May 28, Chapter 8 response

Chapter 8 focuses on a topic called happiness. There are a lot of different things that are important to people and happiness is considered to be one them that many people strive to achieve and maintain. One thing in particular that I found interesting in the chapter related to happiness was that the quality of one’s did not necessarily correspond to how high one’s level of happiness. In particular, poor countries like those in western Africa and northern Latin America experience high levels of happiness despite their condition. (pg. 278) While some may find this hard to believe, I think it’s plausible. Although the people in these countries may not have access to all the luxuries that richer countries have, I think that the lack of wealth allows them to have a greater appreciation for the simple things in life. These include factors that are responsible for one’s level of happiness, including family, friends, and free time. (pg. 281) In addition to these important aspects, I think the most important one is the feeling of control in one’s life. A lack of this feeling will give someone a loss of security thereby giving them the idea that nothing they can do will improve the situation. I’ve felt this way a few times, particularly now with my physics class and it feels awful. However, I know that if I continue to do more practice problems I can improve in this class, as well as in other parts of my life.