2. Unit 4 HappinessAssignment
“What is your Vision of Happiness?”
My first interview is Justin who I just met on Sunday as a new customer of mine at my
job. He invited me to come to his church sometime and we exchanged contact information.
The second person I interviewed was Joe. Joe and I have been very good friends for several
years. He was a regular customer of mine at a prior job and he has asked me to coach him in his
health and wellness recently.
“Interview with Justin”
Question: What is your definition of happiness and what personal experiences would you say
have led to your definition?
Response: In a general sense, Happiness to me is a positive state of mind/being, which is usually
a direct result of temporal or temporary actions. The newly engaged man is happy about his
bride to be. New car owner is happy about his new ride. And so on… I do think there is
something much less fragile than happiness, I would call that “joy” which is unshakeable and
only found in a life honoring the Lord.
Question: Great. Some scientists who study science of happiness, which involves how our
brain functions say if we get right now what we think will make us happy, then we really won’t
be happy in the future. What is your belief about short-term vs. long-term happiness in relation
to pain-pleasure?
Response: First off, pain teaches us the value in pleasure. Example: 3rd world country
contentment vs. America discontentment. The millionaire commits suicide. The once happily
married man has an affair. The happy new employee soon is seeking for a new job. Temporal
things never bring unshakeable happiness.
Question: Would you say short-term pleasure always results in long-term pain?
Response: Usually. I won’t say always. True security and positivity in life can only be found in
something that stretches further than you. We in ourselves are short term. When we anchor to
the Eternal Lord we see things differently. Rising levels of discontent in America and other
various places are a direct correlation of man assuming “lord/God-ship” of his life.
Question: Having said that, can you recall a personal story when someone close to you
expressed bitterness/anger by claiming you did not make them happy?
3. Unit 4 HappinessAssignment
Response: (My former fiance) no longer my fiancé), I gave her the world, bought her everything
she ever wanted from a car, art, things, purses, expensive dates… To turn and say she did not
want to be with me anymore. There was an absence of depth in her love. Temporary things
could not buy that love as the story shows.
Question: What was her reasoning? Any clue as to why she left?
Response: Incompatible differences. It proves that contentment, positivity, and happiness are
more than surface issues.
Question: When you have thoughts about the kinds of things you would love to be doing that
would immediately and substantially increase your joy, what does that look like?
Response: Ministry, preaching, leading worship, and teaching the Word of God. My ideal day
would consist of praying and reading while drinking coffee. Relax and prepare to head out to
church or work. Helping people and telling them about God. Eat good food while
fellowshipping and enjoying life with people. Then sleep.
Thanks so much Justin for taking the time to share with me your thoughts on happiness. I
appreciate it.
(Justin, Happiness, February 25, 2014.) Justin claims that being a part of something greater than
oneself, personal relationship with God, and pursuing personal growth are key factors in the
happiness equation.)
“Interview with Joe”
Question: What is your definition of happiness and what experiences would you say have led to
your definition?
Response: Happiness would be defined by being content with how I live and who I live with. I
came from a large, Hispanic, Catholic family who taught honoring God and live in a certain way
whether I agree with it or not. Family values played an integral part of my view on happiness
and the structure in which I live as I was taught as a young person. Example: We would be
required to attend church each Wednesday and Sunday. Today, as an adult I still value honoring
God and making time to grow spiritually and communicate with God while not being as
structured and do this in my own way. I do not need to suppress who I am or my feelings
towards another human being if others think it is wrong. I realized it is ok that I am gay and was
accepted by my family and not ostracized after introducing my partner after about 10 years. It
was a great relief to know my family was accepting of my choice and valued my opinions and
not judgmental. Being able to live how I want to live is what being happy means to me.
4. Unit 4 HappinessAssignment
Question: Some scientists who study the “science of happiness” which involves how our brain
functions, believe that if we always received what we want right now, we may not be really
happy in the future.
