"One of life's sharpest paradoxes is that the key to satisfaction is doing things that feel risky, uncomfortable, and occasionally bad."
This article posted on Psychology Today covers some research on happiness not covered in our textbook.
If you choose to respond to this article for credit under the "blog comments" portion of your grade:
- Briefly summarize the aspect(s) of the article you found most interesting. Be sure to use your own words in this summation - copying and pasting sentences/paragraphs from the article will not suffice.
- Explain in some detail/provide an example (or examples) of how the aforementioned aspect(s) pertain to your personal life.
- How does this article relate to what we've discussed in class or what is written in your textbook?
- Provide a list of terms you used from the chapters we have discussed this far.
Your responses will ideally follow paragraph form as opposed to a listing of bullets for each of the sections listed above. In other words, rather than first summarizing the article followed by providing examples from your everyday life, you can interweave this points to form a coherent paragraph.
Remember, you should be writing these comments as if you were going to print them out and hand them in. Thus, spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc. is important!
Lastly, there is no length requirement for this particular assignment. That being said though, I expect your responses to be well thought out and longer than a few sentences. As the semester progresses, you'll be expected to write longer responses as you'll have more information from class/your textbook to tie into your posts.
In the article “What Happy People do Differently” I found the sentence “…we worry instead about how to live our best lives” (Kashdan), to be interesting because I find it to be so true for a lot of people that I have been around. The article talks about how happiness is now more important than becoming rich or successful among other things. At this point in my life, that serves to be true. I am at a point where I am choosing to eat healthy, exercise, cut out being hung over and also spending money just to find happiness. Doing all of these things has in turn increased my overall happiness in life.
ReplyDeleteI also found that a good friend is not one who is only there when in need but when they are there in a time of success. Personally, when something in my life goes right I like to tell my best friend about it and be able to talk about it with them, so this part of the article I believe is to be true in friendship.
Finding purpose is another interesting topic the article talked about. I think finding purpose is an important key factor to finding happiness. Being able to find activities that are enjoyable throughout each week could result in feeling satisfied and accomplished which could lead to a feeling of happiness. Running is one of my favorite activities and it leaves me feeling accomplished and determined to get other things done during the day. Finding happiness through an activity such as running gives purpose to my life.
This article was very interesting to me. I found that I could connect to a lot of things that they were discussing. They talked about how people basically strive to be happy and feel that happiness is one of the ultimate goals. The article discussed certain aspects and specific points. One of the points was that people should strive outside of their comfort zone and not just stick to what they know makes them feel good or what makes them happy. The article discussed the importance of a good friendship and how having a good support system helps with our happiness too.
ReplyDeleteAn example in the article that I found to be interesting was in the section that talked about curiosity. The line goes, "Of course, there are plenty of instances in life where the best way to increase your satisfaction is to simply do what you know feels good, whether it's putting your favorite song on the jukebox or making plans to see your best friend." I agree with this line completely because there are moods that I will be in that i listen to certain music or talk to a certain somebody. I do agree that being curious and branching out is an excellent thing to do but I do not see the shame in going to the comfort zone as well when times get hard or when you really are in need of feeling good. Another example that I found to be very interesting was under the section of how to balance and maintain your happiness. The line goes "If you want to envision a happy person's stance, imagine one foot rooted in the present with mindful appreciation of what one has—and the other foot reaching toward the future for yet-to-be-uncovered sources of meaning." I absolutely love this line because I do think that it is very important to reflect and appreciate what you have but never stop striving for more or reaching more goals.
This article relates to class because I think that everybody has a different level of happiness and handles their emotions differently. It would be interesting to see what everybody wrote down for what makes them happy from class last week. I bet there will be some basic similarities like family and friends but it would be interesting to see the differences as well.
This article was very interesting to me. I found that I could connect to a lot of things that they were discussing. They talked about how people basically strive to be happy and feel that happiness is one of the ultimate goals. The article discussed certain aspects and specific points. One of the points was that people should strive outside of their comfort zone and not just stick to what they know makes them feel good or what makes them happy. The article discussed the importance of a good friendship and how having a good support system helps with our happiness too.
