The idea of Happiness

The question on what makes people happy has perennially escaped many thinkers, be they scholars, psychologists or therapists. Humanity is yet to master what exactly makes people happy as the indexes used to measure happiness have shown that even in places where people are expected to be happy, they are not as happy as they are expected.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The idea of Happiness specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For instance, if wealth equates to happiness or it has a direct link to the level of happiness, then it would mean that the wealthiest nations in the world would be ranked as the happiest nations. However, this is not the case as America, despite its massive wealth compared to other nations of the world, ranks a distant twenty third in the happiness index (Breakthrough Para 14). Therefore, this shows that wealth is not the source of happiness. The concept of happiness is surrounded by a number o f fallacies, paramount being the misconception that material possession is a source of happiness. In most parts of the world, people express that they would be happier if they acquired more material wealth. For instance, people may assert that getting a better and even bigger house, live in a bigger and posh estate or drive an expensive car can be a source of happiness. However, Mathews and Izquierdo, (112), note that in most cases, this fallacies are the main sources of people’s unhappiness as they end up creating for themselves too much ambition that makes them be unable to reach the ideal happiness. Going by Mathews and Izquierdo’s argument, people should be contented with whatever they have as opposed to spending too much time on agonizing on what they don’t have. They further point out that people should focus more on what they have as opposed to what they would wish to have as this only adds pain to their aspirations. After years of working as a journalist , Weiner sets out to explore the idea of happiness by conducting interviews with people of those areas that have recorded the highest levels of happiness as well as those people who have recorded the lowest levels of happiness. This journey made him do many things in the quest to ensure that he establishes the real idea of happiness. In his book, Weiner (64) establishes that for one to be happy, the element of trust even to a government has a lot of emphasis on whether a person will be happy or unhappy. For instance, the book establishes that in Bhutan where the leadership has deliberately pursued a policy of happiness for all citizens, the people report to be happy as they trust their king. This shows that the trust that the people of Bhutan have in their leadership reduces their worries hence making them be happy. Therefore, according to Weiner (44), trust in the leadership is an excellent way of making people happy.Advertising Looking for essay on rhetoric? Let's see if we c an help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, critically thinking, this can be a fallacy as one cannot lay total trust on the leadership if the leadership has no capacity to meet the needs of an individual. For instance, if the government power was to be explored in relation of its influence on the capacity to influence the level of happiness, then it would be evident that Americans would be happier than many other people of the world. This is because the leadership of the United States of America remains the strongest in terms of military might as well as financial resources. Therefore, Americans can trust their government for security and provision of all basic necessities. However, do the Americans lay trust in their government? Would laying this trust to the government result to happier Americans? Perhaps, one can say that trusting in the leadership may make the residents of Bhutan happy, but this does not directly mean that all people must lay thei r trust in the leadership to be happy. Bearing in mind that the United States of America has one of the best democratic practices, people have trust in their elected leaders, but they are still the 23rd happiest people of the world. Although Weiner (68) shows that trusting the leadership is a source of happiness by contrasting Bhutan with the people of Medova, one can still argue that so long as the leadership provides the required security, be it physical or social, the concept of happiness cannot be said to be directly linked to the trust in the existing leadership. For instance, Weiner fails to acknowledge that the leadership of Bhutan has made it deliberately known that it pursues the concept of happiness to its people. Therefore, people have trust that the leadership has its plight in its day to day policy formulation and thus they feel happy that the leadership is concerned about them. However, this may necessarily not be the case as the citizens of Bhutan who ranks among the happiest people of the world may be ignoring their own predicaments in the trust that the leadership wishes are geared towards their good. Going through Weiner’s works, one can see that the concept of happiness has many misconceptions. There is the misconception that doing whatever one wants is the path to happiness. In this quest, Weiner engages in many activities that he views as sources of happiness. For instance, Weiner (64), ends up eating rotten Iceland sharks as this, he reasons, could be a source of happiness. In another instance, he insists that an insect that he found in distress must be saved as, according to him, this is a duty that can earn him happiness. This can be said to be a fallacy associated with the myth that doing whatever one wants can lead to happiness.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The idea of Happiness specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, critically thinking, does consumin g something that can even lead to sickness a source of happiness? Even after doing all this, one can deduce that Weiner never mastered the source of happiness since if he managed to establish the source, then the geography in search of bliss would have come to an end. This is an indication that people are yet to master what is the source of happiness. In another incident Weiner visits Switzerland, a country that ranks high in the happiness index. Paradoxically, Weiner (80) learns that there are many hidden virtues of boredom only that people may not express them directly. This is an indication that even people who report to be happy are not entirely happy as there are many issues that may make them unhappy. Westerners who live in better economically endowed nations were seen to seek happiness form the gurus of India an indication that although people want to be happy, they are yet to master the sources of happiness. For instance, personally speaking, I would be happier if a graduate with straight A’s in all courses, but does this guarantee me a better job than the other average student? Even after this achievement, I would need to get more aspirations which show that I will still be far from getting happiness. Another great fallacy that is evident in Weiner’s pursuit of bliss is that people who live in countries with the highest ranking of happiness are more secular as compared to residents of the less happy countries. However, despite their reporting of higher rates of self contentment, the rates of suicide in such countries are higher than for those who live in countries that record lower levels of happiness. It is expected that if people were happy, problems such as suicide would go down as opposed to going up. Thus, the book contains a major fallacy in proposing the idea that less religious countries have happier citizens as this fact is directly contradicted by the increased rates of suicide in such countries. There is the misconception that rebelling against religion is a source of happiness. If this was indeed true, less religious nations would not only post higher figures of happiness based on happiness indexes, but would also have less incidences of suicide or life frustrations. In conclusion, one can note that the whole concept of happiness can be said to be a fallacy. As posted in the blog â€Å"Breakthrough writer† abundance cannot be the source of happiness. The more people have their desires fulfilled, the more they want to experience more desires which force the brain to require further stimulation to experience happiness.Advertising Looking for essay on rhetoric? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This is what has been referred to as â€Å"hedonic treadmill† which is an indication that true happiness cannot be achieved. Wealth and other material passions are sources of more mysteries as opposed to being sources of happiness (Breakthrough writer Para 22). Throughout Weiner’s work, one learns that happiness is all about self conceptualization, the way people view themselves. The people of Switzerland view themselves happy because their land is a tourist destination; the people of Bhutan consider themselves happy because they have trust in their leadership while the people of Medova are unhappy as they compare themselves to the richer nations, not the poorer ones. Works Cited Breakthrough Writer. â€Å"All Geography of Bliss Lessons on One Page.† NP. 2011. Web. https://herculodge.typepad.com/breakthrough_writer/geography-of-bliss-lessons/ Mathews, Gordon and Izquierdo ,Carolina. Pursuits of happiness: well-being in anthropological perspective. New York: Berg hahn Books, 2009. Print. Weiner, Eric. The geography of bliss: one grump’s search for the happiest places in the world. New York: Twelve Hachette Book Group, 2008. Print. This essay on The idea of Happiness was written and submitted by user S1m0ne to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on Team Building

