copy Happiness Essay promp

 

ASSIGNMENT:

Write an essay on ONE of the topics below. Whichever option you choose, please bring in ideas from multiple readings/any videos I assigned and from your classmates on the Google Doc. Remember, you can use quotes to support your arguments, or you can use them as possible counterarguments. Also, as you explain your points, please give specific examples from your own life or examples you have seen in the world.

Also be sure to present and respond to counterarguments throughout your essay. You can find counterarguments in the readings and also in our Google Docs. 

Option 1:

What is the relationship between money and happiness?

Before you start writing, consider:

-The things that make us truly happy ... do they require money?

-Is money giving us pleasure or happiness? When we buy something we want, does it make us happy? Is it real, lasting happiness, or does the feeling wear off quickly?

-Are there ways we can spend money that will bring greater happiness?

-How can money make us less happy? Think of specific examples.

Option 2: 

Are we in control of our happiness? If so, what specific things can we do to increase our happiness?

Before you start writing, consider:

-Can we choose to be happy even if our life circumstances are difficult?

-Have you ever been unhappy even when you had good things in your life?

-Do we need other people in order to be happy?

-Are there certain external circumstances that prevent happiness?

-Can depression and anxiety prevent us from being happy even if we want to?

-Can we train our minds to be happy?

Option 3:

Should happiness be the main goal of our lives, or are there more important goals?

Before you start writing, consider:

-What other things in life are more important than happiness?

-Is the pursuit of happiness a selfish or shallow pursuit?

-Is it possible to live a happy life that has no meaning?

-Is it possible to live a meaningful but unhappy life?

-Do you agree with Emily Esfahani's Smith's views on the four pillars of meaning?

https://www.ted.com/talks/emily_esfahani_smith_there_s_more_to_life_than_being_happy?language=en

Option 4:

Is happiness a societal problem or a personal problem? In other words, does society's policies, wages, opportunities, and norms have a strong impact our happiness, or not?

Before you start writing, consider:

-Is our happiness shaped by our opportunities in life?

-Can we be happy with low wages and a lack of opportunity for careers?

-Can we be happy if we don't have adequate health care?

-Can we be happy in a society that is racist or unjust?

-Can we be happy if we go against society's norms?

Option 5: Combine some of the options above or create your own claim that connects the ideas in multiple readings about happiness. Please show me your thesis before you begin. 

TIPS:

-Use your introduction to explain your own definition of happiness. Remember, we wrote this definition of happiness in class.  

-Please know: your essay doesn't need to be black and white. It's fine to take a middle ground and argue that position. 

-Don't forget to include counterarguments/responses.

-Please try to draw on multiple readings to help you defend and illustrate your points. 

-Please underline or bold your thesis and your responses to counters.