ReplyDeleteAn example in the article that I found to be interesting was in the section that talked about curiosity. The line goes, "Of course, there are plenty of instances in life where the best way to increase your satisfaction is to simply do what you know feels good, whether it's putting your favorite song on the jukebox or making plans to see your best friend." I agree with this line completely because there are moods that I will be in that i listen to certain music or talk to a certain somebody. I do agree that being curious and branching out is an excellent thing to do but I do not see the shame in going to the comfort zone as well when times get hard or when you really are in need of feeling good. Another example that I found to be very interesting was under the section of how to balance and maintain your happiness. The line goes "If you want to envision a happy person's stance, imagine one foot rooted in the present with mindful appreciation of what one has—and the other foot reaching toward the future for yet-to-be-uncovered sources of meaning." I absolutely love this line because I do think that it is very important to reflect and appreciate what you have but never stop striving for more or reaching more goals.
This article relates to class because I think that everybody has a different level of happiness and handles their emotions differently. It would be interesting to see what everybody wrote down for what makes them happy from class last week. I bet there will be some basic similarities like family and friends but it would be interesting to see the differences as well.
This article was very interesting to me. I found that I could connect to a lot of things that they were discussing. They talked about how people basically strive to be happy and feel that happiness is one of the ultimate goals. The article discussed certain aspects and specific points. One of the points was that people should strive outside of their comfort zone and not just stick to what they know makes them feel good or what makes them happy. The article discussed the importance of a good friendship and how having a good support system helps with our happiness too.
ReplyDeleteAn example in the article that I found to be interesting was in the section that talked about curiosity. The line goes, "Of course, there are plenty of instances in life where the best way to increase your satisfaction is to simply do what you know feels good, whether it's putting your favorite song on the jukebox or making plans to see your best friend." I agree with this line completely because there are moods that I will be in that i listen to certain music or talk to a certain somebody. I do agree that being curious and branching out is an excellent thing to do but I do not see the shame in going to the comfort zone as well when times get hard or when you really are in need of feeling good. Another example that I found to be very interesting was under the section of how to balance and maintain your happiness. The line goes "If you want to envision a happy person's stance, imagine one foot rooted in the present with mindful appreciation of what one has—and the other foot reaching toward the future for yet-to-be-uncovered sources of meaning." I absolutely love this line because I do think that it is very important to reflect and appreciate what you have but never stop striving for more or reaching more goals.
This article relates to class because I think that everybody has a different level of happiness and handles their emotions differently. It would be interesting to see what everybody wrote down for what makes them happy from class last week. I bet there will be some basic similarities like family and friends but it would be interesting to see the differences as well.
I found this whole article enthralling, but I found some aspects more fascinating than others. One aspect that I found most interesting was the fact that everyone has a different level for true happiness. Some people are happier and some are just content. Another interesting aspect was when the writer said that truly happy people are more curious, they try new foods, activities, or interests. Happier people don’t spend too much time on the little things, they most on and don’t think too much into it. It is also important to be happy for a friend when they have something go right, even if it makes you jealous.
ReplyDeleteNow I’m going to tie in those aspects and how they relate to my life. I feel as if there are definitely people who have different levels of true happiness. Some of my friends are higher than mine and some are lower. There are moments where this might stick out, because if someone does something upsetting, my happier friend may just blow it off but my not so happy friend might make a big deal about it. Also I understand the curious part because on days where I’m the most curious are the days where I’m happier. When I’m traveling and trying new things and seeing new places, I’m in a better mood then when I’m at home having another takeout pizza. The article also said that it’ll make you happier if you are excited for a friend when something good happens. I agree with that because when my friend got a new job, I was excited for her and I almost had the same feelings as she did. If I were to be jealous because I was looking for a job and couldn’t find one, then I wouldn’t be as happy.
This article relates to class because everyone is on their own level of happiness and it affects everyone. Each classmate handles their emotions and happiness at different levels and one thing might make someone happy, while it upsets another. Everyone is unique in their own way and I believe that happiness adds to the uniqueness of our class and our community.
