positive mind set.
ReplyDelete2. Happiness should be pursued for so many wonderful reasons. As the research has revealed, happy people tend to create a certain environment around them as a result of being happy; they tend to be more successful, being more successful can lead to move productivity and money being made at work, happiness fosters a creative mind and a kind and generous heart, they tend to have a fulfilling life, and overall being happy improves your health. Some myths of happiness include: in order to be happy we have to have all our needs met, we never feel negative emotions, we must always be satisfied, we should always have pleasure and pride, and that the idea of happiness can be universally applied to everyone.
3. Happiness can be cultivated in a variety of ways, such as through exercise, sleep, and your sense of achievement. Studies have shown that one’s perspective and feelings going into the exercise influence its effect on happiness, and the same concept applies for sleep- the more sleep someone is receiving the higher they tend to score on happiness and subjective well-being. Additionally, when we have a sense of positive achievement in our work and towards our goals, we tend to be much happier. Furthermore, practicing pro social behavior and kindness are looked at by researchers as the key to the pursuit of happiness.
4. I feel that after a certain point of financial achievement, you become almost fixated and obsessed with the amount of money being made therefore you continue to pursue money in its highest form. I believe that when people continue to challenge themselves and overwork themselves to obtain more and more money they end up actually damaging their own happiness and well-being. By consistently being worried and obsessed with gaining more money, people set themselves up to be perpetually disappointed and never satisfied. If you feel a sense of dissatisfaction in your daily life because you’re not meeting your newest money goal you end up feeling lesser than others, you become disappointed and sad, and that nurtures an unhappy and chaotic mind set. Ultimately, its our greed and personal value we put on a high income that inspires people to continue seeking out more money despite the absence of continued happiness.
5. So far, the material we have gone over has improved my understanding of what happiness is in that it has various ways of presenting itself to different people; whether it’s the idea that happiness is dependent on your well-being, your traits, your emotions, or the sensations you experience. I had not deeply considered the concept that it is not necessarily your success that makes you happy, but your happiness that cultivates success in your life. For me, that concept has only strengthened my belief that happiness is created from within you, your mind and your heart, and as a result you foster a happy and what you deem a “successful” life.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete1) I would define happiness as what someone experiences in a certain moment in time. Such as what the person is feeling emotionally and physically. Happiness is different for people in different ways there is not one happiness fits all because what makes one person happy may not make another person happy it’s just reality. People get joy and satisfaction from different things in their life. My definition of happiness stems from my personal experience because I get happy when I experience stuff through the day whether it being my dog coming and greeting me when I get home or if it is my girlfriend calling. Happiness is not an all-day thing stuff goes on in the day that will make you happy.
ReplyDelete2) Based on the research happiness and being a successful person is connected. In the research it shows that people pursue happiness because it will make them a more successful person and not have to worry about anything and this in a sense is true. The research also states that pursuing happiness can also make you unhappy because a lot of people set goals and when they are not met it makes them unhappy. Some myths that really stuck out to me were happy people are selfish. This is not true because happy people usually don’t think about them self’s they think about others because they want others to feel the happiness they fell they don’t want others to be left behind. Another myth was that having more money makes you happiest, this is not true.
3) Happiness is cultivated by many different things and factors in life such as exercise, sleep and achievement (feeling a sense of accomplishment). I find these factors true when it comes to what makes us happy, because for some people after getting a good pump in the gym can make a person happy because they get a sense of accomplishment with them self’s and what they look like. Sleep is a huge factor as well because without a goodnights sleep the body cannot function properly, sleep deprivation is a big thing in for college students, sleep in my opinion is the biggest factor to happiness because with a goodnights sleep you get up ready to go and attack the day but if the person doesn’t get a good night’s sleep they will fell fatigued and grouchy and not want to mess with anyone. Achievement is huge as well because setting goals makes us strive to accomplish them for example student whether they be in high school or college setting a goal helps push you harder and make better decisions to reach the goal. If the goal isn’t achieved, it can hurt the ego but it will help shape you and push you harder next time.
