Comments on American Literature 3-Blog it Out!: Happiness

I think happy goes together with self accomplishme...

2008-05-03T15:00:00.000-06:00

I think happy goes together with self accomplishment. It is our nature to get ahead and set goals and people are happy when they reach their goals. Whether the goals are big goals or little goals, reaching them is what I think happiness is. All you really need to be happy is want. Where there's a will there's a way. You just need to never give up and you will be happy. MONEY IS NOT ALWAYS HAPPINESS. If a person went through school, got a job, and worked their butts off all their lives and make lots of money, that is usually happiness, but people that don't earn their money and are spioled, usually thry to buy their happiness. Fun and happiness are two very difffent things. In ten years, I will be happy if I have a job, a house, and have graduate from college.

What is happiness? This is a question no one will ...

2008-04-28T10:04:00.000-06:00

What is happiness? This is a question no one will have the same answer for. As ariel stated before, happiness can vary from getting your favorite ice cream flavor to what car you want. I will consider myself happy in ten years if I have accomplished all my goals set; going to University of Kansas, graduating with over a 3.0 and supporting myself. In order to be happy, one must listen towhat they truely want. But is happiness possible? People are so involved in wanting more and enought is never enough. I don't think anyone can ever be completely happy.

Happiness can only be described by an individual b...

2008-04-10T11:02:00.000-06:00

Happiness can only be described by an individual because happiness is an individual’s interpretation of the feeling of constant success and accomplishment on a daily and life level. True happiness is completing the small and big goals in life and having the benefits of those accomplishments which could be money or a better sense of yourself. The necessities of being happy again differ on the individual for most it is money, materials, and being the best of the best in everything they try. I would consider myself happy in ten years if I am successful in my job and I have a family to love and look after.

true happiness is living the perfect life in your ...

2008-04-09T09:06:00.000-06:00

true happiness is living the perfect life in your eyes and how that moment is right now. The thing that are needed to be happy would be friends and family. yes money is part of it beacuse if you have money you have the thing you want to make you happy and the things you want to do. in 10 years i will be happy if i am living a full life and having fun but still doing my responsiblties that i have to do. i also agree with zach how happiness deponds on the individual.

True happiness is whatever an individuals heart de...

2008-04-09T08:10:00.000-06:00

True happiness is whatever an individuals heart desires. In order to be happy, someone must set their own standards for life, and try their hardest to fulfill them. For me it’s all about the passion and emotion you have for the life you have, and what you have accomplished. If someone is proud of what they have done, and they love and enjoy the experiences they go through everyday, then that’s happiness. As for money being compared to happiness and success, I guess for some people that is important. It really all depends on what a certain individual wants for themselves. Me personally, ten years from now I will consider myself happy if I’m alive. I find happiness in living everyday to the fullest and appreciating the life that’s been given to me.

True happiness is an emotion felt by an individual...

2008-04-09T02:50:00.000-06:00

True happiness is an emotion felt by an individual based on his personal turn ons and basic interest. This feeling is not had enough of in today's era and others like myself are wondering if such a state of fantastic annomoly actually exists. From such deprived society I live to understand that money take me to happiness which am I corrupt? Most likely yes but isn't society corrupt even more than I, if it is than I think I fit in. Some people may think there is a correlation between money success and happiness when there isnt. Success is described as a position or a way to catagorize one self in the society wave pool of constant formalities and changing success. Happiness is an episode that an individual enjoys or is pleased by which varies anywhere one goes. Money is self explanitory and gives a working body to the other elusive ideas. An example would be a city street bum, he's lower than dirt poor and has no family but he is truly happy because he found his emotionally stimulation system which could just be the sirenge but he is smiling all the time so correlation happiness is present money is somehow involve but success is in its penthouse laughing at family guy. In ten years I would be 26 and maybe in my final years of college. Odds are I won't be happy unless I'm with my friend and I wouldn't be considered a success because I'll be living in my mother's basement a couple years so ten just won't do the trick but one can never know what event might happen like...DEATH! Thanks for reading.

True happiness is knowing the day before that you’...