Response: Conflict is necessary in life and causes us to act or react to situations, which is a big
part of pain vs. pleasure. Age is a factor since we have a tendency to be more care-free when we
are young but when we get older we hopefully mature and make more firm decisions based on
experiences, wisdom, and learned information. I don’t see short-term pleasure as painful long-
term while there are certain situations that may bring long-term pain with unwise choices in the
moment. I generally think as we age we tend to get wiser and make more intelligent choices
which could minimize a painful consequence in the future. I can attest to how my relationships
and my personal choices have changed from how I used to live when I was younger. I spend my
time differently now as priorities change over time through different life stages. Long-term
happiness to me is about being content with where I am and who I do live with.
Question: Having said that, can you recall a personal story of a time when someone close to you
expressed bitterness towards you for not making them “happy.”
Response: My youngest brother had an existing injury which was aggravated at work and tried
to put a claim in. I had to fire him because the injury did not occur at work and I was the
personnel manager in charge. My brother was very upset that I would not look the other way
and allow him to continue his job and be able to receive rehabilitation despite the false claim.
Question: When you have daily thoughts about the kind of things you would enjoy doing with
your life that would immediately and substantially increase your joy, what would your like look
like? In others words, if you could create a vivid canvas of your ideal day, what activities would
you be engaged in?
Response: To start each day with a great meal. This would include going to a restaurant where
we know the server and the food is prepared exactly the way we want it to, taste the way we like
it to, and a comfortable atmosphere without being rushed. John and I might not start speaking in
Spanish if the surrounding environment is not majority Spanish speaking people in the effort to
be polite and respectful of those around us who may feel uncomfortable. After a quality meal, I
would do something socially to benefit others in the community at a homeless shelter for
example. It would bring me great joy to make a difference for someone less fortunate.
Thank you so much Joe for taking a few precious moments to share your wisdom, life
experiences, and views on what happiness is to you.
(Joe, Happiness, February 25. 2014.) Joe believes that gaining wisdom through experience, being
content with the person I am, and having intimacy with family is a vital part of being happy.)
5. Unit 4 HappinessAssignment
Happiness and freedom are two words which bring up to the surface a plethora of thought
processes, emotions, and memories that all human beings have the ability to speak about based
on their unique life experiences. The two words are interrelated and can provide various
definitions from different people. Some may say that happiness is the state when no pain is
evident while another may consider happiness a specific moment a person can recall in their own
mind to create their own happiness whenever they please. For others, it might simply require
having food to eat, a bed to supportive sleep on, and quality time spent conversing with family
each day. In the text, “The Art of Being Human,” by Janaro, R. P., and Altshuler, T. C. (2012),
concepts like Hedonism, Epicureanism, and Stoicism are examples of contrasting ideologies or
views on what happiness is. Since happiness and freedom appears to be a very complex while
fascinating subject that involves human behavior and sociological observation, I decided to dig a
bit deeper to discover through a personal interview process the specific viewpoint or perspectives
on this thing we call “happiness” or what it means to be happy in the modern world of America
in 2014. I interviewed Justin who is a 20 year old Caucasian American who I just met this past
Sunday and had no prior knowledge of his beliefs or way of life, and Joe who is a Hispanic male
in his 50’s who I have developed a solid friendship over the span of several years now.
First off, I did not know exactly what to expect as far as the answers to the questions that
I introspectively created with the purpose of taking a “deeper look” at the “why” behind how a
person lives which reveals much about their values and deep-rooted beliefs whether spoken or
kept quiet. The striking similarities between the two interviews include how they both gave
examples to support what their idea of happiness is which gives validity to their argument along
with substance to stand upon. Regardless of if a person agrees with their belief or not is not the
point, but rather to make an intelligent thought that we may put into a collection of various ideas
in the effort to learn all we can about why humans of different backgrounds do life the way that
they choose to do it! I can definitely see Justin and Joe’s age difference come into play in their
responses to show a contrast in the two. Joe mentioned how important age is as a factor related
to the wisdom that we hopefully gain through a plethora of life experiences. Justin frequently
emphasized a focus on an eternal perspective as opposed to trivial pursuits that are more on the
surface.
Both men clearly have a significant value they place on a personal relationship with God.