4) People in today’s society believe that money is the answer to everything that is why people just keep trying to achieve more and more money they don’t stop to think is this really making me happy and at the end money is just a tangible thing. The Beatles were right money cannot buy love and it never will. Some people have a job they really dread but they do it for the money, so in reality they are not happy from 8 to 5 but after they are. Is that really the case for most. The way I think about it is if you do something you love you will never work a day in your life. people also keep chasing money because they believe if they have money they will never be unhappy because they will have everything they ever need in their life and never lack, and this is true in a sense.
5) I don’t think the materials challenged my beliefs about happiness but helped me understand what happiness really is and where it comes from I had a sense of what it was but now I truly understand what it is and the misconceptions of it. I am exited to learn more about happiness and what it does to our lives.
1. I define happiness as an emotion that someone is feeling based off of current events in their life and their general wellbeing. I base this definition off of both my own personal experiences as well as observations I have made from my friends and family. In my own experience, I have found that I feel happiest when things in my life are going well overall. I also feel happier when I am well-rested or when I feel that I have done well on something, much like Dr. Emiliana discussed in the video “So What Can Make Us Happy?” I have also noticed that the happiness of my friends and family generally follows the patterns of my own happiness. Happiness is achieved differently for everyone of course, but for many of my loved ones, they are happier when life is going well and they are feeling well, much like myself.
ReplyDelete2. I pursue happiness because I want to feel good about myself and my life, and it is much easier to achieve those feelings when I am happy or content with life. I believe that I have been blessed a lot over my 20 years of life, and pursuing happiness is a way for me to express the contentment and gratitude I feel for the good life that I’ve had. Another reason I pursue happiness is because it increases my well-being. Studies have shown that happiness can increase your health. The article “Six Ways Happiness is Good for Your Health” gives six examples of how happiness increases well-being, including that “happiness strengthens your immune system” and that “happy people have fewer aches and pains.” One of the myths that stood out to me in the readings and videos was the idea that success leads to happiness. That is something that I have always heard, but I have not spent a lot of time stopping to actually think about that saying. The counterargument- that happiness actually leads to success- makes a lot of sense. I will discuss that more for question five.
3. In the video “What Does Makes Us Happy,” Dr. Emiliana discusses some of the things that can give us a sense of happiness. The basic factors of happiness that she mentions are exercise, sleep, and a sense of achievement. Toward the end of the video, she also mentions the “overwhelming body of research” that suggests that social connection, kindness, and pro-social behavior can have a huge impact on happiness. When I look back on the times that I feel I was happiest and at my best, I had a strong group of friends and a place where I felt that I belonged. During the times where I have been lacking those social connections, I found that I experienced significantly lower levels of happiness.
4. I think that people continue to pursue greater amounts of money despite its diminishing effects on happiness because society has accepted this stigma that having more money will lead to increased happiness because having more money gives us access to more things. Many people have adopted this mindset of, “If I have _____ then I’ll be happy.” The problem with such a mindset is that it is not true as studies have shown. When we get what we want, happiness may increase for a bit, but it will eventually wear off and decrease again. Any happiness that results from money is temporary and short-lived.
5. As I mentioned earlier, the video “Why Happy People Do It Better” gave me a new perspective that success does not lead to happiness, but rather, happiness leads to success. I had not thought about it in such terms before, but I do think that is true. The idea that success leads to happiness is much like the idea that money can buy happiness. Being successful can lead to a sense of achievement or accomplishment, which can indeed increase happiness, but that happiness will eventually wear off. It makes sense that happiness leads to success. If a person is not happy or not in a good mindset then success may not come as easily to them. In my own experience, when I am happier, I tend to perform better at work and school. However, when my levels of happiness and well-being are lower, I tend to care less about my responsibilities than I should, and thus, my performance level decreases.
1. To me happiness is something that makes your heart feel good. It can be as little as just feeling happy about eating some ice cream or something as big as feeling happy about your life as a whole. I base my definition on experiences and what I have observed about people’s happiness. In Dr. Pris’s video on “Historic & Philosophic View of Happiness” I agree with Dalai Lama that the best way to make someone happy is practicing compassion and if you want to be happy you need to practice compassion. I think compassion is something that makes your heart feel good and it is definitely a big part in having happiness in your life. There are a lot of different things that can make people happy. I think that when defining happiness, you must be broad, so you can have room for all types of people’s happiness. That is why I define happiness as being something that makes your heart feel good.
