CRW 2 Happiness
Since 1996, I have watched with amazement at Korea’s fast-paced development. It seems every week, I pass by a shiny new skyscraper or apartment complex. Moreover, signs of conspicuous consumption are everywhere from foreign cars in the streets to the newest fashions and electronic devices. However, one thing I have noticed is that even as people have become richer, overall happiness remains low. This week, a report by the UN’s Sustainable Development Solutions Network confirms this fact. According to the World Happiness Report released this week, Korea is only the 47th happiest country. Conversely, the happiest countries are usually Western European and Canada. So, I was wondering, why is that? What causes people to be either happy or unhappy? The following article by Jeffery Sachs called The Path to Happiness: Lessons From the 2015 World Happiness Report might provide some insight.
Students: If you had to rank yourself on a scale from 1 – 10 (ten being the happiest and 1 being the unhappiest), what ranking would you give yourself. Also, choose one of the following;
1. What is your definition of happiness?
2. What do you think causes people to be happy?
3. What causes someone to be unhappy?
4. What is a positive effect of a happy society?
5. What is a negative effect of an unhappy society?
6. If you were president for a day, what law would you enact to make the citizens happier?
7. Can happiness surveys be trusted or is there something wrong with trying to measure an abstract concept over disparate countries and cultures?
8. Your idea
English Language Pages 
2. what do you think causes people to be happy?
There are many kinds of happiness exist by people. Someone could feel happy when he or she eat delicious food or buy a new cloth etc. Because of various types and standard of happiness, it is also hard to say that how happiness causes. However, several criterions could be understudied to many people: good health, enough estate and achievement what he or she wants.
First, good health can cause most of the people’s happiness because if a person has unhealthy, he or she could feel pain and sorrowful thoughts of possibility that could become serious problem.
Secondly, enough estate can make happiness to ordinary people. Because everything in our world becoming capital and related with money, enough money or estate that can achieve what she or he wants, could be happiness.
At last, feeling of achievement can cause happiness; it is hard to define the achievement like happiness. However, each people have various kinds of task or object and it is obvious that a person could feel happiness through success in their part. They could be happy though achieving project, score anything that achieving what they want could lead to happiness.
Not only these three kinds of standard can cause people to be happy but this can be transformed to energy what people can live their life more lively.
Instead of ‘estate,’ how about saying financial means. Also, I agree that happiness is hard to define and each person may have their own conception. Do you think that government plays a role in people’s happiness? Typically, Western governments provide a framework of rights that allow individuals to be or do whatever they like, as long as they do not harm others. This allows for individuals to fulfill their potential, whatever their may choose for themselves.
I agree with some parts of your opinion. Especially, I also think healthy is one of kinds for happiness. Actually, there are many kinds of happiness in the world, but I think financial factor is difficult to be a criteria of happiness. Because if people live a large house that has beautiful garden, they cannot feel they are happy due to their property.
I also think health is one of the most important factor for happiness. It is hard to be happy when you are fighting with illness. However, sometimes there are people who are happy even if they are suffering from sickness. I want to call them ‘super happy people’ because they feel bigger happiness than pain of their illness.
I agree with last part. Achievement is very important in life. Although most people experience adversity and sometimes people are frustrated, we can be very happy through achievement of our goal. So, I think achievement is one of the important causes of happiness.
I agree that good health can cause most of the people’s happiness. If people are not healthy, they cannot live happily.
First of all, I want to give myself 6 or 7 score about happiness. The reason why I give this score is simple. Nowadays, I often feel exhausted or depressed due to have a lot of works, but if I think about it more positive, I am a happy person. Because, I have many things such as parent’s love or friends. Happiness is just relative factor for people, so I think I have 6-7 score about happiness.
1. What is your definition of happiness?
I think happiness is a condition which does not have any difficult things in people’s life. If someone always worries about trifles, then he or she is not happy. However, if he/she does not have trifles which are related to anythings, then, he/she is happy. Happiness always exists nearby people, but people cannot accept happiness, they think they are not happy. Although there are a large of people in the world, all of them does not have same standards about happiness. However, I think if people feel that today is so nice to live without worry, it is a standard of happiness that all of people sympathize.
