Happiness Essay final draft Research Paper Example

Happiness Essay final draft Research Paper Example Happiness Essay final draft Paper Happiness Essay final draft Paper First we must understand what happiness is. Most would describe it as an emotional state of well-being distinguished by positive emotions. How do experiences vs.. Material possessions affect ones happiness? Many people tend to believe that money can buy happiness, but others believe that experiences are much more appealing and pleasing when it comes to happiness and would rather go on a vacation or to a concert than have a large house or fast car. Its true that going to a concert does cost money but not the kind of money needed to buy a house or car. Myers (2000) found that an estimate that only 10 to 15 percent of Americans think Of homeless as truly happy (56). Does this mean that America as a country is not collectively happy? Or are these self-evaluations incorrect? We need to find out why Americans do not find themselves as truly happy. Some would say that it is because we expect material possessions and money to bring us happiness. I think that when the phrase money can buy happiness is used, it is meant by the use of money when buying large material items such as a car or a house. This past summer I was able to go to the Jason Alden concert and Country Explosion, which is three days of concerts. To me, this was one of the best ways to spend my summer days. I got to spend quality time with my family and friends and on top of that, I was able to listen to some of my favorite country artists. At the Jason Alden concert I was able to go with novo of my best girlfriends and a few days before the concert some of my best guy friends decided to come as well. We bought cheap tickets not caring if we would have the best seats. We were just excited to go to the concert. : Once we got to the concert we moved to an area where there werent many people just talking and having fun in between Jake Owen and Jason Alden, when this lady came up to us and asked if we wanted floor seats. All we had to do is give her Our Old tickets and she would give us floor seats. None Of us could believe it. We were so close to the stage you could see the sweat dripping off the guitarists face. Obviously we didnt pay the money to get the best tickets but either way, we were able to have fun when we were up in the stands and also down on the floor. Hint that most people would rather spend their money on this type of experience, than they would on a car. L, personally would rather drive my old truck and be able to go to concerts and have experiences like that at the Jason Alden concert. In this case, money was used and the result was a good experience and a memory that will last a lifetime. Money can increase OR decrease happiness, depending on how it is used (Myers 2000, 59). This can mean that money can improve happiness or ruin it depending on how you spend it. One thing that this is proving is that if one were to buy a new car thinking that it will bring you happiness, there will always be better cars out there that they will want. But if you spend your money on a vacation, even if at the time is not the best experience, it will always be a great memory that can be talked about and eminences by everyone who was a part of it. Previous investigation proves that money oriented objects have negatively affected happiness and psychological well-being (Van Oven 2005, 132). Van Oven proves that material items can have a negative an effect on our happiness. How can being happy create better relationships? A large part of our happiness is based on the relationships we have. But in reverse, how can being happy create a better relationship in your life? Those who have good relationships in life are usually happier. If you think about it, if one were to have a bad day or something goes wrong or if something really exciting happens to someone, one would usually go and talk to a loved one or a close friend about what happened. Creating good friendships is very important, especially for those suffering from depression. Noted in The Funds, Friends, and Faith of Happy People, Compared with those who are depressed, happy people are less self-focused, less hostile, and abusive, and less vulnerable to disease. They also are more loving, forgiving, trusting, energetic, decisive, creative, sociable, and helpful (as cited in Myers 2000, 58). For most, this would be their spouse. This is showing how much healthier and ore positive happy peoples lives are. They focus more on others rather than themselves and are quicker to forgive and trust others. While some may say this is a bad thing, would think this is very good. When it comes to trusting people that is one hard thing for me to do, but personally, I love it when meet someone and know instantly that I can trust them. There is a large amount of data that shows those who are attached are much happier than those who are unattached (Myers 2000, 62). A great deal of people say that those who are married are more happy people but why? When marked by intimacy, marriage-friendship sealed by commitment educes loneliness and offers a dependable lover and companions (as cited in Myers 2000 63). Having someone you can always trust and lean on is important in leading a happy life. If there isnt anyone one could tell their frustrations too, it is almost impossible for one to be happy. Whether one feels so or not, after telling someone about their frustrations it helps most to feel better and appreciate those who they can trust, making them a more trustworthy person. Scientists have perceived that unlike material items, we are more likely to continue to develop positive emotions after we have attained a close relationship. Relationships like these create psychological space and safety in our lives (Connection and happiness, 2011). This shows how healthy relationships are in our life. How do bad relationships influence our happiness? When we dont get along well with someone or are always disagreeing with one, we tend to keep our distance from them and avoid them. But when it comes to a spouse or a family member, it is hard to avoid. In the American Nightmare it noted, Divorce rates in the United States are still the highest in the West. And staying together is often no better. The percentage of Americans unhappy in their marriages is a full 10 points higher today than it was in the polls 30 odd years ago (Candler 2011 , 33). Some people choose to stay together instead of getting a divorce for the children, but if children are seeing their parents constantly fighting how is that supposed to be best for the kids? Personally speaking, it is not better for the children. Grew up with my parents constantly fighting, it didnt matter if we were at the dinner table or trying to go to sleep at night they had no problem fighting in front of their children. It has made it very hard for me to trust people and allow them into y life, especially men. Although they had their difficulties in the past, they have gotten past that and have gone on to have a better marriage. It has taught me and my siblings how a healthy marriage should be, and how to work through relationships even though all relationships are never perfect. In most cases people choose not to work at their relationship thinking that it will be smooth sailing when in reality no relationship is perfect. Candler (2011) stated that Social scientists have found that a poor marriage may be worse than staying single (33). It seems as if people have the image of a perfect spouse that they will array. Jean Twinge said, Now we expect our marriage partner to be our best friend, and a great lover, a great parent, and a soul mate, really good looking and have a great sense of humor. We have these expectations for marriage we cant possibly fulfill (As cited in The American Nightmare 2011, 33). Of course a marriage has to be based on a solid friendship, but all of these expectations cannot possibly be realistic. No relationship or marriage Will be perfect but all relationships take work. Most all relationships do bring us happiness in one way or another whether We realize it or not. Before this essay, I had never taken a step back and realized how truly happy and grateful I am with the relationships I have in my life. Conclusion With that, we can gain a new perspective on how we can truly be happy through experiences and relationships and the effects that each of those have on our happiness. Relationships, both good and bad will obviously have an effect on our happiness. Sometimes we take the little things in life for granted, but once we realize what we have we realize how the little things in life can make our happiness that much greater.