Write your quiz answers down on a sheet of paper, we'll go over them in class. You can claim a base for each correct answer (and a run on the scorecard for every four bases, up to 5 runs per class). Also claim a base for each posted alternate quiz question, discussion question, response to a discussion question, other comment, or relevant link. Keep track of everything you post in a dated personal log that will be collected later. Claim a RUN for posting a weekly 250+ word essay on the relevant topic of your choice.
1. How does the author's Dad describe existence "on the Pond"?
2. What does Big Joe the commercial fisherman feel at the end of his working day, and how does he feel generally?
3 . Your posture or stride reveals something deeper than what?
4. The author says moments like the one depicted in the photo on p.18 involve no what?
5. Who developed the notion of flow?
6. Tranquility, confidence, and expansiveness are aspects of what state of mind/body?
7. Though your temperament may be more or less fixed, your ___ may be more or less prone to change with circumstances.
7. Though your temperament may be more or less fixed, your ___ may be more or less prone to change with circumstances.
8. What famous western Buddhist says happiness is an optimal state of being, much more than a feeling?
Discussion Questions (please add your own)
- Do you often, or ever, experience a state of mindless meditation? Are you happy in those moments? Or must such moments recur regularly over the course of a lifetime before such a judgment would be appropriate?
- How often do you find yourself fully engaged and absorbed in what you're doing? Do you think you could learn to experience such a state of being more frequently and reliably?
- How much attention do you pay to your posture and bodily presentation? When striding confidently do you feel more confident, when sitting erect do you feel more competent? Can acting happy make you happy?
- This isn't how most philosophers would define "rationality," but what do you think of it as a description of happiness? "When enjoying plenary freedom either in the way of motion or of thought, we are in a sort of anaesthetic state in which we might say with Walt Whitman, if we cared to say anything about ourselves at such times, " I am sufficient as I am." This feeling of the sufficiency of the present moment, of its absoluteness, — this absence of all need to explain it, account for it, or justify it, — is what I call the Sentiment of Rationality. As soon, in short, as we are enabled from any cause whatever to think with perfect fluency, the thing we think of seems to us pro tanto rational." William James
- Do you ever experience "flow," when your absorption in a task makes the experience of the passage of time drop away? Did you experience that more when younger? (Could that be what the poet Wordsworth was talking about when he referred to intimations of immortality in childhood?)
- How do you manage your bad moods? Does it work for you to try and ignore them, and just get on with your day? Or have you learned the Stoic/Vulcan art of distancing yourself from all moods? Is it possible to achieve selective distancing, drawing closer to happy moods and away from bad ones?
- Who's the happiest person you know? What have you learned from observing them?
Haybron's bigger book, The Pursuit of Unhappiness: The Elusive Psychology of Well-Being:
Some old thoughts on "flow"-
Additional discussion questions:
ReplyDelete1. Would the 'satisfaction of the soul', as the author describes on page 17, be a suitable synonym for happiness? Why or why not?
2. Would you consider tranquility the 'cornerstone of happiness'? Why would Haybron believe it is almost impossible to be happy without it? Do you agree with his conclusion? How do you experience tranquility?
3. If happiness is an 'optimal state of being', what would be considered optimal? How could you attain this state? Do you feel as if you are at an optimal state of being?
4. In what ways could time poverty lead to a lesser quality of life, affecting an individuals ability to obtain happiness? What are other types of poverty -excluding financial- that could lead to a deminished quality of life? Why?
In response to discussion questions:
ReplyDelete#6: On the management of bad moods: I have to consciously make the decision on a daily bases that today will be a good day. Sunny? It's a good day. Rainy? It's a good day. Work all week with 3 tests and a mid-term exam on Friday? It's a good day. I have to deliberately make myself show gratitude for the things that go right and do my best to look on the bright side when things go wrong. This is the only way I can keep my 'bad moods' in check. However, it is not an easy task and I have to leave daily reminders for myself to realize that , yes, today is not perfect but it is good regardless and, yes, I will make myself be happy, or at least not miserable, regardless of the external circumstances. I do not see distancing myself from my emotions as a positive solution to unhappiness and will, if it must, give myself enough time to ride out the 'bad moods' as needed.
#7: Who is the happiest person you know?
The happiest people I know are my father and a handful of men I work with who show me on a daily bases that life sucks at time, it does not always go as planned, but it is always good and worth participating in. By being around them on a daily bases I have realized from them that you cannot plan for everything, and who would want to anyway? Happiness is not exuberant joy, is not having a great paying job or the nicest things, but the satisfaction of working hard, doing something you can be proud of, and building something with your life- creating something positive that was not previously there. And they tell good jokes too. This view of happiness may be more aligned with the 'satisfaction of life' concept of happiness that Haydron illustrates.
#2 How often do you find yourself fully engaged in what you are doing?