I agree with your opinion that happiness always exist nearby people. I think that it is important to find happiness on their own. Although happiness is always exist in people’s lives, if people are in trouble, they don’t have time to focus other things that is not related to their trouble.
I also agree with you. I also think happiness is not a special thing. we can always feel happiness if we feel it is happiniess. I think happiness depends upon ourselves.
Yes. Surely not all people in the world have a same standard of happiness. There is a large spectrum of being happy and it is different from person to person. That is why it is hard to pin down what is happiness.
*what happiness is.
I think it is not possible that there are no difficulties in our life. If there are no trifles or obstacles in my life, i could not recognize what happiness is. I think that why happiness is valuable is that there are many bad things and sorrow.
I agree with your idea that happiness always exists nearby people. However, it is hard to think that troubles are nothing and do not worry about it in everyday’s life. I want to find the way to live without worry.
If I rank myself on a scale from 1 – 10 (ten being the happiest and 1 being the unhappiest), I would like to give 8. I think I usually happy because of trivial things. For example, I feel very happy when I eat something delicious, and I brush my hair. Although, those things are not important in my life, it is important to find things, even trivial things, which can make people happy. Also, my friends always say that you look so happy and I think you are always happy. I always try to find happiness in trivial things in my life.
2. What do you think causes people to be happy?
There are several things that can make people happy. One of the things that can make people happy is finding happiness in daily life. Although there are hard and annoying things in a day, if people focus on not annoying things, but trivial things that make people happy, they can be happy. By focusing on several trivial things in life which are actually not important, people can appreciate on small things and life can be full of happiness. Also, it can bright their day, and be a power of life.
Another things is plenty of things, such as time, money, and even knowledge. It is important to be easy in life. By having plenty of time, money, knowledge, and other things, people can have a peace of mind. People are usually happier in times of plenty. If people have plenty of something comfort of mind as well as material , they can be happy than others.
Therefore, these two things can make people happy and be a power of life that can make people enjoy their life.
I totally agree with you. I also feel happiness in trivial things such as before falling asleep or after finish homework.
I like your opinion that trivial things make us happy. If we think more positively and try to looking for happiness in daily life, we can become happier than before.
Actually, not having things can be one factor in being happy. Having things an mean that you have to keep thinking about it, worrying about loosing it or wanting to have more. In the same context, there is a nonpossession move to be happy.
Your happiness scale is quite high. I think your personality thankful for trivial things is very nice. Especially, finding happiness in daily life is what i want to be and do. If we can find things to be happy and thankful about everyday, it would be the happiest person.
I agree that happiness is in plenty of things. If people have plenty of things, they are satisfied with their condition. So having plenty of things causes people to be happy.
I will give myself 7 score about happiness. I’m not the happiest person because sometimes I face some trouble and it makes me feel exhausted. Nevertheless, I feel happy because I have my reliable family and friends who love me. In addition, I’m still very healthy and this is very important. So I think 7 score is appropriate for me.
4. What is a positive effect of a happy society?
Most of all, low crime rate is one of the positive effects of a happy society. Some crime is result from dissatisfaction about themselves or society. But if people feel happy and have positive thinking, some kinds of crime like suicide and robbery will be on the decline. According to the World Happiness Report, Switzerland is the happiest country in the world. This country is famous for its low crime rate and security. Denmark and Iceland which are in the upper ranks of the level of happiness are also belong to safe country. It indicates that degree of happiness is closely connected with crime rate. So Korea will be able to become more safe country than now if people feel happier.
I agree your opinion. I think many of criminals have unfortunate childhood memories. I come to mind Sinchangwon’s story, whoes infamous criminal in Korea. his childhood is very unhappy. In school, his home teacher always blame him In front of everyone is watching, about his poverty. Sinchangwon say “If the teacher at that time, say to me ‘you’re a good guy’and gave stroking my head,I would not be a man who is now.”
Your opinion is interesting. I also think it is right, Nowadays, suicide is one of serious social problem. Many people choice it for avoiding their unfortunate accident. I want that many people don’t think about suicide if they face worst happening in their life.
I like the way you used the real research ‘Happiness Report’ to support your idea. It makes yours more supportive!
