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HAPPINESS INTERVIEWS AND ESSAY 1

Views on Happiness

Jennifer Kitchen

HU300-16

Kaplan University

January 29, 2012


What Happiness Means to Others

Dee is a 47 year old married Navajo woman. She is currently staying at the old inn

where I used to reside. I met her working across the street at the used furniture store. I do not

know her well considering I only met her about a month ago and have only had a few

conversations with her.

Zowie is my 12 year old daughter. She lives with her father in Texas but visits me a few

times a year. In the summer time we get 8 weeks to enjoy our time together. She is a good

student and enjoys playing video games and reading manga.

Interview with Dee

Question: How would you define happiness?

Response: Grandkids. They make life seem worth all the trouble.

Question: Has your definition of happiness changed over time?

Response: yes. When I was spending everyday with the grandkids it was special. Then we (her

husband and her) had to move for work and I didn’t get to see them for a while. Now, going

back is a precious moment.

Question: What experiences have influenced your definition?

Response: Just waking up and breathing. Living lets us see what is around us.

Question: Do you expect the definition to change again?


Response: Yes, especially with my health. Health helps happiness. When I am sick I just want

solitude. But when I go see grandkids I feel better. They make my happiness.

(D. Haswood, personal communication, January 29, 2012).

Interview with Zowie

Question: How would you define happiness?

Response: I don’t know… When you get to be with the people you love. Not everything has to

be perfect. Happiness is also getting to do what you love to do. Freedom to express yourself.

Question: Has your definition of happiness changed over time?

Response: No. I think the people in my life are the most important part and when I get to be

with them I am happy. Always been that way.

Question: What experiences have influenced your definition?

Response: Every time I get to see you. You don’t have a ton of money. They (her dad and

stepmother) do. Here I get all kinds of stuff. Stuff doesn’t make you happy. Spending time

with you makes me happy. We have more meaningful time together.

Question: Do you expect the definition to change throughout life?

Response: No.

(Z. O., personal communication, January 29, 2012).


Understanding Happiness

Jennifer Kitchen

HU300-16

Kaplan University

January 31, 2012


Happiness

Happiness can mean different things to different people. I have known many people

who believe that comes from the many pleasures we have in life. Hedonism the term used for

this view and many people may think this way. They may say, “I am happy when I get to go to

the movies” or “I am happy because I got that raise and now I can buy a new car.” Other

people believe happiness comes when there is no pain to distract from living. This is

Epicureanism. These people may be heard saying, “I will be happy as soon as this headache is

gone” or “I am happy now that I no longer have a headache.” The two people I interviewed

seen happiness as neither of these.

Both Dee and Zowie find happiness in being with those you love. Dee enjoys her time

with her grandkids and Zowie enjoys her time with me, her mother. They both seem to know

that there are times when pain or loneliness is present but they also know these things will

pass. Stoicism is the belief that happiness comes from learning to cope with the pains that are

inevitable. It is “how we respond to what happens” (Janaro & Altshuler, 2009). Dee responds

to illness by secluding herself but when she visits her grandkids it helps her to feel better

(personal communication, January 29, 2012). Zowie receives many material objects when she is

with her dad but knows that she is happiest when she is with me because of the time we spend

together (personal communication, January 29, 2012). They both realize that sometimes we

have what we want, such as time with loved ones, but other times we must go without them

for a while. It is this going without that helps us see the happiness that is there when we have

what we desire.


I thought that when I sat down to interview these two females I would find a

difference in their views, since they are 35 years apart in age. I found that this was not so. Age

does not mean people cannot have the same view of happiness. The two females had the same

thoughts, its time with loved ones. Happiness is not material wealth, ownership, or simply not

suffering, peace. Happiness comes from living and experiencing.

When I first started this project I talked to a lot of people about happiness and got a lot

of the same answer, “there is no such thing.” I could not believe this. I think it is just difficult to

explain happiness for many people. Seeing what really makes us happy is something that

makes us really look at ourselves and who we are. Some people would tell me, “It is what you

make it out to be.” I guess this means we all decide what makes us happy. We have freedom

to choose happiness and maybe this freedom of choice is what makes many people happy.


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.

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