No, I unfortunately do not. It seems like I am continuously pestered by the nagging feeling that I need to get more work accomplished by the end of the day and I believe this is what inhibits my ability to fully engage in many of the tasks I participate in. This may be my own personal anxieties, the responsibilities I have on my shoulders, or the signs of the times (it seems pretty hard to get away from a clock), but I would one day like to be able to participate in activities without thinking I need t hurry up and get over with it, I've got other things to attend to.
#5: Do you ever experience 'flow'?
Whenever I experience 'flow' as described by Haydron, I am participating in an activity that requires full physical exertion. This is something I felt often while participating in cross country races in high school, or lifting heavy weights, hiking long distances, or desperately trying to outmaneuver an unexpected rapid while kayaking so I don't flip and lose all my stuff. These are the moments I am completely absorbed in something, only paying attention to what I am immediately trying to accomplish -DON'T FLIP- and experiencing the feeling of satisfaction or disappointment if I do or do not complete the activity to my personal standards.
lternative Discussion Questions:
ReplyDelete1) On pg 17, Haybron roughly defines happiness as having a favorable emotional condition, would you agree or disagree? Also consider what is included in a favorable emotional condition.
2) On pg 18, Haybron says "there is much more to being happy then feeling happy". In your own life experience can you relate to this quote?
Alternative quiz questions:
1)American's put more weight on what for joy and existence?
2) What does the Asian culture value for factors leading to joy?
3)Haybron says it is far better to be cheerful than what?
4)Haybron says life is impoverished without regular doses of what?
5)What does Haybron consider as the cornerstone of happiness?
6)What are the 3 basic aspects of Attunement?
1. Do you often, or ever, experience a state of mindless meditation? Are you happy in those moments? Or must such moments recur regularly over the course of a lifetime before such a judgment would be appropriate?
ReplyDeleteI do not recall a time of being in a state of mindless meditation. Although I would imagine if such a moment were to occur, or If I could recall such a time, I would not be able to determine whether that moment was happy or not. If one were truly in a state of mindless meditation, I believe they would have to have multiple similar occasions in order to appropriately judge whether or not they were happy during those moments. Perhaps there is also the issue of being able to recall a time of being in such a state if such a moment does not occur for that particular person often. When one is in such a state, they have “few thoughts and no dreams” (p. 14) according to Ron Haybron. He also describes his state of being as “effortless, untroubled by pain, unstirred by joy” (p.14). Such a state would perhaps not be memorable, at least not unless they were to occur regularly and over a long period of time.
2. How often do you find yourself fully engaged and absorbed in what you're doing? Do you think you could learn to experience such a state of being more frequently and reliably?
I do not find myself engaged and absorbed in what I am doing often. When I find myself engaged in an activity, it is usually due to the fact that it is an activity that requires me to be mentally engaged in order to perform the activity. I also tend to find myself engaged in the sense that I feel anxious about the activity or I am caught up in other thoughts about things such as what I need to get done or I simply am unengaged and unabsorbed all together. When I was younger, I remember it coming more naturally to easily engage in activities I enjoyed. However, as I grew older, my anxiety grew as well and I find myself less likely to engage in activities I enjoy. I do believe that perhaps one day I could learn to experience such a state of being once again.
5. Do you ever experience "flow," when your absorption in a task makes the experience of the passage of time drop away? Did you experience that more when younger? (Could that be what the poet Wordsworth was talking about when he referred to intimations of immortality in childhood?)
I experience flow when I am engaging in an activity which requires more thought. I experienced it as more of an enjoyable flow while I was younger. For example, in high school, I was involved in school choir and theatre, both in the school and in other places. During these activities, I found myself thoroughly engaged because it was an enjoyable time for me. I was in a state of mind in which I was delighted to learn and partake in these particular activities.
6. How do you manage your bad moods? Does it work for you to try and ignore them, and just get on with your day? Or have you learned the Stoic/Vulcan art of distancing yourself from all moods? Is it possible to achieve selective distancing, drawing closer to happy moods and away from bad ones?
I tend to manage my bad moods a couple different ways. One way is to remind myself of something positive that has happened that day or something positive that will happen later in the day. I also attempt to focus on the bigger picture of my life. I remind myself that although I may not be feeling happy in the moment, that it is not, and does not need to be, a perpetual state of being. I typically use this method when I think of how little I may have accomplished, or when I am worried about school or what comes after school. I remind myself that I am still young and have time to make the most of my existence. I also remind myself that overall, I am satisfied with my life, no matter how I may feel emotionally at the moment. These methods do not always work for me, however.I believe that to some extent one could distance themselves from such emotions, but I am unsure if I believe such a method is healthy for one's mental well-being.