I think to feel happiness is clearly important. In particular, as we are living together and socializing each other, the virtue is more crucial. I agree with your idea that if people are happy, the crime lowers and our society will be better.
It is interesting that low crime is connected to the high degree of happiness of people. If all people are happy, I think there will not be any crime at all. I wonder why people of East Europe are happier than Korean. Does advanced welfare policy play an important role in people’s happiness?
I can rank myself in 7 level about happiness which means I am quite happy nowadays. Since I have healthy body, a loving family and I do not have a big problem I am in charge of, I feel happy enough to say happy. The end of the midterm also adds to my happiness these days. The reason I didn’t give the rest 3 is that I wanted to make room for the happiness I will have in the future. I hope I can give 10 about happiness soon in the future.
2. What do you think causes people to be happy?
when I think of happiness, what comes to the top of my mind is happiness with family. The atmosphere of May, family month, might have affected me to think of family. Since family is our first relationship with the deepest unconditional love, I’m sure one of the biggest part of happiness comes from family. In my case, Family is the heart of my life. After I live separated from my family, the importance of family I feel became much bigger than before. The moment all of my family members gather together is the happiest hours of my life. The encouragement and recognition from my own family have a majority in my happiness. As a result, seeing from my own case, I guess many other people will also gain happiness and even the power of life from the moment when family members all gather and have delicious meal together.
I want to give me nine points because I cannot find any reasons I have to be unhappy. Even In this moment, I can find many elements that make me happy. The weather is so nice as well as I feel full and satisfied.
What is your definition of happiness?
It would be really hard for people to easily answer about what is happiness. Someone would say the most important thing to live happy life is money and someone would say religious is the most valuable thing to live happy life or whatever. Like this, criteria about happiness is different from one another. However, I think happiness totally depends upon us. We can find happy moment in everywhere if we can have positive mind or recognize it is happiness even in any situation. For example, a few years ago I used to complain about my situation in the midterm period because it was the time cherry blossoms start to be in full bloom. I just wanted to go to cherry-blossom viewing like others and I just wanted to feel comfort out of study under the cherry tree. So I made complaints to my friend about my situation, but he said I am just happy because ‘I can enjoy cherry blossoms these days in everywhere and not only am I satisfied but I feel pleasure, watching cherry blossoms on my way to library to study. After Listening to his words, I was shocked and it allowed me to consider positive mind because even though we saw the same thing, our feeling was totally different. Like this I think happiness depends upon our mind.
I agree that happiness totally depends upon us. Each person has another definition of happiness. The criteria of happiness is different according to how people think about it.
I really sympathize with your words. As you know yesterday is Parents’s Day, so I contact with my family. And, I feel precious and happiness once again that I have a family.
The end of midterm adds the scale of my happiness, too. I totally agree with your thinking, To me, my family causes to my happiness and they are the most important value in my life.
I want to give me nine points because I cannot find any reasons I have to be unhappy. Even In this moment, I can find many elements that make me happy. The weather is so nice as well as I feel full and satisfied.
What is your definition of happiness?
It would be really hard for people to easily answer about what is happiness. Someone would say the most important thing to live happy life is money and someone would say religious is the most valuable thing to live happy life or whatever. Like this, criteria about happiness is different from one another. However, I think happiness totally depends upon us. We can find happy moment in everywhere if we can have positive mind or recognize it is happiness even in any situation. For example, a few years ago I used to complain about my situation in the midterm period because it was the time cherry blossoms start to be in full bloom. I just wanted to go to cherry-blossom viewing like others and I just wanted to feel comfort out of study under the cherry tree. So I made complaints to my friend about my situation, but he said I am just happy because ‘I can enjoy cherry blossoms these days in everywhere and not only am I satisfied but I feel pleasure, watching cherry blossoms on my way to library to study. After Listening to his words, I was shocked and it allowed me to consider positive mind because even though we saw the same thing, our feeling was totally different. Like this I think happiness depends upon our mind.
Yes, happiness always depends on our mind and interesting.
not interesting but interest.
9 points. how nice! I think your idea is really similar with the theme of ‘About Time’, the romance movie released a few years ago. This is my favorite film. As you said, happiness might come from our mind. If we feel happy from inside of mind, there is nothing to make us unhappy.