2008-04-09T00:52:00.000-06:00

True happiness is knowing the day before that you’re going to have a great day tomorrow. When you can do what makes you happy anytime you like. To be happy I would requires a support systems. This would consist of friends, girlfriend, my brother, or even day to day acquaintances. Despite what people have previously said I believe money and success can have a large roll in happiness. I not saying you need them but it sure can make life easier. Having more money means money is one less thing you have to worry about which would cause less stress in turn making you happier. Ten years from now I will consider myself happy if I’m living life to the fullest. If I have a job I like with time to practice my hobbies.

True happiness is found when you are completely co...

2008-04-08T23:19:00.000-06:00

True happiness is found when you are completely content with your life. It is more than money or societal success. It is getting to a stage in your life where you have discovered what is really meaningful. In my life I try to find what is meaningful to me and when I find this meaning that is when contentment is reached and therefore happiness. I quote the epic and mind blowing film, Into the Wild, "Happiness needs to be shared". This is true. A life lived in the wilderness with no money could be a very happy life, however as Emile Hirsch (The Actor from into the wild) found out, happiness is meaningless unless you have someone to share it with. I do not think that money really has to do with true happiness. And when the word true is used, it is deeper than a materialistic life. I think that true happiness is not reached by the majority of Americans today. Yes they may buy and get many things, however all of these things are meaningless when it comes to TRUE happiness. The only way is through A. Contentment in you job or public standing and B. Someone to share it with. I disagree with Matt d that a bum is not happy. I would like to use Into the Wild for the las time. In it the main character leaves society and burns all of his money. He wanders the US trying to get to Alaska. He is essentially a bum. He was for the most part happy. The thing he realizes at the end is that happiness needs to be shared. No money or job would make him happy. Meaning and the wilderness did. Ten years from now I will consider myself happy if I am in love and am content with my standing in life.

True happiness can honestly only be told by an ind...

2008-04-08T23:12:00.000-06:00

True happiness can honestly only be told by an individual. Almost everyone's happiness in this world is going to be completely different. Just like Ariel said, "true happiness can only be explained by each individual." Happiness can be brought by family for some people while on the other hand anger is what people think about when they think of their family. Money is something that brings joy to almost everyones life. I on the other hand like to get money but it doesn't and won't bring me happiness everyday of my life. Love is something that I personally think that brings happiness. I would way rather have a family, a roof over my head, and love in my life then money. On the other hand other people would enjoy the money more than the love. I also believe that success does bring happiness. When someone achieves a goal that they have wanted to achieve, that is success in my eyes which will bring joy to that someone. Freedom, I believe will bring happiness to this world as well. But honestly there is no where in this world that is totally 100% in freedom. In ten years I believe that starting up my career choice, marry, and have kids and a family; will bring me the happiness in my life. As long as ten years from now I have the love and care from those who mean the world to me, that will be my happiness.

I believe that true happiness is completely selfis...

2008-04-08T22:30:00.000-06:00

I believe that true happiness is completely selfish.

Like Anna said, ultimately we do what we think will benefit us in the long run, and in doing so make us happy.

Even if you say that helping others makes you happy, it is still a selfish endeavor. For example, if you are helping someone out on a project, their opinion of you becomes more positive, and they are nicer to you in turn. In doing so, they make you happier, and as things go, you theoretically made yourself happier!

I think if you succeed in something you care about, then that can make you happy. Then again, too much success could bring you unwanted attention that could make you unhappy.

And have you ever seen a truly happy-looking rich person? Seriously.

Ten years from now, I will be happy if I can accept myself for who I am.

I think true happiness only occurs in small moment...

2008-04-08T22:26:00.000-06:00

I think true happiness only occurs in small moments. A person could say they're happy making 100 grand a year but chances are he or she isn't thinking "I'm so glad I'm financially set" 24/7. We always have other distractions of life that have us focusing on what we want or don't have.
I could never say I'm truely happy anytime someone asked me because I think that would mean I lost, somewhat, my motivation in life. With a single mom, my thinking has been "we need more money" for a long time. I still think that way: I need more money if I want to go to college, if I want to succeed in life.
Happiness, in my life, occurs in moments that balance out any unhappiness. Examples are when: my dog jumps on me when I get home, I give someone a cupcake and it brightens their day, someone hugs me, someone tells me they love me, I get a good grade, someone makes me laugh, I help someone.
Ten years from now a truely happy moment will be when I'm laughing and enjoying somwthing lame like game night my future family.
In those moments, I can say I'm truely happy but that isn't enough for some people.