ReplyDelete2. I think the biggest myth was mentioned in Dr. Pris’s that was titled “Misconceptions of Happiness The Science of Happiness Course Lecture”. It mentioned that a lot of people associate happiness with “having pleasure all the time”. I think that this is one of the myths that I have even defined as happiness. Another one that I have witnessed that was mentioned in Dr. Pris’s video is thinking that happiness has a “one-size-fits-all kind of cure”. I know people that think that if this makes this person have happiness than I need to do that, so I can have happiness. As mention in the video happiness comes from a lot of different things and most people just need to find things that make them happy. There isn’t just one cure. I think that happiness is really important because it helps us want to keep going in life and seek better things for our life. It also gives us meaning to our lives. As mentioned in the Sonja Lyubomirsky: The Benefits of Happiness video a lot of people who experience happiness have long fulfilling marriages and they can even make more money in their jobs.
3. As said in Dr. Emiliana’s video “So What Can Make Us Happy?” she talks about how exercise, sleep, achievement are some ways that can bring us happiness. She also mentions how pro social behavior is a key element in the pursuit to happiness. Another big that she mentions is that social connections, a sense of community, and just being kind can also be ways to gain happiness. As mentioned in Lahnna Catalino article, “A Better Way to Pursue Happiness” she mentions that a good way to pursue happiness is to “prioritizing positivity”.
4. I think that people’s happiness from money diminishes because most of the things that we get from money is materialistic things. Materialistic things don’t have a lasting effect on our happiness. I think that it does give us a little bit of happiness in the beginning but after getting that item or being able to pay for certain bills that spark of happiness goes away. I think that people pursue this because they think that materialistic things are a key to long lasting happiness. Where that is not true it only gives a spark of happiness and diminishes.
5. I don’t think that any of the material has challenged my beliefs on happiness, but I do think that the material has given me more knowledge on happiness. A lot of the material on how to achieve happiness gave me more ideas on things that I want to add to my life, so I can achieve happiness. Also looking at the “How Do Psychologists Measure Happiness?” video with Dr. Schwart I’ve started to realize how hard it is to measure happiness and define it when there are so many different types of happiness and levels of happiness. I also realized that in our canvas chat where the question was asked about what makes us happy and there where so many different answers it almost seems impossible, but I am realizing that with this class the best way to define happiness is in categories.
1. I would say that my definition used to be that being content with life and being healthy was the majority of what healthiness is. While these are definitely parts of happiness, I would say that ever since my senior year where I was at my best, I would use a very similar definition to that of Dr. Diener. Dr. Diener's definition is "Overall well-being (life satisfaction) plus positive emotions equals happiness." I base this definition on the fact that during the time in which I felt like my best self, I was healthy and positive despite not receiving major accolades that I had received in prior years.
ReplyDelete2. The reason that I think people pursue happiness is quite often because I feel like humans live like there is a need to always be better, in other words, people have a hard time being content in life. However as we saw in Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky's video those who actively seek out happiness tend to make more money, are more productive at work, are better leaders, more likely to get married, have more friends, are better copers, have stronger immune systems, are healthier and also live longer. So as we see, there is solid evidence that good things happen when one pursues happiness. There are several myths about happiness. Your video tells us that people believe that being happy means that one needs to be positive all the time. That happiness equals pride, and that there is a one-size-fits-all approach to happiness. I really appreciated what you said about this because I agree that it is okay for different people to feel differently yet be happy all the same.
3. There are several ways to cultivate happiness according to Dr. Emiliana. Exercise, regular sleep patterns, and achievement are some ways to cultivate happiness that she talked about. These for me are not near as important as the three other ways she talked about which are social connection, kindness, and prosocial behavior. When I was at my best, I was far more social than ever before, I had friends that I didn't have before, I volunteered for church, and I went on mission trips, and I swear that I was happiest when I was with people and doing things for others. I really enjoyed this video.
4. I found the topic over money and happiness really interesting for many reasons. In the video by Dr. Dacher, we learned that money matters on a cultural level, that happiness evens out after one makes more than $75,000 a year. and that 37% of the very rich felt less happy than others. I was surprised when I saw that after $75,000 peoples happiness tended to even out. I thought this was really interesting because I knew money had some effect on happiness I was just surprised that it was not higher. I was also really surprised that 37% of the really wealthy were less happy than others who were less wealthy. I think that this goes along with the idea that those who keep trying to gain money because they are not content and feel like they need to keep gaining to achieve happiness.