My happy scale is different depending on whether criterion is relative or absolute.
My absolute happy score is 9. Because now I feel so comfortable after finishing my all tasks like submitting assignment, part time job and taking shower in my calm dormitory. It is my favorite period that about 1 month after mid term test is free to me to use my time flexibly. I allowed to read many books in library not text book but novels, magazines and to work for exhibition and to exercise whenever I want. But my relative happiness is lower than absolute scoring 5. If I were the rich, I never work part time job. Actually, I hate forcing a smile despite my gloomy feeling. I just can’t do sentimental work more.
7. Can happiness surveys be trusted or is there something wrong with trying to measure an abstract concept over disparate countries and cultures?
These surveys are too abstract to judge each people’s happiness degree. Depending on countries and cultures, happiness criterion of people are different. Some people more answer ‘I’m happy!’ who are not much care about other life style. Not considering or comparing between theirselves and other rich life doesn’t mean ‘happy’. It could be just their characteristic, not their happiness. Similarly, ike my case, I think my absolute happiness is high when I didn’t care other richer life through SNS , facebook, intsragram but mu relative happiness is mid or low.
I agree the meaning of happiness what you are saying. My happiness is also different from time to time. Sometimes, I feel happy when I just sit in a chair while watching blue sky over the window and sometimes, even thoufh looking at same sky, I feel gloomy.
I agree the surveys are too abstarct to judge people’s happiness degree. To exactly quantify people’s mind is actually impossible, because it changes from moment to moment. Especially, the sentence “It could be just their characteristic, not their happiness” is quite impressive. Some inherently have a positive personality, and others do not. However, as you said, each different personality cannot be a great standard to guess people’s happiness, because it’s just “personality”. Your opinion is really interesting 🙂
Well, I can give 6~7 score to my happiness rank. Actually I’m an optimistic guy, but in these days I have the worry about my future because i’m university senior. Generally, I think, worry about future and career in my age is natural phenomenon, however, the economic independence is not just an abstract idea, but the reality that i should confront soon after. Therefore my hapiness status in now is unstable, and it will be changed in near future.
3. What causes someone to be unhappy?
There can be many factors that make people unhappy, but in my opinion, the problem of health, relationship, and supression the three main factors of unhappy.
First, people can live without money by any means, but people cannot live without health. In my definition, health is the healthy status of mind and body itself. Generally body and mind connects closely with each other, so mind-only training or body-only cannot lead people the real happiness. Enhancing the body and mind at the same time looks like difficult, but the point is that happy is a status, not a level or stage. For example, you may feel happy when you eat delicious food or kiss with your lover. Like this, ‘health’ can enhance easily in daily life, but many people cannot find it because of complex society and media that always defines human as weak and unhealthy.
Second, social relationship is such an important thing to happiness. Human is social animal, so we cannot live alone. Relationships with family, friends, lovers, and co-workers are important altogether. In addition, because of development of Internet, communications technology, and mobile device, “virtual” relationship is having a same role as real relationship. However, ironically, because of these advanced technology, the number of people who think that he or she live a lonely life have been gradually increased. So having a balance with virtual and reality is crucial to live in modern society.
Lastly, supression problem also affect happiness. Supression is related to freedom and identity. Generally people feel happy when they achieve self-realization through their work. However people feel frustrated when they are in the status of “Supression”, doing something for other’s will or just maintaning everyday life. Frequently, the status of “Supression” is come from external factors such as social status or circumstances, not from inner factor. To solve this problem and enhancing people’s more happy life, the efforts are needed individually and socially.
In sum, happiness can gain by individual’s effort and social support. To live more happy, it is first step to observe yourself specifically, and improve the thing that you can achieve it more easily. Remember, happiness is come from not a great reformation, but a little change.
First of all, I hope everything what you want to achieve would be goining well. I coulnd’t know what you feel because I’m sophomore now, so it is hard to understand about how senior’s thoughts. But If you prepare well for the future concreatly, you would be the great after graduation. Furthermore I agree with your idea about ‘relationship’. I quite feel stressful when I have trouble with my friends or my parents.