True happiness is hard to define. I think that so...

2008-04-08T22:04:00.000-06:00

True happiness is hard to define. I think that someone is truly happy when they have found something they are good at in this world, they are content with who they are and what they’ve become, and they don't let others get in the way of their dreams. Like Hannah said "In order to be happy one must listen to what they truly want". I completely agree with this and like the way this is said. You can't be happy living off of what others want and think. If you like it and it makes YOU happy then that’s all that matters. I don’t think that their is a correlation between money and happiness. I think that to a certain extent money can make us happy, but then you keep wanting more and more, and the next thing you know your miserable because your never satisfied. Ten years from now I will consider myself happy if I have graduated from college and gotten a job as a nurse at a hospital. I will be happy living on the beach and traveling around the world. I will be happy if I have made some really good relationships with people and I am just content with who I am.

True happiness: something that is only explainable...

2008-04-08T21:56:00.000-06:00

True happiness: something that is only explainable and reachable by an individual. "True happiness" is more like a moment or a time not an actual thing. I think that happiness is something that you achieve when you have reached something that you put forth an effort towards and worked to strenuous extent to finally achieve and at that second that it is accomplished when you feel the euphoria that is when there is true happiness.
To be happy requires setting or wanting something that can't be just handed to you. It may make you happy and feel good at the time but, it will not last nor will the feelings be as great if you had worked and tried maybe even failed to achieve it a few times.
We all know that money helps us to get the things that we want but, at the same time how do we get that money? We have to work in some way shape or form to get the money. How that's done is something that can help you achieve even greater and more common amounts of happiness. Although, the happiness may come from what our job is what our morals are. And with success usually comes greater money, which, in this day and age means more happiness. Wealth is something that everyone craves for. It isn’t just the money it’s the goods and greater availability along with opportunity that comes with the money. And some would say even the “class” that comes with it.
Wow ten years from now. That seems like such a far off thought. To think and try to even imagine what I thought I would be doing ten years ago when I was seven that is such an odd and hard concept to grasp. So, for me to know or have an inkling of what will make me happy ten years from now, all I can hope is that I am still alive and still loving being alive. Hopefully I have done more with my life and I’m not a bum on the streets and I hope to have completed all of my schooling for college, but hey that is the future and there are reasons we can’t go there yet. ;)

True happiness is obtained by being completely sat...

2008-04-08T21:54:00.000-06:00

True happiness is obtained by being completely satisfied with oneself at any given time. When you wake up and nothing bothers you, no parents breathing down your neck, just pure relaxation! To me to be truly happy all I would need is to have my brother back again. True happiness can only be determined by what the beholders truly think will make them happy. Money helps a lot with bills and allowing you to live, but when one has to much it can poison the mind. Success, I believe, is what allows someone to be happy, because of the mindset after the accomplishment. Ten years from now I will consider myself happy if I true peace at heart and a family of my own. What will make me happy is to know someone loves me for who I am and not what I have!

True happiness does have a correlation with money,...

2008-04-08T21:20:00.000-06:00

True happiness does have a correlation with money, to a certain extent. Like what Matt said if you are a bum and barely surviving for the most part you are probably not happy. I'm not saying that in order to be happy you have to be a millionaire but you do need some sort of income. I agree with Ariel and everyone else that happiness is different for all. For me happiness is just being in a good place, having someone you truly care about about, and being comfortable money wise. Many can say that money has nothing to do with happiness but I think it does...in the end if you are living on the streets with no one who cares about you, you are probably not happy. Ten years from now I will consider myself happy if I have completed college and earn a degree in something I enjoy, am self reliant, surround myself with good people, have helped someone in some way, and eventually start a family.

True happiness is having nothing to worry about. I...

