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Jason Nguyen

Mr. Jack Friend

Engl 250

13 April 2018

Assignment #5: Documented Essay

Does long lasting happiness exist, or is happiness just a satisfied state of normality? If it

is a state of normality, how can one raise and set their baseline level of happiness at a higher

level? This is a question that writer Howard Cutler aims to answer in an excerpt of his titled, The

Sources of Happiness, in which he conducts an interview with the Dalai Lama discussing the

sources of happiness and how to increase one’s feeling of life satisfaction. Many writers argue

that money serves a purpose in increasing our level of happiness. Both Diener, Hill, and Rubin

discuss that money does in fact play a significant role in their means to achieve greater happiness

because their conclusion is based on questionnaires and published studies. In contrast, Cutler

discusses the concept of happiness, what it means to be happy, what sources can raise our

baseline level of happiness or state of normality and with his conclusion being based on his

personal stories and interviews. Happiness is a state of normality at which one can raise their

baseline level of life satisfaction. With Cutler’s claims of the four sources of happiness, and with

the evidence provided by Diener, Hill, and Rubin, one may find happiness and raise their level of

life satisfaction by seeking out improvement on these four sources.

In Cutler’s excerpt, The Sources of Happiness, he analyzes situations that his friends have

been through and interviews the Dalai Lama to find the various sources of happiness. Through

this, he finds that both these people are an example that happiness is influenced more by one’s

state of mind rather than by external factors in their lives. He states that the traditional and more
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common idea of happiness is that of a temporary feeling of joy and euphoria, or that a tragedy

may put one into a period of depression or mourning. However, happiness is not a long lasting

euphoria but rather a baseline level of one’s state of normality. A state of normality describes

one’s feeling of their overall level of happiness migrating back to a certain baseline level. Cutler

states, “Psychologists call this process adaptation...we soon return to our customary level of

happiness” (Cutler 22). Therefore, he prompts the question, “What determines this baseline?

And…can it be modified, set at a higher level” (22)? Through the personal stories, interviews,

and the rest of the entire excerpt, he finds that there are four sources to achieving true happiness

or raising one’s baseline of normality: the comparing mind, inner contentment, inner worth, and

happiness vs pleasure (23-32).

In the source, the comparing mind, to increase one’s feeling of life satisfaction, one must

compare themselves to those who are less fortunate and reflect on all things that one has. You

must not have what you want but rather want what you already have. If you were to have what

you want, you’d be left wanting to have more. In one study at the State University of New Yolk

at Buffalo, a group of people were asked to complete the sentence “I’m glad I’m not a…” After

five repetitions, people were left feeling satisfied with their lives. With another cohort, they

were asked to complete the sentence “I wish I were a …” After the same exercise, this group of

people were left feeling more dissatisfied with their lives (Cutler 24).

In the second source, inner contentment, to increase one’s happiness, one must not have

what they want but rather want and appreciate what one already has. When actor Christopher

Reeve was thrown from a horse 1994 and left completely paralyzed from the neck down, he had

experienced a temporary period of agony and despair. Later on in his life, he considered himself

to be a “lucky guy.” He had learned to deal with the feelings of despair, and realized, “…the
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only way to go through life is to see what you can still do; in my case, fortunately I didn’t have

any brain injury, so I still have a mind I can use.” Reeve learned to be content with what he still

had and was able to still be satisfied with his life once he changed his state of mind (Cutler 27-

28).

In the third source, inner worth, to increase one’s feeling of life satisfaction, one must

find a positive source of inner worth. For example, if someone’s source of worth is only material,

then once that material is no longer their possession, then that person will suffer because they

have no other source. But, if someone’s source of worth is compassion and affection, then they

are less likely to hall into depression or a state of dissatisfaction (Cutler 29).

In the final source, happiness vs pleasure, to increase one’s happiness, one must take time

to reflect on what will bring them greater happiness, rather than greater pleasure. Pleasure is

only temporary euphoria and will not help to raise one’s baseline level of their state of normality

(Cutler 31).