The score I want to give to myself is ‘9’. Even though sometimes there are things that bother me, generally I think I am happy and my life is beautiful. It does not mean I have a special thing to be happy. I am one of the ordinary people, not that rich and not extraordinarily talented. But happiness is not defined by those things. All I need to be happy is just thinking myself happy. I think I can not be happier even if I have more money or
material things those are thought as necessity to be happy because happiness is mindset that are not affected by exterior elements. Also, my motto for life is ‘Be positive’ and it help me be happy. When bad things happen, I try to be positive and make through those occasions, not just being depressed or giving up. Lastly, the reason I did not give ’10’ to myself is that I think there is a possibility and hope to be happier later in my life.
7. Can happiness surveys be trusted or is there something wrong with trying to measure an abstract concept over disparate countries and culture?
Of course it is hard to measure an abstract concept, but happiness is not the case. Happiness is a feeling of oneself and there is no absolute definition or criterion of being happy or unhappy. However, it also means that one can think him or herself happy no matter what he or she has or what situation he or she is in. And othets can’t refute about it because they can’t impose their own definition of happiness to others. So the most accurate definition of happiness is embedded in each person and if someone measure their happiness scale for themselves, they are doing it in most exact way. For this reason, survey of the happiness is cannot be more accurate. To sum up, happiness survey is accurate because happiness is too abstract concept to define.
I think whether the survey is accurate or not is not important. As Happiness is a subjective factor and nobody knows and defines exactly what it is. So, if people surveyed feel i am a happy person, it it the right answer. I agree with you,
Some time ago I read a book, “We could be happy ?’. In the book, The author went to Denmark, happiest country in the world, and observing their lives. The author met a taxi driver for the first time in Denmark. He had talked proudly about his locksmith son to the author . Amazing! maybe in Korea, he would never have gone ‘homecoming day’ for shame, forever. same locksmith son, but someone is happy and someone is unhappy. what is the different? I realized through this book, happiness is how much ‘social’ emotion. and the societal happiness com from ‘equality’. but in Korea, society left over happiness to individual area. If an individual’s effort or attitude are the only key to happiness, why Korea has a suicide rate gold medal as opposed to Denmark has happiness gold medal? In order to our country’s people to be happy, society can be proud of their son locksmith, that should be an equal society.
Your opinion that defines happiness as social emotion is pretty interesting to me. I’ve thought happiness only in aspect of individuals. But after reading yours, I could see happiness in a bigger picture. Equality of society must be one of the important factors required to reach happy condition.
Your idea impresses me. I have never thought that equality are able to decide we are happy or not. By reading your opinion, it might be possible.
If I rank myself on a scale from 1 – 10 (ten being the happiest and 1 being the unhappiest), I would like to give 7. I think I am usually happy and sometimes, there are only few things that make me unhappy. For example, I often feel inferior to somebody, who is outstanding in something that I do not have in my possession. And, I also run to meet my troubles frequently, which are not unreal. Although, those things make me unhappy, mostly I enjoy my happy life. Eating delicious foods, working out, going out with my friends, there are a lot of things that make me happy and those things are important in my life.
2. What do you think causes people to be happy?
There are a lot of things that can make people to be happy. One of the things that can make people to be happy is having a dilettante life. Mostly, many people are engrossed in their work on weekdays, so enjoying dilettante life on weekend makes people to be happy. Focusing on somebody’s favorite pursuit can get rid of stress and also diverts a person from his or her cares. In other words, it can affect as important factors on one’s life.
Second, leading a healthy life makes people to be happy. A life filled with some illness, disease, disorder makes people unhappy. It’s the kind of things that stay with you forever, unless you do exercise or healthier food. For instance, you may see some people, who are suffered from obesity. Obesity or overweight can cause some adult diseases and physical disabilities. Usually only a healthy and ordinary life can offer the greatest happiness for people. So, it is important to working out repeatedly and, to have a healthy, balanced diet. Definitely, doing these things provides people a great happiness and comfortable life.
Finally, having a family or a close friend also makes people to be happy. Along with physical health, mental health is also important factor in our life. In this era of stress wars, almost of the people are suffering from psychological problems these days. Therefore, entering into a relation to someone, who contribute to your mental health gives a lot of healing and refreshes yourself. In addition, it can also take you out in living a lonely life. Of course, there are few people, who like gloomy and solitude life; however people want to feel a sense of belonging and fellowship or family affection mainly. Thus, it is say that one of the causes, which people to be happy is having a relationship with someone.