2008-04-08T20:38:00.000-06:00

True happiness is having nothing to worry about. Its feeling comfort with the people who surround you.Happiness is different for everyone some it may be winning the big game or spending time with your family eithier way its what makes you feel like all your pains and hardships are gone. The only thing I need to be happy is a companion of some sort someone to talk to and vent even if its my cat. I could be a homeless person and still be happy so money has no conection to happiness but money does make it easier. I look at the homeless man on mississippi and santa fe and he is luminated with happiness, glowing and he has no more then ten bucks to his name he may be successful in his eyes he might have just wanted to raise some kids and if he has done that than maybe thats why he is so happy. I think success is necisarry for happiness in that if you have no goals then you have nothing to look foreward to then your lifless i think. In ten years i will be happy if I'm living on my own have some more schooling under my belt and have friends i can hang out with regaurdless of my financial status i will be happy. I agree with dandor dan(ariel) in that having a family is also crucial to happiness in that you have someone to lean on in times of hardships and have something to look foreward to on your way home

I think that having true happiness is different fo...

2008-04-08T20:16:00.000-06:00

I think that having true happiness is different for every person, but most people would have a lot of stuff in common. I think that true happiness is when you have a good family, you are not poor and you can support them, you are free to do what you want to, and having a good job that you actually like. I think that money and success does have to do with happiness. If you are a bum living on the street with no home and no family, and nothing that belongs to you, then you could not be happy. on the other hand, if you have a lot of money and are successful, then you are most likely happy, but money cant buy happiness. in ten years I will be happy if I have a fun job like fighting, or own some restaurants, or am a chef at a restaurant. I would also be happy if I had a good family, a nice house, and nice things.

I agrre with Ariel that its different for every person, and also starting a carrer that you actually like and not just working for money, because that is stupid if you hate doing it.

True happiness has anything to do with putting a s...

2008-04-08T20:07:00.000-06:00

True happiness has anything to do with putting a smile on your face. Anything to make you smile makes you happy. Like what everyone basically said there are so many different reasons to be happy but as long as you are satisfyed thats all that matters. Once again, agreeing with Ariel, I also believe freedom and love are what make one happy. Love is such a powerful feeling that if you dont know what it feels like, you want to and freedom is self- explainitory; everyone wants freedom. In a way I do think there is a correlation between success money or happiness because no matter what anyone says money does make people happy. With no money how would anyone be able to live a capable life without sufferage? In ten years I will consider myself happy if I have traveled the world by then and still have the fun and amazing life I have now. And I will consider myself happy if I own my own nice apartment and have a puppy golden lab all to myself. Oh and to fall in love by then, that would be nice.

I think that true happiness is dependent on each i...

2008-04-08T19:57:00.000-06:00

I think that true happiness is dependent on each individual’s own perspective and the goals that that person wishes to achieve. Not everyone in the world has the same skills or abilities, which causes for their goals to be different. Some people have goals that to others seem easy or wimpy, but to the person with the goal, accomplishing it is a very large part of their happiness and success in life. As Liz said by achieving these goals you can gain wealth and gain material possessions, which can then add to your happiness. Although these possessions aren’t the only thing that is important to your happiness they can help to make life easier and more carefree. I believe that if you are doing something that you love to do as a profession, it attributes greatly to your happiness because you wake up everyday excited about what you get to do that day. Even if you are a billionaire, but you hate your job, you will not be completely satisfied because you will still have that unpleasant experience of going to work everyday. This is just one example of how to achieve happiness and clearly there are many other aspects to being happy. It all depends on the person and what they define their happiness to be.

True happiness is all about how you define it. For...

2008-04-08T19:30:00.000-06:00

True happiness is all about how you define it. For one person finding happiness may be having a baby, for another it may be overcoming drug addiction. Money cannot buy complete happiness, but it sure as hell can help! Bettering life with possessions that make living and surviving in the world easier will bring happiness. Adding onto that, the money and possessions can all be part of a personal goal, and when that goal is reached the feelings of accomplishment are overwhelming and will bring happiness. I agree with Natalie (who agreed with Becca) who believes that reaching goals brings you a happiness that cannot be bought by any amount of money. Yet with happiness comes hard times as well which makes me believe that happiness is temporary and almost never lasts forever. There are always happy moments that create temporary happiness, but another moment rolls around and can change your happiness in a second. Life can be going amazing and it may seem like everything is going your way, but after you feel great and have just climbed a giant mountain, an avalanche can hit you and all of that happiness turns to crap. Happiness is a rollercoaster that must be ridden throughout life, it consists of highs and lows, but at the end of the ride it’s very possible to look back and be happy about the outcome of the events that occurred while on that rollercoaster.

