The Psychology of Happiness

Paper Summary:

The paper reviews the various paths to achieving happiness and fulfillment through self-actualization or introspection. The paper demonstrates the role of the media in sowing the seeds of mistrust and unhappiness as well as the inherent disdain of this institution by both sides of the political spectrum. The paper then looks at what makes a happy and satisfied workforce. The paper also shows how happiness is individual, but the common thread is that happiness comes from within the person himself.

From the Paper:

"What is the most fulfilling Life? The present population of the world is approximately 6.6 billion individuals (World Population Prospects, 2007, n.p), and most likely each with their own particular interpretation of life fulfillment and happiness, and each equally entitled their own opinion on the subject. The Founding Fathers of the United States of America viewed happiness as a birthright of the common man, "We hold these truths to be self evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness" (Declaration of Independence, 1974, p.1). The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines happiness as ". . . a state of well being and contentment. . ." (Merriam-Webster, 2007, n.p.)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Chomsky, Noam. (2002). Media Control: The Spectacular Achievements of Propaganda. New York: Seven Stories Press.
• His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Cutler, Howard C. (1998). The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living. New York: Riverhead Books.
• Judge, Timothy A., Heller, Daniel, Mount, Michael K. (2002). Five-Factor Model of Personality and Job Satisfaction A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, Volume 87 (Number 3) retrieved June 27, 2007 from http://www.apa.org/psycarticles/sample.html
• Limbaugh, Rush. (1992). The Way Things Ought to Be. New York: Pocket Books.
• Lyubomirsky, Sonja, King, Laura, Diener, Ed. (2005). The Benefits of Frequent Positive Affect: Does Happiness Lead to Success? Psychological Bulletin, Volume 131(Number 6), pages 803-855

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