My happiness rank is eight, I think that be happy or unhappy is a decision that people take every single minute in their life. Of course there are some facts that are out people’s control but human beings should to experience some events that give people pain or make them unhappy. These experiences make people stronger and more flexible.
As I said before for my happiness is decision is a way to live life without focusing too much in what society show us as happiness because this concept can vary. For me happiness is the gasoline that my body but especially mu soul needs for do every single activity in my life but there are some factors that make easy to get this energy such as good weather, meeting with friends, dancing, eating delicious food, traveling, meeting new people. So every time that I do one of this things I full my gasoline tank.
To live my life with the way what i want is very important, i think. As i usually do, many Koreans often worry about how we are shown to others and people evaluate who i am. By being aware of the way other people are looking at me, i usaully lose myself and compare me to others. It makes me unhappy.
For some people, happiness is found in materialistic things such as money, a new car and so on but the truth is all these things are fabulous and will definitely leave a smile on your face for a while. A lot of us spend our lives in the pursuit of happiness going out shopping, drinking, holidays or buying extravagant things but I truly believe these things are never permanent and will disappear soon.
I believe that happiness is a way of travel, not a destination. I mean, happiness is a choice, not a result. It is just state of consciousness which proceeds from the achievement of one’s values. However, nowadays, many Koreans tend not to live a life of their dream. They are always busy seeking wealth and self-conscious. We live only once. We should be able to choose any way of life we want to live and not to care what other people think of you.
In order to be happy, you can either hold yourself up to the unrealistic standards of others, or ignore them and concentrate on being happy with yourself as you are. So, I think happiness is the process of trying to be happy.
The topic I chose is
1. What is your definition of happiness?
and I think my happiness rank is about 8.
The last sentence “I think happiness is the process of trying to be happy” is quite impressive. As you said, we are not living to be happy. It is just a kind of process to live. According to one reserach result, people who live for being happy usually feels unhappy.
If I rank myself on a scale from 1 to 10, I’d give myself 9. I usually say ‘thank you’ in my mind. Every time I look back on my life including today, I cannot help but appreciate everything around me. For example, I am happy to learn in Kyung Hee University, to have lots of good people like friends and family who are always my side, to be able to be health (I can see, hear, run, and eat without any problems.) and so on. Also I believe that I can be the person who I want to be and I can do what I really want, if I have a clear vision and indubitable belief. So I can live feeling happiness and saying ‘thank you’ every day. The last 1 point is for that I couldn’t clearly figure out yet what kind of job can makes me feel happy while I’m doing and I can’t meet my lover who is my soul mate.
3. What causes someone to be unhappy?
I think the feeling of happiness is relative. Especially, it can be measured depends on the people who are familiar, such as close friends, our neighbors, and celebrities. What I mean by this is that the reason why people think themselves as the unhappy is that they keep on comparing with others who are considered better than themselves. For example, when people looked their friend’s travel pictures on the face book or heard news such as a friend’s success or new the salary whose celebrities, they tend to feel shortage for their life. They start to complain their life working every day and their small salary. However, when they watched the news about a war or terror or natural disaster, they suddenly feel happy that they can live without terrible events. Consequently, unhappiness is determined by not a person own self but surrounded people. So I think the way to be happy is to being able to feel self-satisfaction.
If I rank myself on a scale from 1 – 10 (ten being the happiest and 1 being the unhappiest), I would like to give 7. I am happy recently better than before. It is because I get along with my new friends and go out with them twice a week. I went to Yongsan and Sanchung Dong where I wanted to go the first time with them. In the past, I feel stress for many assignments and tests but I cannot relieve stress. However, in these days, I can relieve stress by going over the Seoul and eating delicious food in there. And I do not have a cause of worry. Therefore, I am happy and I can give me 7.
5. What is a negative effect of an unhappy society?
Korea is only the 47th happiest country. So people tend to have a lot of concern for the happiness. The unhappiness can greatly influence on a society. There are several negative effects of an unhappy society in terms of losing desire and increasing dissatisfaction.
