On Risk and Happiness-Levi & Max

Levi Jaeger & Maxwell McConnell – On Risk and Happiness For our report we chose to examine the correlation between risk and happiness. As our primary focus for this course focuses on the concept of happiness being defined as life satisfaction, rather than the fleeting sensation of endorphins making you feel nice and warm, therefore the variety of risks we are arguing are beneficial are the same risks that we would feel satisfied in taking, because the alternative of not taking the risk is arguably more devasting to us than having taken said risk and failed. We are in asking the same questions that have been raised by philosophers throughout time: what does it mean to live a good life? We are aspiring to learn how to best live a life that can be looked back on fondly, with minimal, if not completely lacking in regret. As this is the case, we are not examining the idea that doing dangerous things for dangerous sake is good for, however we are not dismissing the notion that sometimes, looking danger in the face cannot be fulfilling, and incredibly satisfying, such as the case with many sports, whether they be extreme such as rock climbing or sports many may consider to be far less dangerous. We are however arguing that there must be reasoning for the decisions in order for them to be fulfilling. But these reasons can be individual, these risks we take that cause us this satisfaction are likely risks we would have later felt more regret having not taken them than had we taken said risks and failed. For our presentation we will focus our point on civil rights activists, revolutionary figure heads, and rock climbers, as well as other athletes whether their focus be extreme sports or otherwise. The variety of risks we advocate then are the risks taken by those who feel like they could not be as satisfied with it any other way, whether these risks are extreme or nominal. It is a risk to out your crush; but perhaps they will go on to be your future spouse. It can be risky to speak out against social injustices, but it can lead to a brighter future. It is certainly dangerous to scale the façade of a cliff (with or without a rope), but the view from the peak is certainly a sensation paralleled only by the accompanying sense of fulfillment from achieving a goal one has set for themself. It is not only risky but downright dangerous to go to war, but many soldiers insist it was a positive experience, though this is not a universal outlook shared by soldiers. History has certainly shown us that there is a great deal of risk involved in objecting to and resisting unjust laws and tyrannical rulers; even if one does not physically go to war with munitions, but only in a moral battlefield. Only cynics would argue it would be better to be oppressed than to fight for what they believe is right. There is not even a chance of getting out of bed every day without being subjected to at least a minor amount of risk; you can drown in an inch of water, roughly 3200 people die in car crashes around the world every day, perhaps you might choke on your food; but we still bathe, most of us still spend some amount of time in cars one way or another, we still eat, but few would argue that it is better to stay in bed for fear of any, than to go out and live your life passionately; and are these cynics who would present that case the variety of people we would take advice about happiness from? Certainly not. 1.) Globally, how many people die in car accidents die every year on average? 3200 2.) Who said a that the unexamined life is not worth living? Socrates. 3.) How many years did Nelson Mandela spend in prison? 27 4.) For William James, what was a crisis of life?