, they become a part of the big picture instead of being off in their own area focusing on their immediate tasks. Management plays an important role in team building for they become more of a consultant than a pure trainer which has them more involved with the employees. No group of people will become a team without the commitment and support of executives and managers. The result is greater satisfaction for the employees and improved performance for the company. (DeVany, 1999) There can be many issues with team building if the supervisor doesn't know what their personal team players styles are. It will be very difficult to form an effective team without the knowledge of their style to enrich their performance. It will also be important for the supervisor to know the styles of their employees. This will assist the supervisor with knowing the individuals strengths and weaknesses.(SBA, 2001)The supervisor needs to ensure that they know and understand their employees commitment to the group and also their personal capabilities. This will assist the supervisors with ensuring that they are creating team building excercises that the entire group can do. All groups or teams go through very predictable phases. Knowing and understanding these phases give supervisors the confidence to continue with their team building even when one of the phases show that the employees motivation is declining. With the understanding of other employees motivation, every individual wit hin the team has the opportunity to add to the synergy of the team.(Adams, 2003) Companies today are using a variety of different... Free Essays on Team Building Free Essays on Team Building Team Building has been recongized by many companies as an important factor in assuring quality service and remaining competitive. It is the process of enabling people to reach their goal and for improving employee motivation.(Grazier, 1999) Through team building individual employees gain a sense that they are contributing to the company. In other words, they become a part of the big picture instead of being off in their own area focusing on their immediate tasks. Management plays an important role in team building for they become more of a consultant than a pure trainer which has them more involved with the employees. No group of people will become a team without the commitment and support of executives and managers. The result is greater satisfaction for the employees and improved performance for the company. (DeVany, 1999) There can be many issues with team building if the supervisor doesn't know what their personal team players styles are. It will be very difficult to form an effective team without the knowledge of their style to enrich their performance. It will also be important for the supervisor to know the styles of their employees. This will assist the supervisor with knowing the individuals strengths and weaknesses.(SBA, 2001)The supervisor needs to ensure that they know and understand their employees commitment to the group and also their personal capabilities. This will assist the supervisors with ensuring that they are creating team building excercises that the entire group can do. All groups or teams go through very predictable phases. Knowing and understanding these phases give supervisors the confidence to continue with their team building even when one of the phases show that the employees motivation is declining. With the understanding of other employees motivation, every individual wit hin the team has the opportunity to add to the synergy of the team.(Adams, 2003) Companies today are using a variety of different...

