...Jonathan Broadie Mr. Hurley Eng 131 26 Oct 2014 Sacrificing Happiness As Ursula LeGuin emphasizes in “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas”, happiness is about perspective. This perspective differs between those who seek it, as do the lengths that people are willing to go to achieve their version of happiness. People often argue the moral boundary of sacrificing the well-being of few for the well-being of many. In LeGuin’s story a utopia exists. The people that inhabit it experience true happiness. Their happiness comes with a price that the inhabitants are informed of between eight and twelve years old. Locked in a cupboard is a child who has to suffer in order to maintain the town’s perfect atmosphere. This is an extreme example of people sacrificing the well-being of few, or even one, for the happiness of many. A more realistic example comes from Kate Chopin’s “The Storm”. Chopin’s story involves a wife, a seemingly loving husband, and a young son in the 1800s. A storm hits and while the wife is safe at home, the husband and son are at a store and must remain there until it passes. A former lover of the wife is nearby when the storm hits and must take shelter at her home. Then story turns very intimate as the wife and the man from her past experience sensual tension while waiting out the storm. When the skies calm, the man leaves and shortly after, the husband and son return home and life continues as if nothing ever occurred. The wife, Calixta, jeopardized...
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...three have slightly different opinions on the importance of leisure, contemplative practice, and happiness, they all consider them essential for a full and complete life. It was clear that Aristotle had strong thoughts on the importance on contemplation. He claims that virtue can come in a variety of ways, including bravery, courage, and temperance. However, there is a greater virtue, which is the virtue of contemplation. He claims that contemplation is not achievable through the same methods that other virtues are achieved. To achieve this virtue, one must find time for a leisure activity that leads to deep happiness. Through this method, it allows one to seek out and find true virtue. While leisure is the way to contemplation, it is not possible without other virtues such as temperance and justice. “We must have leisure to attain these ends” (Presentation). Aristotle also presented an important element in achieving virtue when he stated, “A reflective person through inquiry can find true virtue, which allows them to recognize it, practice it and attain true happiness”(Presentation). According to Aristotle, not all leisure is the same and will bring on different types of happiness. Pleasurable activities can lose their pleasure by doing them repeatedly. Only through contemplation will one be lead to a deep happiness. “Happiness is worth choosing for its own sake because it is complete and self sufficient” (Aristotle 66). Happiness is the result of living a virtuous life. Practicing...
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...and consequences of happiness at work, drawing also on insights from the expanding positive psychology literature on happiness in general. A comprehensive measure of individual-level happiness at work might include work engagement, job satisfaction, and affective organizational commitment. Aspects of happiness have been (and should be) conceptualized and measured at multiple levels, including transient experiences, stable person-level attitudes, and collective attitudes, and with respect to multiple foci, such as discrete events, the job, and the organization. At all levels, there is evidence that happiness has important consequences for both individuals and organizations. Past research has tended to underestimate the importance of happiness at work. Critical analysis: happiness has been found to be a highly valued goal in most societies (Diener 2000). The rise of positive psychology in the past decade (Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi 2000) has legitimized attention to happiness and other positive states as opposed to the previously dominant disease model which directed attention disproportionately to illness, depression, stress and similar negative experiences and outcomes. three sets of questions about happiness are addressed: (1) How has happiness been defined and measured? (2) What are the antecedents of happiness? (3) What are the consequences of happiness? Defineing happiness: In contrast to the hedonic view of happiness as involving pleasant...
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...Lessons Learned: New Information for A Better Life FULL NAME Mt San Antonio College Abstract Information from Introduction to Psychology can be very useful in real life. Information regarding stress can help a person adjust the level of stress. He can find the best coping method if he knows the basic coping methods and how they work. He will also realize the importance of happiness, and the useful methods to improve the happiness set point. The class also gives the information on several mental disorders, and their symptoms so that students can aware and help those who are suffering from such disorders. However, a person has to aware of the extreme fear of stress and become hesitant in making decisions. The knowledge of stress, happiness, and disorders together with the awareness of extreme fear of stress can improve a person’s life significantly. While every class can provide information and knowledge, receiving that information as lessons, especially useful lessons, is not always applicable. While almost everybody would believe that they are familiar with psychology, most of them have misunderstood or underestimate the meaning of psychology. Psychology is more than a therapy which is used to treat mental disorders and social problems (Weinkauff, 2014). In fact, psychology is a very huge field with many subfields, and its applications are used in not only in therapies, but also in other practical applications (Wade & Tavris, 2014). People can improve their lives by...
