Professor Beadle
Writing 115
21 February 2019
The potential driving force for success and fulfillment is achieved through happiness.
This so-called happiness occurs when one becomes satisfied with all the needs that have been
desired and accomplished. At what point does one finalize the search for happiness? Author
Graham Hill a Journalist, Entrepreneur, and founder has remarkable diversified success at
TreeHugger.com and LifeEdited, where he argues that less can really be more. Hill is
contemplating an excessive need for materialism that builds barriers when dealing with the
internal and external environment. David Brooks is a Journalist at the Washington Post and the
Wall Street Journal who has also written five books, taking on controversial topics, where he
takes a stance on the aspect of suffering. Being able to build relationships, Brooks internalizes
U.C.R., author of articles, book chapters, and research on individual happiness. Finally,
Lyubomirsky hits on a couple of major points, such as dealing with the environment, studies on
how to present one's internal thoughts. In all, these authors suggest areas of growth in order to
reach happiness and also hint at better relationships that can be formulated as a result.
Hill begins with an anecdote of his life, made up of a variety of things that have “ended
up running [his] life or a lot of it, the things [he's] consumed ended up consuming [him]”(Hill
308). Hill has become overwhelmed with materialistic things that have come to oversee all his
other needs. When doing this, he has become detached with his sense of self while feeding into
consumerism and now he must face both external and internal problems because they impact
both his life and the natural outside world. This ties back to the concept of “extractions of
resources”(Hill 310), the over-consumed trend has influenced a choice that has generated by
society. Hill asked, “ what exactly are we storing away in the boxes”(Hill 310). At this point in
his journey, he has begun to question the excessive need for the abundance of things. He also
addresses the unnecessary need that “plays a big part in pushing our planet to the brick”(Hill
310), by destroying the planet people are also destroying themselves. The disconnected with the
“relationships, experiences and meaningful works of life”(Hill 311), has created a space for
detachment and isolation and negates the relationships. Being able to have human relationships
with others keep a person moving forward. Just as the relationship with the environment is
essential in order to stay alive. Is it also important to be aware of the choices that are made
because it may hinder the true happiness that is being sought, which may cause one to question
Brooks lays out the foundation for happiness by demonstrating the aspect of suffering as
it “drags you deeper into yourself”(Brooks 284). Brooks has demonstrated the power of
vulnerability because at point of great harm one is more accepting of the circumstances and seem
more welcoming to this almost forced change because it gives a new and better opportunity to be
able to learn and grow from what the suffering brought. At this point, the opportunity for “the
healing process feels as though its part of some natural divine process beyond control”(Brooks
266). The healing part has been applied. the individual control In all, a person can let this absorb
so that they are able to self-reflection and transcendence their self-worth. Then as fuel to an
engine, this is what can bring a person back to a point of redemption. Holiness is put into play.
One can internally live a more forthcoming knowledgeable lifestyle because of the effect that
suffering had. Once a person is able to do this, accepting negative and positive experiences an
individual who has experienced both a high point versus vulnerable aspect, "recovering from
suffering [may] come out different"(Brooks) it gives them a better understanding to what they
want to pursue in their lives. in all this creates a space that requires a way to understand and
maintain happiness.
Lyubomirsky has presented the case of three people. The first two of Angela and Randy
have accentuated a true definition of being defined as happy, they each share a post-traumatic
event which has shaped the way they chose to live their lives (Lyubomirsky 180). As a result,
they have seemed to find comfort in another human being. Whether it be with friends, love, or
Lyubomirsky stance on suffering creates happiness, to those individuals who have encountered
some sort of trauma in the past. Both Randy and Angela have experienced unwanted events,
though at first, these events may come as burdens, they become necessary for the future and the
ability to truly understand what happiness is and accept it in its fullness. “Shannon the final case
has experienced a lack of tragedy or trauma in her life, [she] seems to turn everything into a
crisis”(Lyubomirsky 182). At comparison to Angela and Randy, Shannon had been content her
whole life, she was never exposed to the second possibility of mishap, isolation, and suffrage. In
all, there can be no telling how she may react to any future traumatic event when the time may
come. The differentiation between these three cases has demonstrated an unfortunate spectrum of
chance and choice. Another case which looks at a pair of fraternal twins case shows the effect of
the difference in the physical environment. These two sets of twins are observed, the first is
observed raised together and the other two are raised separately( Lyubomirsky 188). The
environment in which the two sets of twins are exposed to has become important because being
raised together has forced them to act of total opposite to each other. Though if they are raised
separately there isn't any pressure to have to act differently. The environment that had lead to this
has raised questions of genetics, where the genetic factors play a role in the happiness that is
accentuated. Although there are determiners that enhance one's choices of happiness, genetics
can play a role in this as well as a lurking variable that is underseen. Overall, achieving
happiness comes in many forms that cause obstacles to occur, though it may seem impssley far
to reach happinesses, the journey to happiness prepares the person to maintain that happiness.
To put in perspective there are many tendencies in which one becomes consumed by a
controlling society that has laid out the fundamental foundation for happiness. Each author picks
on imperfections and suggests different approaches in order to truly achieve happiness, which are
both internalized and externalized. Overall the common pattern is becoming detached from a
social expectation to a more rather self attachment, in order to maintain that self- desire. In future
relationships serve as minor simulated of happiness may cause for major, lifetime of an immense
happiness that extends all other needs that seem to be temporary. Though it may not come easy,
happiness is a goal worth reaching, it may seem inevitably far because of lurking variable.
Works Cited
Brooks, David. “What Suffering Does.” Pursuing Happiness, Edited by Matthew Parfitt
Hill, Graham. “Living With Less. A Lot Less.” Pursuing Happiness, Edited by Matthew Parfitt and
Lyubomirsky, Sonja. “How Happy are You and Why?” Pursuing Happiness, Edited by Matthew