Choosing the Best Anti-Fouling Paint

Choosing the Best Anti-Fouling Paint The earliest anti-fouling systems consisted of two elements. The first was a metal scraper and the second was the lowest ranking sailor on the vessel. But seriously, the buildup of biological matter on the submerged hull is a huge problem for the material and for the efficiency of the vessel. The task of manually scraping bottoms was made much easier when sheet copper was fastened to the bottom of wooden hulled ships. Eventually the technology advanced to produce paint that held copper compounds and slowly released them into the environment. The next major breakthrough was tributyltin which worked very well but it was so toxic to the environment that it was banned three decades later. Improved copper based paints and non-copper alternatives are now available. In fact there are so many specialized paints it’s difficult to leave the copper behind to try something else. Why change? Well in some areas we are already seeing the signs that point to widespread bans. Northern Europe and the West Coast of the U.S. are phasing in bans in some areas and more will follow. Types of Anti-Fouling Paints Ablative Anti-Fouling Anti-fouling paints take different strategies to meet the goal of eliminating plant, animal, and algae growth on the wet parts of the hull. There are three common types of anti-foul available. The most common is ablative paint which wears away like a bar of soap. This soap analogy is very old but really works well for this type of paint. If you use your vessel regularly there should be no problem wearing away the growth. Seasonal boats that have long periods of disuse will not benefit as much of the cleaning takes place while underway. This paint works well since animals like the zebra mussel have difficulty finding a firm hold. They are generally pulled off as the vessel moves through the water. A moderate amount of maintenance is required for this coating since it must be applied to last until the next haul out. Large vessels that cannot be hauled should use a more durable paint. Copolymer Anti-Fouling Copolymers are much tougher than ablatives and don’t have some of the disadvantages of hard paints. They can be exposed to air during maintenance and not lose potency. There is also little chance of paint build up since copolymers are designed to ablate at a much slower rate than a true ablative paint. Unless you have a specific need for an ablative or hard paint this is often the best choice. It is also the safe option if a location has unknown conditions. Some people refer to these as slow polishing paints. Hard Anti-Fouling When a vessel gets to a certain size you no longer want the expense of dry dock or haul out. This is where hard coatings shine. The most common base for these paints is epoxy or some other tough polymer. It releases biocide constantly by allowing the poison to migrate to the surface of the paint and leaches fewer toxins away in the process. This is durable stuff and it does not come off in harsh conditions. In fact it must be removed mechanically by blasting or sanding. Because of the pollution potential of the runoff or dust from these processes produce toxic wastes that have significant costs of disposal. The cost of these paints is generally higher due to specialized application processes. For a smooth finish these paints should be sprayed while the others can be applied by roller and brush. Since this is a low maintenance solution most large commercial vessels use this type of paint. The Biocides Biocides are the toxic element in the paint which deters life from attaching to the hull. There are several types and sometimes combinations in the same product. Cuprous Oxide – This is the most common biocide by far. It is also the target of environmental regulators because it is building up in harbors. This is not necessarily because the bottom paint is leaching too much copper. The problem is thought to be caused by the power washing, scrubbing and sanding done on thousands of recreational vessels.Almost all of this runoff has a short trip from the bottom of the boat to the water it was almost never collected in the past. New regulations are now requiring marinas to collect this waste and dispose of it properly. This will increase the overall cost of maintenance and some services may no longer be available. Cuprous Thiocyanate – Similar in behavior to cuprous oxide but stronger biocides make it useful for high foul areas or low use vessels. Composite Copper – This is still copper but in a better package. The copper is encapsulated in another material that makes it less likely to leach beyond the needed rate. Silica is currently being used as a matrix but this is a rapidly advancing technology. Pyrithione Zinc – One of the best copper alternatives. Alternatives to copper are increasing as bans become inevitable. This biocide is not generally recommended for high fouling areas like the tropics. Non-Metalic Biocides – These are fairly new to the market and are composed of organic molecules most likely modeled from compounds found on a living creature. Anti-Foulings of the Future The future is super slippery and we have been promised something that is more of a thin film than paint. The first of these products have come to market and are best for low-fouling areas. They hold a lot of promise since they have no biocide and may last for the life of the vessel when fully developed. Imagine the days when a coating goes on at the shipyard and never needs replacement and at the same time improves efficiency. Until then somebody go get the scraper. Nanoparticles also hold some promise for the future of low friction coatings of all types.

