The Question of Happiness

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English section A. 1. Summary of "The question of happiness" "The question of happiness" is a draft from Tal Ben-Shahars book "Happier". Tal Ben-Shahar is both a teacher and writer on positive psychology. In the draft Tal Ben-Shahar describes his ambition of becoming the winner of the Israeli national squash championship. He expresses how he believed winning the title would make him truly happy. Winning the title demands hard work and both physical and mental exertion. While preparing for the championship he notice that something important too his happiness is missing and he reasons that fulfillment is what he lacks and only winning the championship would bring it to him. In the end the title did not bring the lasting happiness he had hoped for, he reevaluates his understanding of happiness and chases it without pause. Talking to happy people he sees, reading ancient philosophical texts. All to answer: is the maxim "no pain, no gain" true. Pleasure, bliss, ecstasy were not the true descriptions of his definition of happiness. 2. Outline on happiness What makes humans happy? what brings them lasting bliss or joy? what delivers them peace? These are question's man has always sought to enlighten himself with and there are no true answers in my opinion. It can wary drastically but I will confine myself to the texts i have to work with and what they seem to believe would bring happiness. The first text "The question of happiness" describes brief highs as only a temporary happiness and there for not the optimal answer to our question "These emotions are fleeting, and while they are enjoyable and significant, they are not the measure - or the pillars - of happiness" This text would also have us try to interpret happiness ourselves and not rely upon merely descriptions of the word. "I would first have to figure out what happiness is. Is it an emotion? Is it the
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