Personal Definition of Happiness
Reflecting on CBS 60 Minutes video, "The Pursuit of Happiness" and Paul Solman's, "What Makes Us Happy," write a well-organized and well-supported essay in which you identify how you define happiness. A well-organized essay has a beginning, middle, and an end. The beginning, or introduction, should include an opening sentence to grab your reader’s attention. Follow the opening sentence with a brief background on the topic or situation. In this case, it might be brief summary of happiness in society today. You may wish to consider the many issues raised in the video and the reading. The last sentence of the introduction is the thesis statement. The thesis states the main point of the essay, which in this case, would be a statement affirming your definition of happiness. A well-supported essay includes supporting points, details, and examples. For this essay, you must decide the best way to organize the body of the paper. Is your definition of happiness based on three concepts? Is health important? Family? Love? Success? Will you divide the body of your paper into three or more paragraphs, one for each of these concepts? In any case, each body paragraph must support (explain) your reasoning (rationale) using specific details. Remember that each issue must be supported with an explanation as to why you define happiness in this way. Each body paragraph must have a topic sentence that states the main point of the paragraph, which in this case would be each concept. The conclusion typically summarizes the main points of the essay and/or closes with a lasting impression that connects the reader to their world. Does our society need to consider some changes in the ways we define what it means to be happy? What suggestions do youoffer to your reader? Be sure to proofread your essay and edit for proper grammar, punctuation, diction (word choice), and spelling, as errors in sentence skills will lower a final grade. A grade will be determined based on the Module 4 SLP expectations and the Trident University General Education rubric for English. Papers must be double-spaced in Times or Times New Roman font (12 cpi) with standard one-inch margins. The first person "I" is not used in a formal essay, nor is the passive "you." In place of "you," "one" may be used. No secondary sources are to be used in the process of writing this first paper; it is to be entirely written based on one's point of view and supported with body points and details. Expectations •Write an essay (no less than three pages in length) that defines happiness. •Include an introductory paragraph with thesis statement. •Include body paragraphs (each with a topic sentence that states the point of the paragraph) that support the thesis through examples and details. •Include a conclusion that summarizes the main points of the essay and/or leaves the reader with a lasting impression on the issue. •Proofread your essay for errors in grammar, diction (word choice), punctuation, and spelling.
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Personal Definition of Happiness
It is surprising that despite being averagely well-off compared to the Americans, the British or the Germans, the Danes are the happiest people in the world according to the CBS 60 minute documentary “The Pursuit of Happiness.†Since the triumph of capitalism over communism, material success has been the focus of people in all societies. No country exemplifies this idea better than America, where everyone's dream is, well, living the American Dream, an idealistic high-class life characterized by having a well-paying job, owning a good house, a car and every luxury toy that money can buy, and above all, raising a happy family. However, as the CBS documentary suggests, the money/wealth does not necessarily translate into happiness. Rather, happiness is determined by the level of one's contentment with his or her situation in life. In this essay, the author argues that happiness is a three-dimensional concept encompassing physical comfort, emotional wellbeing, and feeling secure.
Physical comfort is the most important element of happiness as it entails all the material things than money can buy. Everyone dreams of securing a well-paying job because it will provide the means to afford life's luxuries; a good car, a good house in a high-end neighborhood, health insurance, and all the things that allow one to enjoy life (such as being able to take a vacation whenever one desires).
Emotional wellbeing encompasses one's social life, relationships, and psychological state. Human beings are social creatures by nature. Consequently, people feel happy when they know that they are cared for and valued by ot...