How to Achieve Happiness Essay - 1776 Words

Essay # 3 Happiness. There is a saying that states that â€Å"Money doesn’t buy happiness,† and most of the time, the response to that is: â€Å"Yeah right, whatever, keep on dreaming† or â€Å"Yes sure, but you have to admit that it helps when you have some†. Indeed, when we think about money, we either start daydreaming about the projects we will realize once we have it in our hands or we end up having nightmares about what we will be losing once it has vanished. So for sure, the common answer would be that money is definitively necessary to be happy. However, recent studies, as author Richard O’Connor (2008) claims, show that Americans with higher wages still show no sign of being happier or even worse become sadder then what they were before.†¦show more content†¦As a matter of fact, we obtain what we want, feel happy for a while, and then go right back to the state of being unhappy again. So, we can probably say that since we have not gained all of th e things we wanted, we still haven’t reached the happiness state that we think of. We still need to work more to make sure that we can get money for our children’s college fees or we have to get that promotion in order to get a trip to Hawaii. As M. Argyle (2008) mentions: â€Å"People think that what money can buy will make them happier because spending it produces short-term positive feelings or because it will increase their control over events.† (p.144) In fact, we are deeply conditioned to believe that money is the key source of our happiness. Indeed, when thinking about our careers we are not focused on the success or the joy of obtaining something but rather on the fact that we need to have more of things that makes us feel happy for one second, namely, material possessions. However, the research contradicts this ideology. When Dan Seligman (2010) shows a survey done by Diener et al., where they asked random people on how happy they are, the results that came out were quite a shock, sinceShow MoreRelatedEssay on How to Achieve Happiness2099 Words   |  9 PagesThe Pursuit to Happiness â€Å"Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond our grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you† is what Nathaniel Hawthorne once said. (Palha) Unfortunately there is no handbook that one may purchase to achieve happiness, because no one is the same. Therefore, it is nearly impossible for one to obtain happiness through someone else’s viewpoints and research, but there are in my opinion, basic needs that will jumpstart theRead More How to Achieve Happiness Essay491 Words   |  2 PagesCambridges Online Dictionary, happiness is a state of mind or feeling characterized by contentment, satisfaction, pleasure, or joy. 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With different methods of achieving happiness, one willRead MoreA New Definition Of Happiness909 Words   |  4 PagesNew Definition of Happiness By Alec Borenstein | Submitted On November 07, 2011 Recommend Article Article Comments Print Article Share this article on Facebook 1 Share this article on Twitter 1 Share this article on Google+ Share this article on Linkedin Share this article on StumbleUpon 1 Share this article on Delicious 1 Share this article on Digg 1 Share this article on Reddit Share this article on Pinterest Expert Author Alec Borenstein THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS Happiness. It s a word weRead More Can Happiness Be Achieved? Essay1010 Words   |  5 Pagesattempted to seek out what happiness truly is, and, if possible, how to achieve this happiness. The idea of what happiness is has changed often, and is dependent on the environment that the people live in. The era and the ideologies of that time period, the community, and who the people interact with all affect the idea of what happiness truly is. Because of this, what happiness is, and how to achieve it, will be continually changing. The true meaning and idea of happiness could perhaps never be trulyRead MoreWhat Is Happiness?725 Words   |  3 PagesUndoubtedly, happiness is the most important part in our lives. But if you ask different individuals what is happiness, there are absolutely a wide variety of answers you would hear. It is difficult to define happiness because it means different things to different people. Like such, obtaining happiness can vary people to people and it can shape what their lifelong goals and dream are. Usually, happiness can be described as a feeling of pleasure or enjoyment or sometimes a feeling of self-fulfilmentRead MoreAristotle s Argument For The Function Of Man1585 Words   |  7 PagesNicomachean Ethics I.7, defined happiness as the central good that motivates all of man’s endeavors (function), in that happiness â€Å"is in itself worthy of pursuit more final than that which is worthy of pursuit for the sake of something else†¦ is always desirable in itself and never for the sake of something else.† (NE 1.7, 1097a 32-34) What is interesting to note here, is that in this sense, happiness, rather than a mental state of the mind, is perceived as a good; happiness is something that serves an