Formal analysis of one artwork Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Formal analysis of one artwork - Essay Example Kress, He collected one of the most significant artworks of Europe and Italian renaissance and always had a vision of preserving historic artworks. This foundation supports the work of art in order to sustain history and artwork all around the world. They collect historic artworks from different places and preserve them in different museums in America. The presence of this artistic piece of artwork in this museum is also because of the foundation. The sculpture is of a virgin lady, holding a child in her hand. It is called the virgin lady with surety because she is wearing a long gown with a long belt and her head is covered with the long piece of cloth. It is said that it was compulsory for unmarried women at that period of time to wear long gowns and belts as compared to married women so that they could be judged that they are virgin and unmarried. It is the ‘cult’ of virgin –a figure of a religious personality. The sculpture comes from Troyes, a town in the province of Champagne where the examples of finest Gothic sculptures are found. The display plate also says that it is one of the finest examples of French sculptural traditions. The material used in the sculpture is limestone, the material which was famously and traditionally used in the construction of sculptures and churches all over France. Many landmarks today are made up of limestone. Usage of limestone in making of this sculpture at that point of time makes it more valuable and precious. The sculpture is an attached sculpture of two bodies. One is sculpture of a virgin girl and the other is her son which she is holding in her hand. In her other hand she is holding a flower. The child is lending his one hand towards the flower which the virgin girl is holding and the child’s other hand is broken. On the head of the virgin lady also seems that she is wearing a crown which suggests that she comes from a royal background of a religious cult. The child is also wearing a royal piece of

Human Resources Management and Organisational Dynamics Essay

Human Resources Management and Organisational Dynamics - Essay Example n on existence for 23 years; now, it is acknowledged as the largest independent business process outsourcing (BPO) player in Asia, employing no less than 2,000 Filipinos. Its expanse of BPO services diversely cover medical transcription, data conversion / encoding and software support services, mainly delivered for Fortune 500 blue chip companies. One of the strategies of SPI is to find and select employees who have the right orientation towards work and productivity right at the onset. SPI advocates the idea of a right hire resulting to a quick start. Based on strategic objectives and plans, competency requirements are laid down on a per position - per level basis. These competencies then become the basis of all HR systems, linking these systems clearly and logically. These same competency requirements then become the basis for targeted selection, against which potential employees are behaviorally assessed. This implies that right at the start – at the first step – of hiring, that SPI employees blend well into the organization’s culture and business strategy. Competencies are general descriptions of the abilities necessary to perform a role in the organization. These are usually described in measurable terms. They differ from job descriptions – while job descriptions typically list the tasks or functions and responsibilities for a role, competencies list the abilities needed to conduct those tasks or functions (McNamara, 2005). Assessing an individual’s specific strengths and development needs as they relate to the success profiles across levels of supervisors, managers and executive is a key component to selection, development, and promotion decisions.  Information and data used to drive these decisions must be accurate and objective. Targeted Selection is a system designed to meet the needs of a diversified workforce, offers a solution to common selection problems. Targeted Selection takes a systems approach to selection decisions: All aspects