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...Outline Kant: Basic definition and Ideas Mentions that good will, virtue of freedom are essential in obtaining happiness. Claims that establishment of a good will: shaping important desires, and attaining reasons for a good will is a process of striving for satisfaction. Very introspective to sensibility: Will is more valuable in making decisions than decisions under natural phenomenon. (Practical reason vs. Rational reason) Morality First Proposition of Morality: The relationship between duty and inclination: inclination has more personal connection and motivations which make the decisions and actions more introspective, which is why we need a strong will. Decisions can be moral if people do not perform actions under what they are told but truly become introspective about what they have in mind. Second Proposition of Morality: Duty lacks personal responsibility and thus, it cannot be understood as having followed by material principle. Third Proposition of Morality: Similar to the above: duty does not have a full account of respect, therefore does not require personal commitment into thinking under morality Mill: Basic definition and Ideas: Mentions satisfaction level, yet happiness are ultimately due to pride and dignity. Happiness cannot be measured under any quantity terms and each type of happiness is different. Happiness is the absence of pain and pleasure and unhappiness is deprivation of pain and pleasure. He also believes that people should enjoy...
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...recluses, or following an isolated occupation in remote place, while others need family and friends around them. Some are cut out for adventure, while others are happier in mundane pursuits. Some desire power or prestige, while others can only be satisfied by a vocation, such as the medical profession. It is therefore impossible to do more than generalize about the conditions which make for happiness. but one thing is certain; happiness has little to do with the possession or lack of material things -- it belongs to the mind, and its secret is the discovery of contentment and the gift of making the best of what is available. The basic, if unrealized pre-requisite of happiness is the good fortune to live in a free, settled and well-governed community. Bad government, the restriction of freedom, the incidence of crime and violence and the absence of the rule of the law-all these make for unsettled and therefore unhappy living. Security, justice, fair taxation, police protection, and a progressive community life lay the foundations of the happiness of the individual. The importance in happiness of having the right job cannot be over-emphasized. Those who are condemned to dull, blind-alley, insecure jobs are never really happy. Preferably, the job will be a selected one, requiring a training, and offering progress to a position of responsibility rather than an occupation taken, because there is no choice. When this amounts to a 'vocation' -- so much the better; at least the bulk of...
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...Zach Peters PHIL 220 April 10, 2015 Essay 2 Neil Levy’s article goes into depth on the controversial philosophy of money and its effect on happiness. Contrary to popular belief, Levy states that national surveys provide data that suggests money has very little effect on overall happiness. In this essay, I am going to analyze Levy’s article and explain why and how he believes money is of little importance in achieving overall well-being. I am also going to attempt to find correlations between income and happiness that Levy thinks may have significance in answering this philosophical question. My hopes are to find an alternative understanding of these correlations that the author may not have taken into consideration during his research. First, it is important for me to identify the possible scenarios that Levy puts on the y-axis. Happiness, being the underlying measurement, is affected by a variety of factors. Levy believes that in poorer countries, comfort and stress are thresholds that control happiness to a certain extent. The extent is to whether or not they have enough money to achieve the basic needs of life. For example, a roof over your head and enough food to survive. If these basic needs are met, money has little to no effect on their happiness. Along with comfort and stress, he discusses adaption and contentment as important factors that are effected by income. People seem to adapt to rises in the economy but fail to adapt when they experience a fall. During falls...
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...Self-Reliance, Emerson identifies the true power of the individual through firm belief that happiness and peace are self-generated by the individual. His writings lay firm hold of the good in each individual, and their abilities to remain intellectually independent, not allowing themselves to be influenced by society and the teachings of others. During his time, Emerson was often seen as a prophet with little to no flaws. The existence of his failures and mistakes went unnoticed, but like any other person, he too had his share of experience with both failure and success. Contrary to the way others would react to good or bad situations, Emerson stood out in the way that he did not believe one had to go through a roller coaster of emotions in reaction to those situations. He published dozens of essays and gave more than 1,500 public lectures across the country, spreading his beliefs to those who also disagreed with the pressure society put on the individual. “To believe your own thought, to believe what is true in your private heart, is true for all men, -- that is genius.” (Emerson, 269). Emerson strongly advocated for the power of the individual by clearly stating the importance of personal intuition and individualism. He believed that by being courageous and standing up for your personal beliefs, and doing what you have decided is wrong or right, from your personal experience, is the ultimate happiness and peace. Being independent does not necessarily mean removing yourself from society...
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...Augustine a good life is one full of happiness, freedom and good will. In order to achieve a good life one must follow the eternal law and favor eternal possessions over the temporal things in life. These same ideas are found in the works of C.S. Lewis and in the story of Chris McCandless. Lewis urges following the Tao to find freedom and morals, much like Augustine’s eternal law. He also emphasizes the importance of love, an eternal thing in life, by writing a whole book to describe the impact it has on humans. Then in his journey McCandless follows the writings of St. Augustine when he get rid of his temporal possessions in order to find the importance of life. In his journey, McCandless discovers that loved ones, eternal possessions, are the most important thing in living a good life. Personally, I would have to agree with St. Augustine’s view of a good life and how to get there. He is right when he says that a good life is full of happiness and good will. And to reach happiness and good will one should follow eternal law and favor eternal possessions over temporal ones. Eternal law tells us that we should not murder and be kind, which both clearly is part of living a good life. Also temporal possessions like phones and cars only bring us a few minutes of happiness while love and family can bring us a lifetime of happiness. St. Augustine has it right when he describes a good life as being happy, free and having good...
