Unisa Jaffa
Kaplan University
HU300 – 10 Art and Humanities
Prof Crystal Hofegartner
The first person that I interviewed was a very close family friend and his name is MR Vandi Konneh. He is self-employed and he is in his mid-fifty’s and we always consented to him for prayers and also help resolving family dispute between me and my wife as he is a spiritual healer. He has been part of my family for the past ten to fifteen years now. And he played a great part in meeting my wife as he was the mediator between me and my wife when we first started talking. We have a very amicable relationship with him and we trusted him with even our most secret information about our family matters and he is …show more content…
Question: What is your happiest memory to date?
Response: That is a hard question but probably the day my twin sisters asked me advice about boys. This memory reminds me so much of when I was their age. It made me so happy to think they value my advice and opinions.
(G. Hine, Personal Communication, October 7th 2012)
Interview with Natalie
Question: How would you define Happiness?
Response: That is simple my children are my whole world. Everything they do brings happiness to me.
Question: Has your definition of Happiness changed over time?
Response: Yes with the birth of each of my children the happiness I experience grows more and more. Sure bad things have happened to me in the past but my children are my true reason for living and breathing each day.
Question: What experiences have influenced your definition?
Response: I would have to say the sole influence at this time is my children and I’m sure one day I will have grandchildren too.
Question: Do you expect your definition to change in the future?
Response: Yes I expect that it will change with time and with the birth of my grandchildren in the years to …show more content…
Appreciating and loving family makes so many things in this world worthwhile. To share a life with family should be counted as one of life’s great pleasures.
While both ladies have similar ideals about what their definition of happiness is it could be said that both these views will more than likely change and adapt as time goes past.
‘Aristotelianism is defined as happiness as the quality of a whole life time.’ “Happiness is the purpose for which we live. Aristotle concluded that happiness is not a moment to moment experience of pleasurable things but rather a way of characterizing how one’s life is being conducted. Happiness is living and having lived a good life”. (Janaro & Altshuler, 2009)
While it could be said this definition of happiness does not fit with the majority of individuals ideals of happiness it is actually quite interesting. Most elderly people who are terminally ill or just dying of old age will often say “I am happy; I have lived a good life.” Therefore it could be said that ‘Aristotelianism’ is an accurate definition of happiness certainly for that