5. I think that the only thing that changed my beliefs was the 37% of the wealthy being less happy than the less wealthy. There was a chart in the video from Dr. Dacher showed that as money grew happiness stayed the same. This showed a distinct division between money and happiness. Other than this, I just feel like I am continuing to learn about happiness, its importance, and how it can affect my life.
1. I believe that I define happiness in multiple ways. For example Danny Kahneman's four levels of analysis include: well-being, traits, emotions, and sensations. I believe that I can identify with some or all of those examples when I look back on happy times in my life. Overall I feel generally happy with my life and how it is going, I also feel like I have positive or happy traits, emotions is a big one for me because I feel like that is where I express my happiness the most. Feeling sensations is also a big one for me when I'm looking back on past experiences or moments, how the skin felt on my skin and face or how the air smelled are things that always relate to happiness for me. When I look back about times where I felt happy, I am outside with my friends or family. I think a lot about being at football games, or PALS activities (especially our ropes course retreat), I think about being at the beach in San Diego or New Jersey. So I do think that how someone experiences happiness is the better way, because we can really generalize happiness into a few categories based on the general population from around the world.
ReplyDelete2. I think people pursue happiness because I believe that it is a necessary part of our lives as human beings. We naturally release and regulate chemicals in our body that make us feel happiness and that make us feel good. We our body cannot properly release or regulate those chemicals then we might have issues regarding mental health and then that can directly impact our physical health as well. One myth that really stood out to me in Dr. Pris' video is that happiness is feeling pleasure all the time, I can personally say that I do not feel pleasure all the time however, I still generally feel really happy. Also that happiness can be a "one fits all" description.
3. After watching the video "What Does Make Us Happy" very basic necessities like general hygiene, sleep, and fitness are all things that can cultivate happiness. I can also personally see this for myself and see it in research as well. I've noticed that many studies show that just walking outside for a couple minutes a day can reduce depression symptoms and like you mentioned in the great thinkers video, doing certain practices like yoga can also reduce anxiety and depression as well.
4. After watching the "Money and Happiness" video, I believe that a wide range of people associate happiness with money is because of our society. Dacher talks about why college students seek out a degree and why that specific reason has increase and I feel like a large part of that has to do with how our society has changed about what is means to have a successful life in the United States. As Americans we heavily focus on long term success as being a high achievement and overtime it seems that it has become less about having a family and a stable job because it has become harder to acquire these things. We cannot fed a family of four on minimum wage and we cannot receive more than minimum wage without a job or degree so, in I think that because the process of achieving Americans' definition of a successful, purposeful life has changed then the association between money and happiness has changed as well.
5. The material has really opened my eyes about why we should study and look at happiness. I believe one of the videos claimed that we had extensively researched anger but not the other most common forms of emotion which is happiness. The material overall gave me knowledge about happiness that I previously did not know before. I learned a lot about the different methods, how we can measure happiness, or the different ways can be defined, whereas before happiness was just a feeling I didn't really pay attention to in my everyday life.
1) I define happiness simply by whatever brings joy to a person. I believe happiness is unique experience for every person and that no person's happiness is caused by the exact same things. My happiness is defined by loved ones and friends. As well as my hobbies and things I like to do. This is all most based on my personal ideas and things I see other people experience. I believe were all similar, but still very different at the same time. People tend to be excited by or enjoy the same things as many others, but some people still have completely unique things that they enjoy all on their own.
ReplyDelete2) It is clear there is a good relationship between happiness and success. Success seems to be more defined by how happy a person can be. It looks like happiness can vary in how much success is influenced. However, it is clear that there is a relationship. One of the myths I really enjoyed hearing about was that happiness is something that someone has when they experience pleasure all the time or that they are always excited about things. When this is not true, and all people have areas anger or sadness.
