Happiness Essay final draft
How Do Relationships and Experiences Affect Happiness?
Cameron Loutensock
College of Southern Idaho
How do Relationships and Experiences Affect Happiness? Happiness is one thing that many people overlook when it comes to how we become happy, or simply put what makes us happy and how the things in life affect our happiness. Some of the things that we may think of when it comes to happiness is the relationships we have in life and the material possessions or the things we experience. Taking a deeper look into these things we will realize some things we never even thought of when it comes to the effect of worldly things on happiness and life. 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. It’s 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 themselves 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 Aldean 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
Cameron Loutensock
College of Southern Idaho
How do Relationships and Experiences Affect Happiness? Happiness is one thing that many people overlook when it comes to how we become happy, or simply put what makes us happy and how the things in life affect our happiness. Some of the things that we may think of when it comes to happiness is the relationships we have in life and the material possessions or the things we experience. Taking a deeper look into these things we will realize some things we never even thought of when it comes to the effect of worldly things on happiness and life. 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. It’s 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 themselves 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 Aldean 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
References: Connection and happiness. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/thisemotionallife/topic/connecting/connection-happiness Gertner, J. (2003, September 7). The futile pursuit of happiness. New York Times Magazine, 44. Myers, D. G. (2000). The funds, friends, and faith of happy people. American Psychologist, 55(1), 56-67. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.56 Sandler, L. (2011). The American nightmare: We have everything the American Dream prescribed, So why aren 't we happy?. Psychology Today, 44(2), 70-77. Retrieved from http://www.psychologytoday.com Van Boven, L. (2005). Experientialism, materialism, and the pursuit of happiness. Review of General Psychology, 9(2), 132-142. doi:10.1037/1089-2680.9.2.132