The Question of Happiness

971 Words4 Pages
Assignment A Summary In our modern society you are pushed to the limit. Creating not only a unique personality, but also reaching certain goals such as an attractive body, a good education or winning a title to proof your high standard. All this is the result of the illusion outside our mind, trying to make us believe that we are in need of all these qualities and then, finally, can feel an emotion such as happiness. In “The Question of Happiness” Tal Ben-Shahar, teacher and writer on positive psychology, describes from own interest and experience how believing in “reaching happiness as a goal” brought him further away from mentioned. Winning, which for Ben-Shahar was the ultimate access to everlasting happiness turned out to make him more desolate than he had ever been before. The emotional pivot was a result of a manipulated way of thinking from outside factors, but having this in knowledge he now search for an inner happiness. A happiness which, furthermore, cannot be found without having its contrast; sadness for instance. Outline From his own experience Tal Ben-Shahar, in text one “The Question of Happiness”, claims that happiness cannot be measured since it is a feeling. Therefor happiness will be experienced throughout different degrees and situations. Moreover Ben-Shahar points out that there is not a perfect recipe to happiness, but that contrast among feelings and having something to reach, to motivate yourself into, are some answers that will bring you closer to the phenomenon of happiness. In text two, “Happiness” filmmaker Michael Chrichton takes us one step closer to the answer; what is happiness? According to Chrichton the feeling occurs when we are not paying attention to it. It will occur while thinking of something that have already happened and it is not going to be material stuff but the people and the value within this. Instead of focusing
Open Document