In Diener’s excerpt, Can Money Buy Happiness?, he covers his concept of happiness as

𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑤𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 (𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠)

being a simple equation: . A high number would mean that you are in a
𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑤𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 (𝑎𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠)

happy state of mind, and a lower number would mean that you are unhappy. This relates to

Cutler’s first source, the comparing mind. Diener’s main point is that you must be satisfied with

what you already have rather than have more wants, which will lead you into an endless cycle of

dissatisfaction. This is similar to Cutler’s example of the comparing mind, in which he states

“…we can increase our feeling of life satisfaction by comparing ourselves to those who are less

fortunate than us and by reflecting on all the things we have” (Cutler 23). Such as the pavement

dwellers in Kolkata, India, they are satisfied with what they have and do not have many wants,

because they are all socially equal (Diener 167).

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In Hill’s commentary, Living with less. A Lot Less, he discusses how he began to start an

emotional relationship with a woman. After this his attachment to materials goods eventually

detached, and he now cherished his relationships with others more than his relationships with

material goods. Hill talks about his personal experiences such as trips with his friend, starting a

company that focused on the environmentally friendly cups, and starting an environmental

design blog (Hill 311). His concept of happiness is that it consists of the relationships,

experiences, and meaningful work that fill our lives with meaning, not our material possessions.

This relates to Cutler’s third source and fourth source, inner worth and happiness vs pleasure.

Because Hill had found a new source of worth: relationships, and had reanalyzed his happiness

vs pleasure, he was able to find satisfaction in his life again and was content with what he

already had.

In Rubin’s excerpt, July Buy Some Happiness, she describes her concept of happiness

being that money spent wisely can support happiness goals of strengthening relationships,

promoting health, and having fun. Rubin was a frugal woman that was very satisfied with the

things she already had (Rubin 305). When she spent money on things that brought her comfort

and long-lasting satisfaction, she did slightly raise her baseline level of her state of normality.

However, eventually she returned to her near-normal level of day-to-day happiness after her

adjustment period – just as Cutler had suggested (Cutler 26).

Cutler states that happiness is rather a certain baseline of life satisfaction. Both Diener,

Hill, and Rubin discuss that money does in fact play a significant role in their means to achieve

greater happiness because their conclusion is based on questionnaires and published studies. In

contrast, Cutler discusses the concept of happiness, what it means to be happy, what sources can

raise our baseline level of happiness or state of normality and with his conclusion being based on
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his personal stories and interviews. Long lasting happiness does exist to an extent. It is more of

a state of normality to which you can raise its baseline level with four things: the comparing

mind, inner contentment, inner worth, and happiness vs pleasure. If you are humble, satisfied

with what you already have, compare yourself to those who are less fortunate than you, and

choose relationships and connections with others as your primary feed for happiness, than you

will raise your baseline level of your state of normality and will have more satisfaction in your

life.
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Works Cited

Cutler, Howard. “The Sources of Happiness.” Pursuing Happiness: A Bedford Spotlight Reader.

Ed. Matthew Parfitt and Dawn Skorczewski. Bedford/St. Martin's, 2016. 21-32.

Diener, Ed. “Can Money Buy Happiness?” Pursuing Happiness: A Bedford Spotlight Reader.

Ed. Matthew Parfitt and Dawn Skorczewski. Bedford/St. Martin's, 2016. 160-173.

Hill, Graham. “Living with Less. A Lot Less.” Pursuing Happiness: A Bedford Spotlight Reader.

Ed. Matthew Parfitt and Dawn Skorczewski. Bedford/St. Martin's, 2016. 308-312.

Rubin, Gretchen. “July: Buy Some Happiness.” Pursuing Happiness: A Bedford Spotlight

Reader. Ed. Matthew Parfitt and Dawn Skorczewski. Bedford/St. Martin's, 2016. 291-

306.