Reading and Writing Essay Example for Free

Reading and Writing Essay Learning how to read back in 1970 is quite different from learning how to read in the world we live in today. Learning to read was somewhat difficult for me as a child. We didnt have the fancy reading tools back in the day, such as: Hooked on Phonics or Phonemic Awareness. Looking back over my life, I can remember when I was in the first grade, about six or seven years old and I brought home my first report card. On my report card my teacher pointed out an area of weakness in reading. I can still hear my father saying â€Å"Susie are you having trouble reading? † I would respond as any typical six year old child would do by shrugging my shoulders and saying â€Å"I dont know. † My father was a concerned parent and wanted to help his child. He didnt want to see me struggle in school nor did he want to see me fall behind. My father was determined he was going to help me improve my reading skills and by doing so my reading grade would improve also. So therefore, my father set up a strategy plan. Every evening after school my father and I would sit down at the dinner table and work on improving my reading skills. His first step was to see if I could sound out all the letters of the alphabet. Once he realized I was able to sound out all letters in the alphabet, his next step was to determine if I could sound out all the vowels: long, short and house top vowels too. The third step was to begin sounding out small words such as: the, cat, red, run, ran, like etc. Once I began to get comfortable reading on my own while my father prepared dinner for my two brothers and I, he would have me to sit at the dinner table and read aloud to him fifteen minutes each day. Eventually with with all the hard work and dedication my reading skills gradually improved. After all, they say practice makes perfect. As I grew older I started enjoying reading much more than I ever realized. I had to find out what type of books and magazines I enjoyed reading. In other words, I had to find my reading niche. I enjoy reading books like Mama, How Stella got her Grove Back, The Autobiography of Malcolm X, A Day Late and a Dollar Short by Terry McMillan. Reading can be very enjoyable, relaxing and mind stimulating as well. Reading exercises our brain. One can self improve while gaining experience from other people by reading. Reading is knowledge and power. Reading teaches children about the world around them. Reading develops a child’s imagination. Now that I have returned to college, reading and writing is a common part of everyday life. Every semester I have had several different assignments that required reading and writing skills. I have had to do an essay, public speaking presentations which involved reading and writing. Reading is very important because one can explore themselves to new things. One can also self improve while gaining experience from other people. Reading can be used for connecting your brain and it can also boost ones imagination and creativity. Reading exercises ones brain. Many factors play a vital role in a child’s growth and development. Reading develops a child’s imagination. Children who read do better at school. Reading relaxes the body and calms the mind. Reading is a great source of entertainment. This is an important point because these days we seem to have forgotten how to relax and especially how to be silent. In almost everything we do reading and writing is a vital part of our everyday lives.

nature of ligic and perception Essay -- essays research papers

Logic and perception 1 One of the amazing yet perplexing things about thinking logically and critically is that all of us perceive issues differently and all of us have a unique thinking pattern. The things that we experience also play an important role in how we perceive issues and also our thinking patterns.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One believes the nature of logic is how we each deal with a situation and how we decide what the right thing to do is and how we come to certain conclusions about a situation. We all have had experiences in our life that contribute to what we feel is logical or not logical.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My perpetual process has a lot to do with the experiences that I have gone through. For example, if I experience something negative from that point on I will continue to think that and the same goes for a positive experiences. Some blocks that I have is that I, unfortunately was raised to always think of the worst before the best. This is something that I work on and have come far, but in the situation I am about to tell you about had happened you will be able to see this trait in me.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At my current workplace we were just starting to do all of our work and correspondence to our client’s via-email, since all of our clients were requesting this. So we decided to use it among each other in the office as well. My boss informed me that there was an email that had been sent to me and it was cruci...