First, an unhappy society can lose people’s desire. People in an unhappy society are unhappy whatever they do. What they do should be happy because they can go cheerfully about their work. If they cannot work cheerfully, they may spend their days in a state of torpor. Although people get much money from their work, they are tied up because they do not have desire for working. As a result, the recession will come and the society cannot develop, too.
Secondly, one of a negative effect of an unhappy society is increase people’s dissatisfaction. I think being happy means people are satisfied with their lives. So people in an unhappy society are not satisfied with their lives. If they are like this, they may commit a crime in the worst case. Their dissatisfaction about society can express their anger. So a society can be serious.
Therefore, I think an unhappy society causes losing people’s desire and increasing their dissatisfaction.
I like the way you organized your opinion. The structure of intro, body and conclusion was clear enough to read easily. And your opinions about negative effects of an unhappy society were understandable as well.
I like the way you organized your opinion. The structure of into, body and conclusion was clear enough to read easily. And your opinions about negative effects of an unhappy society were understandable as well.
I would like to rank my happiness scale as 4. Why I put this on scale 4 is that simply I often do not feel happy. I am attending KHU now but I should graduate as soon as possible. As most Korean young people do, I also feel nervous and uncomfortable for getting a job. Like this circumstance, I clearly want to be relaxed and feel happiness but it is too hard at times. In addition, my personality, of course, does not feel happy or something warm easily. I have tried to change this personality into being delightful easily and positive. Happiness is related to many sorts of factors because I find myself comparing me and others. I just hope that my happiness scale is getting higher.
1. What is your definition of happiness?
I have been thinking of that happiness is the power of overcoming bad circumstances and being positive than ever. It is not possible that people always have great feeling and make a lot of money, and everything goes well. Unfortunately, there are many obstacles in my life and I might fall over them. Whenever I face the hurdles, I would feel frustrated and discouraged. But, I think when I get there, if I can get over the situation and make two steps further it will be kinds of happiness. Through the time, I am likely to grow up and have matured. When I see myself I am coming to maturity, it is the biggest happiness.
I totally agree with your idea that comparing me to others harms my happiness. It is interesting that the power to overcome obstacles is happiness and the accomplishment after overcoming hurdles is also the happiness. Therefore the happiness may be the start and the result of overcoming difficulties.
I really understand the reasons you don’t feel happy. People usually suffer from the worries for the future life and low confidence with their own personality. However, I hope you know that you are valuable and can do everything when you try hard. To be confident with yourself 🙂
I would like to give myself 4 score about happiness. These days, I’m so accustomed to this university life, and I feel bored. Since I came back from military service at the beginning of last year, I have kept going the same pattern of life as a student. Although I am searching new activity for new change in my life, it does not go well. Furthermore, I also feel pressure of getting a job; therefore I think I have to do something to prepare employment. Hence, I do not feel too happy now.
3. What causes someone to be unhappy?
I think there are lots of factors which make people feel unhappy. Those can be money, health, people, jobs, appearances, … and so on. Among them, I am going to focus on spiritual aspects which lower the degree of satisfaction of life. I also referred to the movie ‘Hector and the Search for Happiness’ which covers the happiness.
First of all, people tend to compare themselves to others, especially who have more than them. This thought can give them a motivation to develop themselves. However, it usually accompanies desperation also. In a competitive society, people have to do much better than others to survive. However, there are many who are better than them and people always suffer from a sense of inferiority. It is demanding to set a standard in other people. It is need to stop comparing to others and lower their goal.
In addition, people usually find happiness in the future rather than in the present time. People work hard and strive to make money every day. Also, they complain about lack of time. People always tend to pursue only a bright and happy life in the future. However, they sometimes forget what is important now. They make a mistake that they neglect their important people like their family or friends because of a busy life. It is foolish to waste precious present time for uncertain happiness in the future. Instead, people should seize the today’s happiness.
I really agree that people tend to compare themselves to others. Because I usually do it. When I compare me to others, I feel unhappy and disappointed. And I keep thinking of it. I will not compare to others any more.