3) It appears that exercise is one of the best ways to cultivate your own happiness. It is apparently proven that happiness occurs during moderately intensive exercise. The effort put into an exercise is what helps influence the happiness in a person. The personal goals at the end of an exercise also help increase a person’s happiness. Sleep also gives happiness. Usually as long as sleep is done in restful and comfortable way people tend to have higher rates of happiness. Achievement is another way to cultivate happiness. When students are more successful in school or socially. They report that they are usually happier with their achievements in school.
4) To an extent money can buy happiness, but it has been proven that even the richest people in the world are not that happy. It seems that after a certain roughly estimated threshold of money has been reached a person’s happiness plateaus. I find this to make sense and actually be very interesting to learn about. I think people my get into the idea that if they have more money they will become happy again, so they just try to get more and more money. I believe after a while that once you have everything you can imagine that you will want to share it with another person or persons. At this point though, you may have lost most of your friends along they way.
5) I do not believe this has changed my beliefs of happiness. Aside from dusting away a few of the myths on happiness it is still what I have always believed it to be. I am excited to learn more about this interesting emotion that goes through every human on the planet at some point.
1. I think there are two different kinds of happiness, if you will. I think, as mentioned in a few of the videos there is an in the moment kind of happiness and an overall happiness. There are experiences that make you happy in the moment. I think throughout life during different moments and circumstances you can experience different emotions, and in this sense happiness is an emotion, such as the feeling of joy or excitement. However, when looking at happiness I find it more important to look at your life as a whole rather than just specific moments. There may be moments or times that you go through that make you sad or angry, but that does not necessarily mean you have a bad life. However, happiness is a very hard thing to define because it is subjective. Overall, I believe that happiness doesn't come from how "successful" you are or how much money you have, I think it comes from your attitude. I think if you believe you're miserable and that your life sucks then that will manifest within you and you will become miserable and your life will begin to seem sucky.
ReplyDelete2. The research shown in this module seemed to show a bidirectional relationship between success and happiness. While in some cases success does seem to lead to or contribute to happiness, happiness has also shown to lead to success. Some myths about happiness are that it is a constant feeling, but the truth is even happy people will experience times of sadness. Another myth is that the more money you have, the more happy you will be, but, that is just not the case. Money can't buy happiness, people!! Another myth that stood out to me is that happiness is "one size fits all", but the truth is happiness can mean different things for different people. It is subjective! I think pursuing happiness is a good thing, and something that is okay. One video pointed out that there is a genetic link to happiness, but that is not the only thing that leads to happiness. Pursuing happiness is okay and healthy, and can lead to a more positive life.
3. According to Dr. Emiliana, happiness cultivates from exercise, proper sleep, and a sense of accomplishment. I think these things all ring so true. Dr. Emiliana pointed out that the feeling of happiness from exercise doesn't necessarily come from the moment of exercising, but it comes from reaching goals. I think this is important because reaching goals gives people a sense of accomplishment, and reaching goals from exercising in particular is likely linked to confidence. I know for me when I go to the gym I feel a lot more confident, and not only that I feel like it helps me relieve stress. I also think proper sleep is huge when it comes to happiness, and it really stands out to me being a college student. Proper sleep is linked to less stress, and better physical and mental health. I have first hand felt the effects of not having proper sleep since I started college, and I can definitely attest to the fact that it does effect your happiness.
4. I think that people who seek more and more money thinking it will make them more and more happy are seeking to buy their happiness. They become so fixated on attaining more and more money that it becomes the center of their focus, and it steals most of their awake time during the day. Like it was pointed out in the videos, for people who are very poor, attaining more money does generally make them more happy, and this is probably because they are less stressed about making ends meet. Becoming so focused on money that it is all you think about is not a way to make yourself happy, and it makes sense to why after a certain point your happiness that comes from money plateaus. There is no real depth to money, it is all about material things, and I would argue that happiness is so much deeper than materialistic things.
5. The material we have looked at so far hasn't really challenged my beliefs on happiness, it has more so confirmed my beliefs. However, I do think that this material has made me think more about what happiness is then I generally would.
1. I define happiness as a feeling that someone experiences suddenly from doing something that gives them a sense of accomplishment or from something that brings joy and pleasure. I base my definition on my own experiences. For me happiness is something that I experience when things in my life are going great or when my kids accomplish something new. Based on my observations people are happy when they accomplish something or when they are successful.
