Most human beings believe their purpose on life is to be happy. But what does happiness encompass? According to www.dictionary.com this term refers to the quality or state of being happy –delighted, pleased or glad as over a particular thing-. Positive psychology defines a happy person as someone who experiences frequent positive emotions. Those are interesting definitions but still too general. In my opinion, happiness is a subjective emotion and I would say it depends on such a wide range of variables that it makes it a very fascinating topic to talk about.
On the one hand, the definition of happiness may vary based on your age. A child will have a different understanding from a teenager and even and adult’s perception of this emotion. What makes a child happy, not necessarily makes an elderly pleased. In addition, men’s interpretation of felicity (one of the many synonyms of this topic) can be unlike from women’s. I’m certain happiness doesn’t mean the same depending on your location, culture, or beliefs.
On the other hand, it seems happiness can be sold and bought. Nowadays, advertisements focus a lot on the pursuit of happiness. If you want to be happier, you should wear certain kind of clothes or perfume. Moreover, you should eat or drink certain product. You must have a specific electronic device or access services such as the spa, satellite TV, etc. so that you can feel delighted or satisfied with your own life.
Finally, happiness can be measured through statistics. Really? Well, there is an annual survey that polls more than 60.000 people from 68 countries and surprisingly Colombia is at the top of the list. This is not the first time our country has been ranked as the happiest country in the world, even in the middle of the harsh circumstances a country as Colombia faces, statistics have named Colombians as the happiest citizens in the globe at least three years in a row.
As you can see from the ideas exposed above, happiness definitely deserves a space for discussion and we will be content, blissful, joyful, merry, cheerful, or in good spirits to have you sharing your own idea of it on our conversation club.
Sessions: Thursdays in classroom 606 at 12:45 or Thursdays in classroom 610 at 6:15 pm.
Bring a partner!