Then what can make people happy? For my case, when I do what I want freely, it gives me happiness, but each person has different view point of happiness. Some people feel happy while they eat very delicious foods, they spend their time with people or they earn money. However, there are somethings that people share: Freedom, People, Love. I think the tree things are most important factors that give people happiness. When people get a job or do what they want they feel happy because they can feel full of heart and joy. Also, people spend their time with friends, families and get rid of stresses while sharing their exciting stories or sad happening. Finally, people find their own partner who they want to live with forever. By living and spending times with partner who can support, people can depend on each other when they face with bad experience. Therefore, while sharing all the joys and sorrow with people and doing what they want, people feel happiness in their life.
I want to give myself 6 points for happiness because my life is full of daily small happiness also with small sadness. In other words, half of my life has happiness and the other half has sadness. I think that there is no life which is filled with only sorrowful stuffs. When a person experience a dreadful situation but these would be solved as time passes and when someone feel happy but after that something sad can be happen. To sum up, a life can be said as 새옹지마 [塞翁之馬] and what a person looks more happy or sad than others is because each person has different way of thinking. Therefore, even though I give 6 points which looks not high but it means that I am satisfied with my life.
Then what can make people happy? For my case, when I do what I want freely, it gives me happiness, but each person has different view point of happiness. Some people feel happy while they eat very delicious foods, they spend their time with people or they earn money. However, there are somethings that people share: Freedom, People, Love. I think the tree things are most important factors that give people happiness. When people get a job or do what they want they feel happy because they can feel full of heart and joy. Also, people spend their time with friends, families and get rid of stresses while sharing their exciting stories or sad happening. Finally, people find their own partner who they want to live with forever. By living and spending times with partner who can support, people can depend on each other when they face with bad experience. Therefore, while sharing all the joys and sorrow with people and doing what they want, people feel happiness in their life.
My happiness rank is 9. Firstly, I’m in good physical health now. And there is harmony in my home. But most of all, I can do what I want to do. I can realize my values whenever I want to do it. The reason I did not give myself 10 is that I expect better tomorrow than today.
1. What is your definition of happiness?
In my opinion, happiness is to fulfil one’s values. This is relevant to what one lives for. The values are different and unique for every person. However, some people live without their own values. Without realization of values, people can get pleasure but not true happiness. So It would be better to have long-lasting and changeless values.
I envy that a physical health is one of the factors that make you happy. In my case, because of busy life, I somewhat lose my health. Also, on yesterday, I suffer from stomach cramps because of stress. I hope my body recovers health.
I would like to give score 9 on my happiness. A first reason that I think I’m happy this much is people around me. Thankfully, I have had a bond with a lot of good people who share my sadness and hardship together. Whenever I feel depressed or frustrated, people around me have always given a help for me. For example, when the economic situation of our family went down thoroughly, a director of the academy that I attended knew that and did not accept payment for the academy for 1~2 months. Another reason I think like that is my satisfactory life. Of course, I’m not a perfect person who has all things. However, I think I have almost everything I want ; I join the club I hoped to be in and have a lovely boyfriend, precious best friends, family and a pleasant life in Kyunghee University. A factor which cuts one score from a perfect 10 is ‘health’ Because of clearly busy life, I feel easily get tired. I think this situation comes from my greed to do all things perfectly. In order to protect my health, it is needed for me to reduce my greed.
3. What causes someone to be unhappy?
Excessive greed on several things causes people to be unhappy. Typically, people’s greed on money and honor makes them unhappy. Especially, people’s greed on money pervades every aspect of life. It is because “money” is thought as the most important and essential tool to manage an affluent life in a capitalistic society. People are obsessed about earning a lot of money, so in the process of running for money, they lose precious things such as friends, family and their own pure dream. Finally, people’s greed on money ruins their happiness. Greed on honor can also screw up people’s happiness. In order to gain honor, people usually wrap up with themselves as a respectable person. For example, Shin Jeong-ah, an artistic director of the Gwangju Biennale and assistant professor of Dongguk University, forged her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from U.S. universities. This kind of behavior finally brought down one’s life and happiness. Of course, an appropriate greed on money and honor can be a great source to make people live their life diligently. However, when it becomes excessive more and more, greed devours all the valuable things. Always be careful not to be greedy.