I found a lot of things interesting about this article. The thing I found the most interesting was how people will dedicate their lives to becoming happy. This article showed how people think ultimate happiness is something everyone should strive for. I found this interesting because I agree completely with it, because happiness is something I try to accomplish. Another thing I found interesting is how the the article brought up going outside of your "comfort zone". To me I find this very easy to do, because I also always push my limits and try and go out of my "comfort zone".
ReplyDeleteIn this article the line that connected mostly to my personal life is the line stating "Of course, there are plenty of instances in life where the best way to increase your satisfaction is to simply do what you know feels good, whether it's putting your favorite song on the jukebox or making plans to see your best friend". I connected with this line because I agree that doing something that feels good will make you feel good. Most people I know in my life would also agree with this statement. I strive to be happy and not dwell on negative aspects of my life. Lines such as this one really show how some of these aspects can tie into anyones personal life.
This article relates to the lecture we received in class today about happiness. There were lists given about the different things that make people happy and there level of importance. This article was all about happiness, also just like the video we watched during class. Also, it relates how each person deals with their happiness and how important it is in their daily lives.
In this article the pursuit of happiness is thoroughly explored. This basic human interest, or right as many people seem to believe, was shown to be the dedication of many lives. I thought it was very interesting just how many countries and people share this ideal for something entirely subjective. I also found it interesting how throughout our lecture in class and in this article happiness is almost constantly referred to as a drug. The article claimed that happiness was better than a shot of dopamine and lasted longer.
ReplyDeleteThis article relates to everyone’s life, I believe, including my own. The several countries and individuals who testified that happiness is the true ideal for human nature prove how important it is for physical and mental well-being. As discussed, happiness causes a certain effect in the brain, releasing a “drug” into the system, this action is repeated because of the positive stimulus caused. This can be anything from, as the article stated, putting on your favorite song or having dinner with a good friend. These stimuli are different for everyone, yet they seem to be similar. I base this thought on my previous classmates’ posts, a positive direction towards music and friendship, we all seem to share this link, if that is true then perhaps we also share links that make us unhappy.
This article was very relevant to our first lecture and the documentary we watched. I feel that it expanded greatly on the same ideas and principles we viewed. It’s so fascinating to see how different cultures and countries view happiness and comparing it to our own. It raises interesting questions about true happiness and the true ideal we all seek in life.
There were many interesting aspects of this article but one thing that stood out to me was the fact that they said that happiness is more of emotion but more of a state of mind. It lasts longer than an emotion because it isn't just a simple emotion. It was also interesting that happiness was found to be more important than desirable objects or places. Happiness isn't just about doing things that make you happy but also about being comfortable in your own skin and your status in life.
ReplyDeleteThe aspect of the rewards you get from taking risks really related to my life. I agreed with the points talked about in this section because in order to fulfill your life how you want to, you have to be willing to do something that you normally wouldn't do. It doesn't have to be something totally out of your comfort zone but something that you're not fully sure about doing. If you think about doing something different but then opt out and don't do it, you may regret your decision and have wished that you'd done it. A majority of the time, you won't regret trying something new but be happy that you extended your hand to a new task or activity.
This article relates to class because everyone has a different take on what happiness is and how they attain their happiness. Different aspects, such as the ones in the article, give different people happiness based on that particular person. Each person is unique and finds happiness in a different way. Although certain aspects make each person happy, the way in which they are truly happy can be done through different strategies or ways.
As a whole, this article was a very interesting one. It brought about various different ways in which happiness is achieved, most of which were surprising to me; the fact that taking part in risky activities incites happiness is one I hadn't thought about before. Apparently, risky behavior induces curiosity, which indirectly brings about happiness. For me, equating daring and happiness is only true to some extent. I'm up for trying new things, but stepping too far out of my comfort zone makes me more nervous than curious. Also, the article stated that people who were less concerned about performing well on things like academics, class attendance, or work salaries. Not having your world revolve around materials and achievements is much less stressful than being concerned about perfecting every aspect of your life. As perfection is unattainable, there is no use in stressing yourself about it. That is not to say people shouldn't bother trying their best to achieve goals; instead, happiness is more likely to be attained by those who try hard but accept falling short of perfection. I found it interesting that the article ended with a discussion about happiness not being all there is to life. Focusing too much on happiness and spending your entire life in search of it can cause you to miss things right in front of you that could satisfy just as much as whatever it is you're looking for.