ReplyDelete2. I think that people pursue happiness because they want to be more successful in life. This is also supported by research happy people make more money, and are more productive at work, and they are more creative. Being happy a person can lead to success in life. Myths that are associated with happiness is that money has a huge effect on a person’s happiness and happiness is universal.
3. According to Dr. Emiliana in the video, “What Does Makes Us Happy,” several ways happiness can be cultivated is through exercise, sleep, and a sense of achievement. People can experience happiness when they exercise because they set goals and eventually accomplish them. Sleep also gives us a sense of happiness. When a person is well rested and has gotten a good night’s sleep they can be more happy and ready to tackle what the day has in stored for them. I know for me as a mom I am happy when I can get a full night’s sleep without any interruptions. Achievement is another source of people’s happiness. I know from experience I am happier after I have achieved one of my goals. For instance, when I graduated high school I was the second one in my immediate family to walk the stage, but I am the first one to go to college and get a secondary education.
4. I think that people want more money because society has told us that in order to be happy we have to have money this way we can buy more materialistic items that give us a temporary happy feeling. Just like on Christmas morning when you wake up and get all kinds of new toys, electronics, and other materialistic items that your parents paid hundreds of dollars on just for you to play with and be happy over for a short amount of time.
5. The video “Why Happy People Do It Better” gave me a new outlook that success does not lead to happiness, but rather, happiness leads to success. I never thought of it this way before, but I do find truth in this statement. I think that if we are happy and have a good outlook than success will come naturally, but if we have a negative outlook we will struggle in being successful.
1. Happiness can mean many things, but from the words of Sonja Lyubomirsky, she states that happiness is “the experience of joy, contentment, or positive well-being, combined with a sense that one’s life is good, meaningful, and worthwhile.” I would assume that for each person, happiness would be something different because different things make us each happy depending on what level or kind of happy we are feeling. Personally, I believe that there are different types of happiness including being genuinely happy and happy. I base that belief on from what I can observe through my friends and the people around me. If I know someone well, it is easier to tell if they are genuinely truly happy with complete excitement and joy or if it is a natural state of being happy. I would describe being happy as having no worries and being at ease while being in a state of enjoyment. That would be my definition of happiness because if I could have that, I think it would be a key component to being happy. I think it would be a little more complicated to know what others think happiness is without understanding what their goals in life would be. I believe that people base their happiness on what they can achieve through their goals so once an individual knows their goals, components of making those goals come true might be able to bring them the happiness they want.
ReplyDelete2. Pursuing happiness in the article written by Kira Newman, she gives a list of six reasons why happiness is good for your health. The article stated that there were a multitude of studies that found results that made it believable that happier people will have a healthier lifestyle by living longer, having a better immune system, protects the heart, combats stress, fewer pain, and combats disease and disability. Being happy can have positive effects on a person’s life if they are a happy individual. A possible myth about being happy is that some people cannot become happier or sustain their happiness. In Sonja’s lecture, she was describing how individual’s happiness remains the same at their set point over the years. Another myth would be that money can bring success and happiness to a person. However, in a study they found that people with lots of money are not necessarily happier.
3. Cultivating happiness can be achieved by exercise, sleep, and achievement. Specifically, having a goal for exercise will give a greater happiness from the exercise. With sleep, sleeping in regular uninterrupted intervals tends to bring more happiness to individuals than not having a regular sleep schedule. For achievement, it brings happiness because it brings the individual a sense of success.
4. Having money is typically related as being a happy person, so it becomes popular among the lives of others that money is important. The world runs on money so in a way, money can be a factor of being happy or not when it comes to being in poverty. When the research discovered that money only brings happiness to a certain extent, it is an interesting question to know why people always strive to be rich. In my opinion, people believe if they have money, they will be happy because they can have all the material objects that they think will make them happy rather than the people or emotions and feelings that truly bring happiness. Those people will not realize that money cannot buy them the true happiness they are seeking because money is the only answer there is in their mind.
5. I do not believe that the material so far has changed my beliefs on what I think happiness is. It was useful information to learn about the effects of being happy and how happiness has an impact on an individual’s life. Prior to reading this blog, I felt that happiness came from circumstances and from the people an individual surrounds themselves with.