Happiness - Synthesis Essay - 1281 Words

Mahatma Gandhi one defined happiness as â€Å"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? Since WW II psychologist have been studying our brains as they pertain to our†¦show more content†¦Gratification comes from any even that engages us fully. Seligman claims that â€Å"†¦individuals may find gratification in participating in a great conversation, fixing a bike, reading a good book†¦or accomplishing a difficult task at work.† (Seligman, Parks, and Steen 419) Senior also states that â€Å"doing something that engages or enhances our strengths is a gratification, whether it’s swimming, welding, or listening to a friend in need.† (Senior 428) It is interesting to note that engagement activities aimed at increasing happiness are not always enjoyable in and of themselves. Seligman notes that â€Å"consider, for example, the gratification that comes from training for an endurance even such as a marathon. At any given point during the grueling event, a runner may be discouraged or exhausted or even in physical pain; however, they may describe the overall experience as intensely gratifying.† (Seligman, Parks, and Steen 419) From this we see that gratification may help enhance our overall happiness, not through the activity itself, but from the feeling of accomplishment or well-being we experience as the end result. The t hird route to increasing happiness comes through meaning which is comprised mainly of the four basic values of faith, family, community, and work. (The NY Times) This avenue boosts happiness through a sense of being part of a higher thing that ourselves. â€Å"40 percent of married Americans describe themselves as ‘very happy’ compared with justShow MoreRelatedTopics for Cause and Effect Essays702 Words   |  3 Pages Cause and Effect Essay Topics A cause and effect essay aims at explaining the reasons and results of an event or situation. †¢ It is one the most popular essay types in the academic world. †¢ It is beneficial for a student to write a cause and effect essay because it propels him to think of the situation in depth to come up with the reasons for the birth of that situation and its eventual impact on everything it affects. †¢ It encourages the mind to think analytically and investigate a situationRead More An Analysis of Arnolds Essay, The Function of Criticism at The Present Time1226 Words   |  5 Pagesunderstand Arnold’s essay we should first understand the title of the essay. As we notice that Matthew Arnold associates criticism with one function not many functions, but which function? He also mentions that this function of criticism is limited within a specific and particular time which is the present time and the past or the future time. Therefore, answering the questions of function and time of criticism goes with analyzing Matthew Arnold‘s essay through my reading of his essay. It becomes clearRead MoreMill s Utilitarianism : Utilitarianism1251 Words   |  6 Pagesa bulletproof theory. J.S. Mill’s Principle of utility, also known as the greatest happiness principle, is an ethical philosophy that looks at the development of morals and how people choose to follow these morals. The basis of Utilitarianism is the idea that our morals are designed to create the most amount of happiness while minimizing the amount of pain felt. Mill’s utilitarianism looks at everyone’s happiness as equal, with individual actions concerning the feelings of everyone equally. UtilitarianismRead MoreThe Relationship Between Education and Ones Identity965 Words   |  4 PagesAngelous Graduation and Mike Roses I Just Wanna Be Average certainly proves. Just how ones education influences ones identity, however, is intrinsically related to the importance of an identity. An analysis of each of these texts demonstrates a synthesis of reasons for why identification is so important. For Malcolm X, his identity as a champion of rights for African Americans and later on as a proponent for the virtues of true Islam is firmly rooted in a degree of articulation, and intelligenceRead MoreUtilitarianism And Its Ethical Approach1709 Words   |  7 Pagesultimate goal of moral action is achieving the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people.† This objective is also considered as the cornerstone of all legislation that should therefore be beneficial for all individuals in society and guiding criterion of every social institution. In other words, it has been anchored in an ethical system that aims to be an alternative for reconciling individual rights and collective pursuit of happiness. In general, utilitarian theory from the point of viewRead MoreWhat Comes First Language or Thought?887 Words   |  4 PagesTOK ESSAY: WHAT COMES FIRST LANGUAGE OR THOUGHT? The first thing that I was reminded of by this topic is the man and the woman question. We have always been wondering who came first in the world: man or woman? Scientifically it has not been proved yet that who came first. We cannot just come to a conclusion regarding who came first. The same is valid to knowledge and thought. Knowledge and thought are both inter-linked. I will be dealing each concept separately so that we can come to know theRead MoreSdafsadf1133 Words   |  5 PagesHonglin Gong Mr. Timothy Faber BIBL 105 B05 24 September 2014 Essay 3 After finishing reading Bible, I am aware of the importance of diligence and the negative effect of being lazy. As a Christian, I strongly recommend that people should follow what the Bible has told us and listen to our God’s commands. Because the knowledge that Bible gives us will have a good and profound influence on our lives and help us out in many situations. During the process of reading Bible, we may gain much wisdomRead MoreCurse Essay In English964 Words   |  4 Pageslowly peasant. The difference is that to condescend is to look down on someone unhelpfully. Patronizing is similar but is done in a more helpful and humble manner. Although they are close, there is a certain distinguish. Synthesis   Ã‚  Ã‚   Ineffable is inexpressible, this could be happiness, sadness, pain, etc. Some examples of ineffable feelings are losing someone dear to your heart, having a knife stabbed into you,being lied to or betrayed, getting married, or dying. Some example of specious ideas are emailsRead More100 Essay Topics1545 Words   |  7 Pagest100 ESSAY AND JOURNAL TOPICS Ken Stewart Chapel Hill High School Chapel Hill, North Carolina Journal writing is an informal approach to developing students’ writing skills. The assessment is primarily based on improvement and completing a minimum number of pages (5 pages skipping lines) by the established deadline. My feedback to students is focused on interaction with what they have written as opposed to correcting syntax or orthography. Since this is a dialogue journal, I respect the confidentialRead MoreEssay on Jordan Belfort1106 Words   |  5 Pagesclear nowadays that leaders have persuaded the human behavior and has had an impact on individuals within society to better themselves. With connection to sub-topics from self-study and personal experience as both an employee and a customer, this essay will provide a synopsis of Jordan Belfort’s life, critically analyse the strengths a As time proceeded his career progressed and Jordan started to live the party lifestyle lived by many of those in his business and social circles. Consequently this