ReplyDeleteThis article definitely relates to the documentary we watched in class tonight. The video showed various accounts of people who were happy with things that we as Americans would have trouble finding satisfaction in. Happiness is sought after by people worldwide, and the means by which it is attained vary as much as the individuals in search of it and the cultures from which they originate.
I really enjoyed reading this article! I love the "happiness" studies of psychology and really enjoy learning about the differences in what people THINK will make them happy and what research has shown to make people happy. It's part of psychology that goes against the "common sense" assumption and definitely sparks interest for me.
ReplyDeleteOne part of the article that really struck my attention was one of the last paragraphs that discussed that those who give a "devil may care attitude" about performance tend to be happier. I definitely agree with this, as striving for perfection can often lead to disappointments and dissatisfaction. When someone is disappointed, he or she associates this with failure which causes unhappiness. Striving to do well but not sweating the small stuff and not expecting perfection is a good formula for being happy.
The article itself relates to what we are talking about in class as well as the documentary we watched tonight because happiness is what we all strive for, but it's important to be aware of how to go about the pursuit of happiness without becoming more unhappy along the way.
I never really thought that hard about my happiness until I read this article. I assumed it was an emotion that came and went, but after reading this article I realized there are many ways to control your happiness. The first thing that caught my eye was that the article talked about how taking risks can lead to being happy. For me taking risk usually means I am a stressed out mess. After reading how taking risks can be very rewarding in the long run and cause happiness I have a different outlook on risk taking. I can see how a risk dealing with social activity can make you happy. Since, in class we discussed how social activity is moderately important to happiness. Another interesting take on happiness is when the article described how happy people handle negative aspects in their life. I never really have heard how to put this positive spin to negative emotions, but this article clearly explained that happy people don’t just allow negative emotions to roll of their back, as some might think, genuine happy people learn how to pin point what is causing this reaction thus being able to find a solution. People who have this outlook I can see having a outgoing or positive personality, which is very important to happiness.
ReplyDeleteI found this article very interesting especially the part about how too much happiness may potentially be harmful to you. I never thought that there could come a time when someone is too happy that they basically do not even care about anything in their life. At the other end of that I also found the part about how having some depression is not bad for you either, and being able to pick up on small detains is good.
ReplyDeleteI can remember a time during school when I was extremely excited for the weekend and the plans that I had. This was on a Tuesday so I still had a few days of school to get through, but I could care less. I had a test that week that I ended up doing terrible on. A friend of mine was going through something tough that week, but I did not even notice the sad expression on her face. I am not saying that I wish I would have been miserable that week so I would have noticed. I just did not understand how easily I could miss things and only because of being so excited for the weekend. There are many other things in this article relating to happiness that I could talk about, but this one surprised me the most so it is all I will talk about in comparison to my personal life.
This article hugely relates to class and the documentary we jut watched on happiness. Everyone has their own ideas of what it means to be happy and how to achieve it. It can relate to their culture, religion, or many other things, ,and it is very interesting to see and hear other people's views about happiness.
Although this article was thoroughly interesting, I found the beginning more particularly interesting that the rest. The definition that was given about what is considered happy is something I agree with. Although, some that are content are not always happy, and some that are happy are not always content. Also what was said about the natural set point was very interesting. Thinking about that, there are certain people who are more naturally happy and others who are more naturally sad. Lastly, the correlation that was found between happiness and curiosity was something that I, personally, have never heard before, but it was definitely an interesting concept to read about.
ReplyDeleteThis pertains to my life with the aspect of the natural set point of happiness. On a daily basis, everyone has to deal with those people who fall on the happy side and people who fall more on the sad side. Then there are those people who fall right in the middle and have those moments where they tend to fall to either side, but then after a certain period they get back to natural set point. The definition of happiness can also pertain to my life, because I am content with where I am and I am happy. There I completely agree with what the definition is saying.