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...hello & goodbye |Ethical Theories : A Reflection | | | |Vanessa Claudja P. Carlos | | | | | |A Requirement for Paul Amerigo Pajo’s IT-Ethic Class | |De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde | Abstract This book is a consolidated collection of opinions on the Ethical Theories, a chapter from a book assigned to the students of IT-Ethic Section O0B, advised by Mr. Paul Amerigo Pajo. Works written by James Rachels, John Arthur, Friedrich Nietzche and the like are studied and analyzed and some are criticized by the author of this book. Dedication I dedicate this book to the following: My dearest family, who always believes in me; My sweetest friends, who never fails to keep me sane in this crazy world; Lastly, I dedicate this book to the Almighty Father, for everything else is nothing without You. Chapter I Egoism and Moral Scepticism James...
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...The idea of happiness in my standards is very similar to Darrin McMahon article in the Pursuit of Unhappiness. In the passage McMahon writes, he expresses that happiness comes within ourselves, and differentiates the qualities of happiness and pleasure. He explains that happiness and pleasure is based on an individuals’ morals. Happiness in my opinion is usually established within oneself, who can find the joy in life and spread positivity to their surroundings. Many people mistake happiness for pleasure, because there is an illusion in peoples’ daily lives that watching television brings happiness. When in reality it is only fulfilling a short amount of joy. Essentially, there are many ways people satisfy their happiness without noticing their behavior. In the other story Inner Contentment, I understand the authors’ position that materialistic things should not make a person happy, but I disagree in some aspects. The reason being depending on the material an individual is purchasing, that product has an ability to build more confidence in a person. Some products people purchase, and collect can be useful for a long time and others for short term use. Some items I...
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...middle of the seven matters was “serving others,” which 57 percent of Filipino adults called Very Important. Such Filipinos are altruists. There is no doubt that Jesse Robredo was one of them. The three other matters in the battery, with lower percentages calling them Very Important, were “friends” (37), “politics” (22), and “leisure time” (15). Aside from the 57 percent altruistic, another 37 percent called serving others Rather Important, and 6 percent called it Not Very or Not At All Important, in their lives. Filipino altruism is similar across age, sex, social class, and geographic area groups. I notice, though, that Muslim Filipinos are more altruistic (71 percent) than Christian Filipinos, Catholic or otherwise. Happiness in the Philippines, 2001. WVS-2001 also found 38 percent of Filipino adults feeling Very Happy, 49 percent...
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...It Takes A Lot To Keep Marriage Alive Family is something of major importance throughout a life, but I don’t think that we realize its importance until we are in the Middle Age Years of our life. Middle age according to our text is defined as the ages from 35 to 64( 489). I feel that people today are becoming established in their own lives before bringing a baby into the world. That is why some of the problems that once occurred in Early Adulthood when it came to marriage is now occurring in Middle Adulthood. I never would have considered myself in the category of Middle Adulthood until I studied this part of the book. In my opinion the most critical dynamic facing American families in Middle Adulthood is that of Marital Happiness and keeping your marriage alive.The happiness in a marriage can be compromised for many different reasons, some of which can be adjusted and some of which there is no adjustment. The first thing that comes to mind is communication. Communication is a very important key to every relationship, especially marriage. When communication is lost then problems and feelings are not discussed and things begin to build and then when the partner has had enough it erupts and if communication had been open in the first place then it would have been taken care of before it got this bad. This is something that can definitely be adjusted to make things better. Another thing that usually compromises a marriage is children. Children are in constant need...
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...Douglass, written by Frederick Douglass, and the play, A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry. Both text touch on the African American life, however occur in two different time periods. For example (Raisin), occurs post Civil War era, during a time in America where African Americans are free, yet face the hardships of entering a new life as an “American”; on the other hand (Douglass) takes place during the time of slavery in America, and portrays the story of Frederick Douglass and his struggle with slavery. It is important to note both texts significantly influenced America during their time of publication, and both share very similar ideologies. Take for example both text place an emphasis on the ideology of finding happiness, or at least pursuing happiness; yet both text take an entirely different approach...
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...110-69 “Happiness” Happiness. When people think about what they want, it often has to do with improving their circumstances. It can be found in many different forms. Being happy can be by getting or buying objects that will better your lifestyle. A lot of people don’t know the opposite of happiness. Pleasure can be a feeling of being happy because of their connection between each other. The more happiness inside the happier you may be. The more you have the more you may be happy. When buying or receiving something’s you feel happy. I believe that money does not buy happiness. Happiness is a feeling we find within ourselves as human beings. I feel that money can make a person happy for that one moment but not for ta lifetime. I believe that everyone should take note in and learn about the importance of money and there happiness within it. If you are rich and wealthy you may think that you have it all but ask yourself, are you really happy with just the money you have in your wallet? Money can buy you a lot of things but it can never buy you happiness. What is the true opposite of happiness? The opposite of happiness is not sadness. Its emptiness. One is surrounding a loss and the other a celebration. I believe that these two experiences are related to one another. The feeling of emptiness is the opposite of true happiness. Happiness and sadness isn’t in any way less than happy. When feeling empty you discover true depression and that can take away your happiness. I believe...
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