For my research essay I will be examining how society pressures people to be happy.  Society is built on the idea that people will pursue happy lives and in doing so, better the society they live in.  As a result, people who do not are cannot pursue that happiness, are shunned or taken in to be made happy.  If people were happy all the time, would society flourish or change?

A large percentage of people live selfish lives, pursuing happiness without regard for others’.  Therefore if everyone pursued selfish lives and only thought of themselves, then people would become mistrusting and disdainful of one another, undermining the happiness.  Is society’s pressure to pursue happiness destined to fail?

The Economics of Immediate Gratification

Background: People today only act on short-term gains.  Regardless of how we feel about doing well in the long-term, short-term outcomes still govern our actions.  Do people really think about their own actions causing self-control issues in the future?

How I intend to Use It: This article can shed light on the topic of self-awareness in long-term happiness situations.  If people know that a choice will lead to long-term happiness while sacrificing short-term, which will they choose?  Society pressures us to be happy, but do we really choose what is best for us?

There’s More to Life Than Being Happy

Background: Prominent Jewish psychiatrist Viktor Frankl postulated that the pursuit of happiness had nothing to do with leading a meaningful life.   He found that being happy is about feeling good and lacking stress.  A lifestyle of “taking” was typically found to be a happier one.  People who have found meaning in life are usually giving and make sacrifices to happiness in order to benefit others.  The meaning derived from a selfless lifestyle comes from the sacrifice to something greater than oneself.  While happiness is temporary and fades, meaning lasts in life through the past and future.

How I intend to Use It: This article will be used to display the counter-argument for being happy.  People who are not happy may lead meaningful lives but society frowns upon those who do not seek happiness.  Society pressures people to be happy making them live less-meaningful lives.

Let the Happiness In

Background: Despite great strides in increasing the quality of life in developed countries over the last 50 years, people are still not happy.  People are also no longer trusting of one another as society has made people self-centered and caused social problems ranging from depression to the breakdown of the family unit.  However, if people changed their focus on helping and sacrificing for the people around them such as family, close friends, and community, people would be happier and healthier.

How I intend to Use It: This article can demonstrate the negative effects of a self-centered society, and show how selflessness can improve happiness.  By sacrificing some happiness to close friends and family, people benefit and achieve happiness when others reciprocate those actions.

What would make a Happier Society?

Background: There are several specific factors that have an effect on whether a person is happy including Health, Income, Work, and Family.  The analysis of the slow decline in people happiness was shown to be a fall in the religious belief, leading to the increase in individualism.  Previously the unselfishness of man was shown to better fellow man, however the decrease in belief in a higher power undermines man’s obligation to help others.

How I intend to Use It:  This article discusses specifics in societal happiness, shedding light on the potential necessity for happiness in society.  By outlining the specifics, it will be easier to form a counter-argument to better the idea that society should not force happiness on people.

Why do we want to be Happy?

Background: People today have the same goal in life, to achieve happiness.  Happiness is the drive for all actions and goals set by people.  Materials possessions and money do not guarantee happiness, because of the stress and worry they apply on their owners.  Happiness is not something that can be pursued or found, it is with us when we achieve our goals and help others achieve theirs.

How I intend to Use It: The article gives reasons and postulates where happiness comes from.  It can provide support for the idea that society urges us to be happy and better society by advancing socially.  Despite the advancement through material possessions, the happiness is not guaranteed to follow, so society doesn’t always provide a way to happiness.

Connection and Happiness

Background: We need others to make us happy and to improve our quality of life.  Mutual relationships and friendships allow us to fulfill our fundamental social and emotional needs like validation of self worth, security, and assistance in times of need.  The happiness provided by companionship is lasting compared to other forms.

How I intend to Use It: This article primarily makes claims concerning relationships and their relevance to a persons happiness.  I can use the claims and support to reinforce the idea that having greedy social status and material items doesn’t have a lasting effect on happiness.  While the selfless relationships that exist between people allow oneself a greater satisfaction with life.

Love People, Not Pleasure

Background: Just because you aren’t happy doesn’t mean you are unhappy.  A main source for people’s general unhappiness may be that people get too caught up with the search for their own well being.  Reality TV has lead to shows where people are loved, hated, or simply recognized(fame) which allows those individuals to have other care about what they say or do.  This leads to the realization that intrinsic goals for life are more fulfilling that fame can provide.

How I intend to Use It: I can use this article to introduce that aspect of fame, money, and shallow pleasure into my paper on happiness.  Where people are recognized and loved, however these small relationships with “fans”, are meaningless and ultimately lead to feeling unfulfilled.  Getting caught up with possessing material items to ensure one’s well being leads to being unfulfilled.

Older Adults are Happiest Americans

Background: Older Americans are happiest because they have learned to lower their standards and accept their past achievements.  Younger Americans have higher expectations where they look forward to a better life and accomplishments.  Older Americans don’t really look forward for big accomplishments and they look back and see that they have lead a happy life which validates their current feelings of happiness.

How I intend to Use It: Looking forward to achieving goals in life and high expectations lead to unhappiness in the younger population.  This can be used in my paper to draw similarities between those with material possessions and how their expectations were too high for their wealth.  People who search for happiness throughout their lives have high expectations for their lives and are more unhappy when the goals are not fully reached.  While those who have low expectations and are selfless are rewarded by happiness when their accomplishments exceed their goals.

How to Be Happy

Background: Living a happier life isn’t about removing unhappiness, its about focusing on positive events and goals in life.  Well being is defined as a state that allows one to thrive and flourish.  Happiness is about attaining an optimist attitude where one focuses on the positives in life than regretting the negatives.  Living a satisfying life is about balance between pleasant, good, and meaningful lifestyles.

How I intend to Use It: This article gives background to the claims that one can be both unhappy and happy in life.  In addition it makes that claim that leading strictly meaningful or selfish lifestyles will result in unhappiness, where it suggests a balance provides optimal happiness.  It also provides a clearer definition for “well being”.

Are you addicted to Unhappiness?

Background: A basic aspect of human behavior is that we seek pleasure to avoid pain, yet people make choices that are intentionally made to cause unhappiness.  There is a shift to complain about their unhappiness and almost seem proud of it.  This behavior is counter intuitive and is supported by findings related to the feelings behind horror movie viewers and people who feel guilty or undeserving of happiness.

How I intend to Use It: This provides a new take of my happiness argument by suggesting that people actually enjoy the unhappiness that they themselves incite.  In addition it provides support for the argument that happiness is a choice.  If happiness is a choice, then why aren’t more people happy?