What Happiness Means to Others? Essay Example

Interview Questions and Answers

I have interviewed my Friend—Mike, 45 yr. old male, Assistant professor w/a doctorate degree.

I also interviewed my sister.

Interview with Sister

What is happiness?

Sister: To me happiness means that if others around me are happy, but if they are not happy then I am always worried and tense that I did not do much for them.

Can happiness be measured?

Sister: In my opinion, there is no measurement for happiness. People can be happy or not.

Is unhappiness the rule?

Sister: it is not suppose to be a rule but now days it seems the norm.

How do people assess their happiness?

Sister: By how much they have.

What conditions favor happiness?

Sister: their contentment with who they are? And security, they must feel secure.

Do you remember the first time you were consciously aware of being happy?

Sister: This is a hard question. I have been happy all my life. At the age of sixteen I was not paying attention to the world around me and just became more comfortable in my own skin.

How did you feel?

Sister: I was very content and I felt like I made it at last.

How often do you feel happy?

Sister: Every day. I thank God for everything that I have in my life. Thankfulness is a contented happiness.

What were some of the happiest moments of your life?

Sister: Getting degree, and getting married.

How did you learn the meaning of happiness?

Sister: There is no condition for happiness. It is involuntarily process, for instance, if babies smile it does not mean that they know happiness. They are just happy.

Do you know if your parents were happy?

Sister: they spent all their life worrying how to make our lives better but they were happy together.

Can Nirvana ever be achieved?

Sister: I think so, it can be achieved.

Interview with Friend

What is happiness?

Friend: To me is freedom fear free, pure and simple.

Can happiness be measured?

Friend: I think it can be measure on different stages of life. For instance, someone can get happy by watching kids play in the park. They can be completely exultant upon getting promotion or may be finding true love. Therefore, there are different stages of happiness.

Is unhappiness the rule?

Friend: generally speaking yes it is. People are not going to understand the meaning of happiness

without the feeling of unhappiness.

How do people assess their happiness?

Friend: Sadly, by their successes, wealth or any kind a material possession.

What conditions favor happiness?

Friend: Favorable conditions for happiness would be money to spend, food to eat three times a day, and comfortable own home.

Do you remember the first time you were consciously aware of being happy?

Friend: My first college degree was my true happiness. My mother and I were very poor and I worked so hard to get the college education because that was the only way out for me from poverty. When I got my degree, I was sitting on my old couch, eating dinner and watching tv. That was my I was happy truly

How did you feel?

Friend: On the day I got graduated, was my happiness because I felt like my heart is full of joy and satisfaction.

How often do you feel happy?

Friend: it is funny, because I really don’t pay attention to that part. Sometimes I laugh and smile but I can’t stop thinking that I am happy.

What were some of the happiest moments of your life?

Friend: the happiest moment of my life is sitting in my own home and finishing up my graduate degree. Getting married and adopting a son.

How did you learn the meaning of happiness?

Friend: No one can learn the meaning of happiness.

Do you know if your parents were happy?

Friend: My mother was unhappy person because of my father’s suicide.

Can Nirvana ever be achieved?

Friend: sure why not, there should be absence of fear and presence of security.

Refence

Personal Communication, (2012). Interview Happiness. Interviewed two persons.

Happiness

The origin of my individual happiness and the first person I analyzed is my Sister. She is someone who has advised me on how to be happy even during moments when the majority of people would not be. Self-reliant, optimistic, and wise, she has conquered several obstacles to get where she is and is an influential model for being happy. The other individual I analyzed is a stranger I came across at a local coffee house. We began conversing after he asked me a question regarding the book I was reading. From there on, I felt contented continuing persisting the conversation. I asked him (Mike) if he can talk to me regarding happiness but he softly obliged for next hour.

According to the information I gathered, happiness is same for everyone, there is no difference. To my Sister happiness is pure and simple. She always is sure that it can be attainable. But for Mike happiness is far different. His real happiness is his success. Even, though his Sister and son come second in his life after success. In College Mike did not have any fun because he was so much concern that if he did not get his education completed then he would not be happy? In his head, sacrifices make happiness later in life. Once he finished his school and got his own house. Sitting there was his true happiness. Big earnings Theory applies to him.

When I asked my Sister and Mike about achieving true happiness or nirvana, my Sister was quick to say yes. Mike also agreed. Both of them agreed on one thing that conditions must be there in order to achieve Nirvana. My Sister answered that a person should open their hearts and let enter the happiness. Mike said person should not be afraid and feel insecure for achieving Nirvana. But if they are uncertain and tenuous then there is no possibility for Nirvana. In his own words, he contends that “there might be presence of security and absence of fear” (personal communication, April, 17^th, 2012).

It was obvious that Mike was so impressed from his mother while my Sister whole life was impacted by her parents. Mike mother lost her husband by committing suicide when she was pregnant with him. On the other hand my Sister parents were very supportive. They scarified their own happiness for their daughter. My Sister parents were completely different people. Her parents’ stoicism allows their daughter to find happiness. I am sure they were not happy in what they did not get for themselves, but they were more happy and willing to sacrifice their happiness for her. In my opinion, in Mike case people can’t find true bliss because of the things they desire. My Sister is happy what she has rather than wanting more.

From both interviews I collected information which present that happiness cannot be defined easily. From the interviews, I come to believe that happiness is all the experiences that handed down which can help a person to shape whether they are happy or not.

Reference

Janaro, R. P., & Altshuler, T. C. (2009). The art of being human: The humanities as a technique for living (Kaplan University 2nd custom ed.). New York: Pearson Education, Inc.

Personal Communication, (2012), Interviewed two individuals.