How Misery on the Appalachian Trail Can Facilitate Happiness
ReplyDeleteThe guest speaker on the Appalachian Trail podcast stated that he had hiked the Appalachian trail more then 5 times in his life while only one hike would be considered a phenomenal feat of endurance. Why would someone voluntarily put themselves through such tremendous physical discomfort repeatedly for no other reason then they enjoyed it? Hiking the entire Appalachian Trail – over 2,100 miles – in under a year is nothing to shake a stick at, nor is it considered easy. Only one in four hikers who start the trail with the intention of completing the entire trail finish. Hikers must endure unpleasant and sometimes dangerous weather, homesickness, parasitic bugs, smelly and wet clothes, injuries, hunger, and the realization that they just hiked 20 miles and have to do it all over the next day, and the next, and the next for several months ahead. And all voluntarily, under their own free will. Why would someone do something like that if it did not bring them some sort of happiness? This leads me to believe that some forms of happiness are only achievable after the completion of a difficult goal or, more likely, during the process of completing the goal. Finishing the Appalachian Trail may only be the stated goal, but if you have accomplished that already, as the guest speaker has, maybe the joy is found in pushing through the discomfort and overcoming the challenge, not completing the challenge itself. Hedonism may not be the key to happiness, but may be more in line with vitality and engaging with life as much as possible- ticks and all.
I apologize for the lack of citations, I can not find the podcast previously posted to this happiness blog.
Alternate questions/discussions:
ReplyDelete1. What are the three aspects of happiness that Haybron describes?
2. How can one go from a negative to positive emotional condition?
3. What is hedonism?
4. What do you think Joshua Bell was thinking while he was playing in the subway station?
5. What do you think about Big Joe's life?
6. Describe emotional condition in your own words.
7. Why do people put on different emotional fronts when they are feeling completely different on the inside?
8. Explain your definition of the best day.
Posted by Samantha Beasley. Not sure why it says Unknown.
DeleteDay missed: september 5
ReplyDeleteDate posted: september 11
Haybron exchanges the word tranquility for attunement in pages 22-23 in order to explain how a person will be happier when they feel at home. Earlier this week I was discussing this concept with a friend if a mutual friend of ours was happy. This said friend had moved away and seemed to have a fulfilling life of adventure, however after a few months she moved back home and returned to her high school boyfriend and friends, claiming how she was happier here. This confused us both because I believe happiness would derive from growth but to some happiness is where they feel comfortable.
However, Haybron would agree with my friend's decision to move back based on his theory of happiness. Which includes that this state of attunement contains the aspects of inner calm, confidence, and expansiveness of the mood or spirit. While in this state a person will feel relaxed and living without inhibition. He also claims that tranquility is the cornerstone of happiness. With one end of the spectrum there is also another end, disattunement.
Disattunement is more commonly referred to as alienation because the individual feels alienated from their environment. An individual in the alienation state often feels unfamiliar, imposed, and threatened by the environment they are a part of. This alienation results in a state of defense that displays itself through anxiety, stress, and insecurity. Haybron claims that someone suffering from these symptoms cannot be truly happy because the person does not feel at home in their own lives. Which raises a question if someone does not feel at home because they have never been at a steady place in their lives, resulting in anxiety, does this mean they will never truly be happy? I believe everyone in some form has anxiety. For most people it is being anxious about paying the bills or a romantic conflict. However, some are just suffering from crippling anxiety that they become anxious when they leave the place they feel most safe in. If the latter is the case then Haybron's statement is somewhat untrue. It is not that the anxious person does not feel at home in their own lives, but rather they only feel at home in a designated area. I would also be curious to know if after these people with anxiety or depression took medication to make them less stressed or happier, then they are finally considered happy. Or if Haybron would say the individual cannot be on medication to achieve happiness. If that is so, then are some people destined to be unhappy? This seems unrealistic since people are born with chemical imbalances in their brains that make them less happy then normal. Which leads to another idea, if some people are destined to be unhappy then is there an opposite end of the spectrum where people destined to be happy? For example, the extremely happy go-lucky person that puts a positive spin on every situation and seems to have a well-off life? With this example we are also judging happiness from an appearance as in the person smiling, but some people may be happy however their faces just seem upset because they are deep in thought. It is also key to realize that without unhappy people then how would one judge happiness? If everyone was happy then would happiness be considered normal instead of a desired state of mind? Which brings back the point that Haybron pointed out how Panama is a relatively happy country, if so then how do they judge happiness if it is so normal?
-Reagan Dougherty
Extra question for chapter 2:
ReplyDelete1) Why was the Big Joe happy?
2) What personal problems did Joe went through?
3) What are the examples of feelings when they talk about endorsement?
4) What are the two forms of engagements?
5) What was George Szell passionate about?
6) What are the three aspects of attunement?
7) What are the two theories that Robert talked about?
8) What did psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi did?
9) What is the definition of happiness?