This relates to what we actually talked about in class today: happiness. After watching the video, I am bringing up the definition of happiness once again. All the people who were interviewed were content with what they had, even if it wouldn’t make another person happy, or content. It was nice to see the variety in the world and the difference between the U.S. and other countries.
The only term I used that we have used in class is correlation, which is the relationship between two different things.
Within this article, the part that jumped out at me the most was that feeling happiness isn't necessarily having everything good in your life, but being content and feeling comfortable with what you do have. It also talks about how different personalities think of happiness in different ways because everyone has different wants and needs. This correlates to my life because I have a number of friends who are very concerned about money. They will look for characteristics in a potential partner, but if there is no money involved then they will most likely not make the cut. This is where I differ. Having money is a great feeling, but I care more about the little things and personal gestures made by someone than by what they might or might not have in their wallet. Some people do think money is necessary to be happy so that they can have whatever they want, but I plan to make enough money in the future to where I feel comfortable and feel like I and my family are in a stable position. Another part of this article that intrigued me was the part about curiosity. Some people are willing to give up a contentment for a few minutes of what they think could possibly make them happy. This all relates to what we have talked about in class because of how differently everyone views their own happiness. I'm sure there were no two papers that had the exact same five things written that make them happy.
ReplyDeleteThis article brought up many new interesting points on what the key ingredients are to being happy. Many people tend to ask themselves, or others how to be happier. This is a common question, and may seem difficult to some. This article certainly made it clear that it is easier than some may think!
ReplyDeleteBeing happy is exceptionally good for individuals, health wise. Your subjective well-being reflects on a lot of things. Optimism involves getting yourself out of your comfort zone and experiencing new things. The article brought up that curiosity could help create satisfaction in life, which in turn, promotes happiness. Having curiosity is a simple task, especially for receiving happiness in return. There was a study done that proved that individuals who were actively curious were truly more happy than individuals who were not.
Being happy isn’t necessarily about being realistic. It seems that happy people are more likely to let something rude slide (like their significant other rolling their eyes at them) versus someone who is in a state of depression. This person may become extremely defensive when they notice their significant other rolling their eyes. It’s as though happy people have “emotional protection”, or a shield from negative emotions others display. This is wonderful to hear, because I actually just finished writing about an article that discussed how stress is contagious! I will certainly use this knowledge to my advantage, for I tend to find myself stressing about a lot of things, that don’t necessarily need to be my stress. I will try to focus on positive thoughts, versus other individuals stress and negative vibes in order to lead a happier and healthier lifestyle.
Key terms: stress, depression, subjective well-being,emotions, optimism
I really enjoyed reading this article. In fact, I found it to be one of the more enjoyable, interesting articles I've read thus far. Being happy for me goes hand in hand with being content. I don't necessarily have everything I want, but I have everything I need and I'm very content with that. The article discussed various aspects of happiness and one major thing that jumped out at me was that taking risks can lead to happiness. This kind of caught me off guard because when I think of doing something risky, I first think of feelings of stress and anxiety, but after reading the article and thinking about risks that I myself have taken, I can definitely see how it could correlate to being happy. I also found it interesting to read about the correlation between happiness and curiosity. My curiosity tends to get me in trouble, but I can see how it could/would bring happiness to some.
ReplyDeleteI feel as though most individuals can relate to this article, including myself. I think if the world was a less materialistic place, happiness would be more abundant for everybody. This article relates to me personally because I am one of those people who tend to fall more on the happy side, where one of my best friends in the opposite, and falls more on the sad side. While I myself do stress quite a bit at the end of the day I always see the positive side, the bright side. I find myself helping my friends do the same. This article also relates to me in the fact that I am content with all that I have in life. Overall, I'm a very happy, content person and that is how I choose to be.
This article relates to the documentary we watched in class about happiness. Pretty much people who choose to be happy, will be happy. Happiness doesn't follow any rules or guidelines and no two people are the same when it comes to all that makes them happy or content.