Joe was brought up as a Catholic who was taught by his family to keep a structured approach to
his Spirituality and has come to believe that it’s not so much about the specific place we go to
but that we make time to develop a relationship with our creator and know that we are a person
who does right and treats others the way we would like to be treated. Since spirituality seemed
to be an area of great focus with both of these men, I allowed them to go deeper in their
elaboration of this imperative aspect of their pursuit of happiness. Justin claimed that Honoring
God with his daily actions and behaviors gave him a sense of purpose that could not be replaced
or even matched with anything material in his life that he could acquire in the natural. The
majority of classical theories of happiness tend to focus on the individual, we should not rule out
6. Unit 4 HappinessAssignment
the real possibility that happiness can be achieved only by combating pain wherever it is found
and at times this battle will incur some personal suffering, which is part of the high price of
success(1, pg. 392). If we are meant to combat any pain, then the Hedonistic view of happiness
that “The Art of Being Human” text describes might be a valid one to pursue. I would say there
is a large majority in our modern world who represent living according to the Hedonistic
viewpoint with focus on doing what feels good in the present moment and emphasizing personal
accolades through business opportunities, financial wealth, and glutinous eating habitual
patterns. The Hedonist would say that carpe diem is an important key to enjoying life. A
Hedonist is aware that they can’t experience pleasure every moment of every day but think they
should. There may be a submerged feeling of guilt when gorging in an all you can eat buffet at
your favorite restaurant or having just 1 more drink while they may see this overindulgence as
making up for moments lost (1, pg.388).
I found it interesting that my friend Joe did not give me an ideal getaway vacation or
extravagant list of pleasures done for him when I asked the question about what his ideal day
would look like if he could create the canvas and do whatever things he pleases without
constraints. He simply would like to enjoy a quality meal out at a local restaurant with his
Partner with an enjoyable atmosphere and do something to give back in the community such as
going to a homeless shelter and preparing food for those less fortunate than he. Making a
difference in the lives of others while fellowshipping while partaking in quality food was also a
part of Justin’s best day as he mentioned sharing God’s Word and having moments with those he
cares about high on his priority list. Both men shared personal experiences of pain and being on
the receiving end of bitterness from another. Justin shared of his prior engagement to be married
that did not go as planned and Joe spoke of how he had to fire his brother who expected
preferential treatment due to their family tie despite his unethical decision to put in a false
insurance claim in the effort to receive rehabilitation for a personal accident which did not occur
on the job that he claimed it did.
To conclude, these shared stories are an important part of the process in the journey to
find joy and happiness because I do believe the experience of “pain” is essential to learn how to
push through these fires that do not feel good in the moment but rather set the stage for growth
and blessing in the long run! A wise man once told me that short-term pain results in long-term
pleasure and short-term pleasure often results in long-term pain. There of course are exceptions
and specific situations that may not fit this statement perfectly but is a good rule of thumb in
most cases. Human beings have the capacity to growth through what they are going through in
order to create a breakthrough. There may be differing views from person to person based on
their past experiences and parental background in their childhood but one thing seems to hold
true and that is core values, being content with who we are as a man or woman, and living for a
transcendent cause greater than anything we could ever achieve with our own two hands and feet
are essential to the solving of the “happiness puzzle” which ultimately is what we are after,
right? I’ve never heard it uttered out of a person’s mouth, “I just want to be miserable” or “I
7. Unit 4 HappinessAssignment
would really like for bad things to happen to me.” If happiness is worth pursuing and we are
going to be “all in” to win in this pursuit, then I would think it would be worth the time invested
to come up with an effective strategy for a happiness quotient that can be individualized for
every person who is determined and willing to take action. After looking at two different
individuals and their perspectives on what it means and what they value most within the scope of
their small world. I ask you the one question that may be the driving force behind every choice
you make from this moment on. What would it take to make you happy? Once you define what
happiness is to you, then you are on the right track to its relentless pursuit.
8. Unit 4 HappinessAssignment
“References”
1. Janaro, R. P., & Altshuler, T. C. (2012). The art of being human: The humanities
as a technique for living (Kaplan University 3rd custom ed.). New York: Pearson
Education.