Happiness is a general goal I think everyone in th...

2008-04-08T19:16:00.001-06:00

Happiness is a general goal I think everyone in this world wishes to attain. But it can quickly become cliché, in my opinion. So I thought about it. Why do I work hard in school? Simple, to go to college and get a job that pays a lot. But what comes after that? Why not do what makes me happy?(Its a plus if the pay is good)And I realized, everything I do revolves around happiness. I do the best I can everyday in lacrosse practice so our team can win games... and be happy!! The people I choose to be with every weekend make me laugh, which makes me happy. In ten years, I hopefully be somewhere in NY or LA at a big fashion label, traveling around the world for our business. I want to be a journalist or an editor for a magazine. I want to become the most well known leader in the fashion industry and I wont stop till i get there. I dont want to get married for a long long time because my idea of having a bunch of kids would not make me happy. But what can I do to make the people around me happy? Is personal happiness a bad thing?

True happiness comes from within oneself. If a per...

2008-04-08T19:16:00.000-06:00

True happiness comes from within oneself. If a person can honestly express that life is fantastic and worries are few, than I believe contentment has been achieved. Realistically, to be happy one must have material items not only necessary to survive, but to have fun. Financial freedom would have to be in order. Money brings control, opens doors, and allows one to feel secure, without it anxiety is an obvious result. My conclusion is that money will be happiness as long as it is used responsibly. Money can bring greed and corruption if used improperly. Ten years from now I will consider myself happy if I have a secure job surrounded by people that love me and we spend quality time enjoying the finer things that life has to offer. I want my friends and family to be happy too. Really I would like everyone to find a sense of contentment! Ariel commented that within 10 years she would just be happy knowing that her college efforts had been completed to the best of her ability and a career was in place. I agree with just looking forward to the not so distant future, and seeing myself
successful.

happiness can only be held in the eye of the behol...

2008-04-08T18:49:00.000-06:00

happiness can only be held in the eye of the beholder. Happiness can ome from anything like food, kids, grades, or even great news. What makes me happy is playing sports having a grilfriend. I don't think that money eqauls happiness. Success can equal happiness because when you achieve your goals then you feel good about yourself adn that equals happiness. I will be happy in ten years when i achieve my goal of being a history teacher and that is my happiness and success in life.

I believe true happiness comes in two forms, physi...

2008-04-08T18:46:00.000-06:00

I believe true happiness comes in two forms, physical and mental. Most of the time, they are connected. True happiness can be the feeling that you get from the things you love. It could be something you enjoy eating, something you enjoy doing, or someone you enjoy being with. No matter what it is, it makes you happy because of the feeling you get. True happiness can also be from the things you accomplish, but you still are happy about the accomplishments because of the way it makes you feel. My own happiness comes through love, friendship, and life in general. I totally agree with Ashley about singing in the shower and smelling the rain makes her happy. The little joys in life make me truly happy. Being around the people I love and doing the things I love make me happy. It’s as simple as that. I do think that difference between success/money and happiness depends on the person. Ten years from now I will consider myself happy if I am producing and writing songs for some of the most talented artist in the music business, settling down to start a family, and living in either New York or Los Angeles.

I totally agree with Becca. Happiness exists wher...

2008-04-08T16:28:00.000-06:00

I totally agree with Becca. Happiness exists wherever success exists. One is happy when they have achieved numerous goals. If you have nothing to be proud of how could you be happy? Accomplishments ALWAYS make one feel happy with themselves. I absolutely love the feeling of an accomplishment. For example, after a race you feel SO good! (and happy). During the race you may have thought you were going to die, but the sense of that accomplishment/success is no doubt unbeatable. However, I disagree that happiness is virtually impossible. Happiness may seem like a greed because it is a natural high that you want always and forever; but after you are already happy you do not worry about becoming even more happy. It's not like money, where many people can never have enough. Usually once a person is happy they love to see others happy. Smiling is contagious, and I believe happiness can be also. For me, happiness is helping others. I love to see others happy and smiling and that is when I am happy. In ten years from now I will be extremely happy if my job involves helping others in any way shape or form.