Zauhar 1

Nurah Zauhar

Professor Ditch

English 115

23 September 2018

The Concept of Finding Happiness

Happiness is something we as a society perceive as something tangible. We

constantly count and measure, base objects and human existence with value. The definition of

happiness has the pre-existing notion that both internal and external spaces need to be considered

in order to obtain and find real happiness. The four articles by The Dalai Lama, and Howard

Cutler, David Brooks, Graham Hills, and Sonja Lyubomirsky consist of the idea of what

happiness is and how to acquire it. In exploring the theories of happiness it is important to

examine the internal and external spaces to help us understand real happiness. An internal

spiritual awakening, finding yourself through grief and agony. Externally searching for

happiness through experiences and changing your behavior your actions for the better having a

positive mindset. These key ideas are what the authors implore the reader in the two concepts of

happiness external and internal. The Dalai Lama and Howard Cutler along with David Brooks

believe through an emotional and spiritual transformation internally is something holy and

meaningful which can help find happiness, to not only look at external superficial attributes of

oneself in order to have lifelong contentment. That grief and suffering is a gift that is more

substantial and has a deeper meaning which adds value to your character that can transform your

internal space. While at Graham Hill's ideas by arguing that materialism doesn't mean you'll

necessarily be content with yourself. Urging the external happiness the idea that downsizing can
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be liberating and free one's money-driven mentality. Sonja Lyubomirsky argues the intentional

action to find happiness. That having the mindset and goal to achieve it is in itself satisfying. To

look beyond, to look for something more significant to transform your external space "there is no

happiness without action" (196).

Exploring internal spaces, Howard Cutler and The Dalai Lama's "The Source of

Happiness" discusses how one's' state of mind can dictate your perspective on life and your

emotions. That materialism isn't a source of happiness but a source of distraction from finding

your true self. Evident at the beginning of the article, Cutler uses the stories of two of his friends.

One who was just bought out by a huge "conglomerate" (21) for a lot of money and at age

thirty-two starts her early retirement. The other regarding how he manages his HIV. In the first

story the woman who had received a large sum of money soon began to realize after the

excitement settled in she was just as happy as she was before nothing really changed, but with

the man with HIV is happy and living life to its full potential and cherishes life dearly he holds

on to the fact that he hasn't contracted AIDS. The author's purpose is to point out the human

psyche, to show that your outlook, the mindset you have can drastically transform your internal

space. Cutler uses the quote from the Dalai Lama " True happiness relates more to the mind and

heart. Happiness that depends mainly on physical pleasure is unstable; one day it's there, the next

day it may not be." (31). Cutler asserts the idea that in order to find true happiness you have to

find something meaningful and long-lasting instead of something fleeting and insignificant.

Along with the idea of having a positive and healthy mindset giving you the ability to attain

lasting happiness.
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David Brooks in "What Suffering Does" frequently asserts the idea about defining

oneself from traumatic experiences and grief how you can spiritually change and can view the

world differently. Transforming your internal space from the emotions of pain and suffering,

offer you an augmented perception of life. Brooks says "People shoot for happiness but feel

formed through suffering." (284) and "Then, suffering gives people a more accurate sense of

their own limitations, what they can control and cannot control." (286). The two quotes talk

about people trying to escape their emotions by trying to buy mediocre happiness or trying to

distract themselves from the inevitable emotions you feel with agony and misery. He explains

that real living has a lot of pain, you learn more about yourself that you discover the strength you

have. You become more in tune with yourself and your emotions. Evident in the article Brooks

uses the ideas from "The theologian Paul Tillich wrote that people who endure suffering are

taken beneath the routines of life and find they are not whom they believed themselves to be."

(285). The theologist, drawing your attention to the fact that people go through an internal

struggle and experience a spiritual lesson which comes out a different person from transforming

your internal space making you a more introspective empathetic person.

Exploring external spaces, Graham Hill's idea of happiness is constructed by removing

worldly possessions leaving behind unnecessary things. He discusses the distorted concept that

happiness can be bought. Evident in his article "Living with Less. A Lot Less." he describes his

past memories as examples of his effort to transform his external space "For me, it took fifteen

years, a great love and a lot of travel to get rid of all the inessential things I had collected and

lived a bigger, better, richer life with less." (308). He argues transforming your external space

can give you a better perspective and contentment in life. "Intuitively, we know that the best
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stuff in life isn't stuff at all and that relationships, experiences, and meaningful work are the

staples of a happy life." Hill illustrates that rather material things, people should help one another

and form interpersonal relationships. He argues that having people to support you and those to

have bonded with can give more joy than possessions. Hill ostracizes the idea of placing too

much importance on the inessential things, and instead find the significance of experiences and

changing for the better.

Sonja Lyubomirsky in the article "What Makes People Happy?" asserts the ideology is

that many have to have the intent for happiness. That you have to set goals for yourself and what

you believe and think you can do. To transform your external space and create a better lifestyle

than before, a better you. Lyubomirsky uses her interviews and experiments to base her theory

that intentional search and action for happiness is the key itself to contentment. The interviews

with Angela and Randy both who has been dealing with the harshness of reality from their

traumatic experiences from childhood. Angela who had an abusive childhood now a single

mother had filed bankruptcy along with being fired unexpectedly from her dream job still finds

happiness in her external space. She has a created community that is her support system. Angela

finds happiness through interpersonal relationships, "she finds deep satisfaction in helping others

heal from their own wounds and traumas" (180). Randy that has dealt with two suicides at a

young age, along with a divorce, but doesn't victimize himself he doesn't deprive himself of

happiness, he transformed his external space and picked himself up remarried, became a safety

engineer, and now a stepfather of three boys. Sonja Lyubomirsky uses these stories to support

her main idea of the entire article, setting goals and new beginnings changing for the better is the

foundation of becoming happy.

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The argument that the authors try to explain to the reader is the misconceptions that

many people perceive happiness as something unattainable and fleeting or something that is not

worked for, in that fact society heavily relies on physical manifestations of pleasure and

happiness which don't last. Sonja Lyubomirsky and Graham Hill's discuss the concept as stated

above, the premeditation of transforming the external space, attributes and components of your

life setting goals taking away the insignificant which in itself provides you happiness and the

energy the drive to acquire it. David Brooks along with the Dalai Lama and Howard Cutler

understand and affirm the idea of learning from the spiritual and holiness of grief and pain

transforming your internal space. These ideas are the foundation of happiness.

 
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​Works Cited

Brooks, David. "What Suffering Does." ​Pursuing Happines​s, edited by Matthew Parfitt,

Dawn Skorczewski Publisher Bedford/ St. Martin's A Macmillan Education

Imprint Boston, New York (284-287)

The Dalai Lama and Cutler, Howard. "The Source Of Happiness." ​Pursuing Happiness​,

edited by Matthew Parfitt, Dawn Skorczewski Publisher Bedford/ St.

Martin's A Macmillan Education Imprint Boston, New York (21-33)

Hill, Graham. "Living With Less. A Lot Less." ​Pursuing Happiness​, edited by Matthew

Parfitt, Dawn Skorczewski Publisher Bedford/ St. Martin's A Macmillan

Education Imprint Boston, New York (308-313)

Lyubomirsky, Sonja. "How Happy Are You and Why?" ​Pursuing Happiness​, edited by

Matthew Parfitt, Dawn Skorczewski Publisher Bedford/ St. Martin's A

Macmillan Education Imprint Boston, New York (179-197)