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Lucia Istupe

Professor Ditch

English 114A

28 February 2019

Acting on Happiness

As a child, one often believe happiness is found in getting our way. When one grows

older, they come to a realization that genuine happiness is not so simple to come across. One

tend to focus on the outcome, being happy, rather than the prosses to achieve that feeling of

contentment. The journalist, David Brooks, often writes for the options column in the New York

Times and appears on All Things considered and PBS “NewsHour” regularly. The author, Sonja

Lyubomirsky is a is an American professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of

California, Riverside. Brooks believes that suffering is a part of achieving happiness. Graham

Hill is a Canadian journalist and the founder of Tree Hugger. The authors, David Brooks,

Graham Hill, and Sonja Lyubomirsky, argue that happiness is not found in traditional forms but

in unusual approaches such as suffering, intentional activity and minimal worldly possessions.

The authors agree that happiness can be reached through action yet they also disagree on the

right action to take.

David Brooks believes that suffering is a part of achieving happiness. Brooks claims

“The suffering involved in their task becomes a fearful gift and very different than that equal and

other gift, happiness, conventionally defined.” (Brooks 287) Suffering is referred to as a gift in a

sense that with it one can become a more “vulnerable” and different person when suffering.

Someone who is suffering is now finding new limits through suffering. It is a healing process

beyond one’s control. Suffering is what helps someone achieve happiness, not through suffering
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its self but, through the actions that are taken doffing and after one’s suffering. When one is

going through a rough patch in life, they are often believed to “not be the same” in a negative

way. Brooks claims that the person will change but not necessarily in a negative way. The person

would just have a different perspective on life and their situation. It is the action they take that

defines whether the outcome will be positive or negative.

Sonja Lyubomirsky explains how happiness is split into three sections; 40 % of which is

found in intentional activity. She states “In a nutshell, the foundation of happiness can be found

in how you behave, what you think, and what goals you set everyday of your life. ‘There is no

happiness without action.’” (Lyubomirsky 196) Her argument is that happiness is based on how

one behaves and how one thinks. One can be put through the worst life event imaginable, but

having a positive mentality and having happy thoughts is what is going to improve the situation

they are in. Also in the passage, she claims that only 10% of happiness is based on

circumstances, yet it is prioritized. Humanity likes to blame the situation rather than the actions

they have taken to get where they currently stand in life. Lyubomirsky demonstrates that in order

to achieve happiness, one should look less at circumstances and more on set point and intentional

activity. The way one thinks and the daily goals one sets for one’s self is what counts. The action

that is taken is a big impact on happiness, whether the action is changing your daily routine or

giving up your material items.

The writer, Graham Hill, claims his happiness was found through experiences rather than

material belongings. He goes on explaining that even when he had the money, the big house, and

the electronics, he was not content. It was not until he set them aside and started enjoying the

little things that he found true happiness. “Intuitively, we know that the best stuff in life isn’t

stuff at all, and that relationships, experiences and meaningful work are the staples of a happy
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life” (Hill 311). Hill also illustrating throughout the text that he has experienced a life of both

flushed and lacked of money, and claims his life felt “bigger” when he had less. He explains how

his life felt more whole once he let go of the material items that were causing his unhappiness.

The action he chose to take was letting go of material possessions and enjoying the experiences

he had in life such as traveling and the company of others. It was then when he found happiness

and contentment.

The three authors, Davis Brooks, Graham Hills, and Sonja Lyubomirsky, have

similar methods of achieving happiness. Brooks and Lyubomirsky mention how happiness does

not depend on a situation. The happiness they describe is based on what one does with the

situation and on the actions one take. The action Brooks says that must be taken is part of the

healing proses in suffering. Lyubomirsky claims that 40% of achieving happiness is based on

intentional activity. Hill also explains how the happiness he was seeking was found not in an

object or possessions but in expirees in life. The writer claims that he enjoys more in life now

that he has less in it. All three of the authors agree that happiness is found in your actions. The

happiness they found would only be complete with all three methods. They are pieces of a

whole.

Although the authors believe that action leads to happiness, they disagree on the right

action that has to be taken in order to achieve that level of contentment. Brooks believes

suffering is a way someone can achieve happiness. While Lyubomirsky explains that one’s

current situation does not matter as much as one believes. The factor that should truly be taken

into account is the way one approach the situation. Furthermore, Hill claims that one cannot be

happy when their life is cluttered with unnecessary items such as big houses or electronics.
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Many believe happiness is granted by doing what one love; small things in life are

what cause happiness. While that is a factor, Lyubomirsky claims one’s circumstance is only

10% of being happy, 40% is intentional activity. Suffering is also an important factor because it

allows one to lean a life lesson. Suffering might not be the perfect method, but it is an effective

one. David Brooks explains that when someone is healing from suffering, they do not come out

better but changed. The situation they are put in is what helps they achieve happiness given that

it is human nature to learn from one’s mistakes. Many also believe that happiness comes from

having the latest iPhone or a new car or even a big house. Happiness is often confused for

pleasure, not realizing that pleasure is only temporary but happiness lasts longer. Graham Hill

found happiness in experiences. He was happy with a small apartment and traveling the world.

He explains that happiness, true happiness is found in those little things.

Happiness is defined as the state of being happy. David Brooks believes that

happiness is found in suffering. Sonja Lyubomirsky states that the intentional activity one has is

more important than the circumstance they find themselves in. Graham Hill claims that was at

his happiest once he let go of the material items. These three authors believe that the action one

takes are a major component in achieving happiness. It is the different actions that set them apart.

The authors found happiness using different methods. Although many believe happiness is

granted in doing what you love, David Brooks and Sonja Lyubomirsky believe that suffering and

instinctual activity is what will grant someone happiness. Graham Hill explains he was not truly

happy until he let go of his worldly possessions and started living a “smaller” life. The three

authors, Brooks, Lyubomirsky, and Hill, found happiness through action such as suffering,

intentional activity and minimal worldly possessions. Happiness is an important factor in life

because it bring joy to people. Pleasure, like an ice cream cone, last for a short period of time
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while happiness, like having a pet dog who you love, last even when they are not around.

Happiness may be difficult to obtain but the best things in life always are.
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Works Cited

Brooks, David. “What Suffering Does.” Pursuing Happiness, edited by Mathew Parfitt, Dawn

Skorczewski, Bedford/St. Martin's 2015, p287

Hill, Graham. “Living with Less. A Lot Less.” Pursuing Happiness, edited by Mathew Parfitt,

Dawn Skorczewski, Bedford/St. Martin's 2015, p311

Lyubomirsky, Sonja. “The How of Happiness.” Pursuing Happiness, edited by Mathew Parfitt,

Dawn Skorczewski, Bedford/St. Martin's 2015, p196