How and Why Can People be Happy?

My overall research question for this topic was “how and why can people be happy?” To answer this question I have found that people can be happy in many different circumstances because after your essential needs are met, it is a matter of finding meaning in your life and thinking positively among other things. It is also important that materialism is not considered when talking about happiness because it does not give people long lasting happiness.

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Throughout the research process I have found that the relationship between materialism/ wealth and happiness is often misunderstood. Many people may believe that the richer you are or the more materials you have, the happier you are, however in "The Psychology Of Materialism, And Why It's Making You Unhappy" the author discusses that after one’s basic needs are met, there is little evidence to support that the common misconception that the richer you are the happier you are. According the author, “It seems that it may not be the money itself that leads to dissatisfaction, but rather, the continual striving for greater wealth and more possessions that is linked to unhappiness.” Therefore it is important when answering my overall question to look at the correlation between happiness and materialism. With all evidence I have found it is clear that people can be happy without having excessive materials.

I also learned easy steps that people can try to improve their happiness because often times people are really happy and it’s not because of their genes or who they are as  a person, rather it is what they do with what they are given. The article “The Science of Being Happy” outlines these steps and how they can be beneficial to someone. The steps include thinking that stress is a challenge, not a threat, thinking young, having a positive mindset, not ruminating, spending money, finding meaning, and singing. Of course these steps are much easier said than done, especially for someone who is very unhappy in their life, however starting with one suggestion can lead to a greater overall happiness in life. I believe one of the most helpful suggestions for how someone can be happy is by viewing stress as a challenge, not a threat. Many people tend to break down under stressful situations and become unhappy, however looking at the situation in a different way can open up new ideas and happiness. This article gives many examples to answer my question showing how people can be happy.

In the next article, “Why Employee Happiness Shouldn’t Be Your No. 1 Goal”, I learned about certain things that companies do in order to try to improve employee happiness. Companies are putting in extravagant luxuries in office spaces such as napping areas, free massages, coffee cafes, and lunchtime yoga in order to increase positivity. However, what these companies do not realize is that these luxuries are only relevant for short-term happiness. If a company really cares about employee happiness, they do not have to spend thousands of dollars on unnecessary services, but rather they can focus on how they treat their employees on a day to day basis. The real way to increase productivity and employee mentality is to treat employees as equals, challenge their abilities, be involved in employees work, and invest in the individual. In a world with the majority of the population working, it is a good place to start when trying to increase overall happiness and this article supports why and how people can be happy.

The last topic I learned about was the impact that cell phones can have on someone’s happiness. A Kent State University study shows the relationship between excessive cell phone use and happiness in the article, “Excess Cell Phone Usage Reduces Happiness” by Steve Baskin. The overall idea is that many teenagers are addicted to their phones and the many functions they can be used for such as social media and texting. In most cases, the study has shown that teenagers are more likely to be uncomfortable with face to face communication and feel an overall sense of unhappiness. It is evident that this idea connects to my other research about materialism because even technology can lead to unhappiness. After all it is not up for assumption that people who have all the technology and possessions they want are happy. In fact they could be more unhappy than one may believe. Overall, throughout my research process I have found that happiness is something that pretty much everyone strives for and there are many ways to do so. Also, anyone can be happy, even if they don’t own the newest iPhone, sports car, or a fancy mansion. As long as you can support yourself and strive to work hard, keep positive, and continue to look on the bright side, happiness is within your reach.