Self-Acceptance is the Key to Happiness - 792 Words

When we are young children, we are introduced to the concept of living happily ever after. This is a fairy-tale emotional state of absolute happiness, where nothing really happens, and nothing even seems to matter. It is a state of feeling good all the time. In fairy tales, this feeling is usually found in fulfilling marriages, royal castles, singing birds and laughing children. In real life, an even-keeled mood is more psychologically healthy than a mood in which you frequently achieve great heights of happiness. Furthermore, when you ask people what makes their lives worth living, they rarely mention their mood. They are more likely to talk about what they find meaningful, such as their work or relationships. Research suggests that if†¦show more content†¦Giving too much importance to upcoming events and future possessions, they rely on them to make their lives better, while studies and statistics clearly show that we usually â€Å"overestimate the intensity and duration of our emotional reactions† (Gertner, 447). As Gilbert says, a newly bought computer, car, or house, will very quickly lose its magic and fail in making its possessor happier. This position only comforted my personal point of view. I see the notion of happiness as independent from any kind of belonging or social status. Indeed, every day, millions of married people long for their lost freedom, while others envy these same people who have succeeded in their relationships and found their significant other. The same way will the person who just purchased a highly expensive car will soon begin to notice its imperfections and dream of a better, stronger and faster engine. Therefore, the belief that satisfying desires will lead to happiness is a false one, and can only cause greed and insatiability. So if happiness is a â€Å"lasting† state of well being, shouldn’t it be inherent of something more durable in human nature, and depend less on external incentives? The way I see it, happiness is in life itself. The Gilbert metaphor of a ‘psychological immune system’ (Gertner, 447) encourages my opinion that the stereotype ofShow MoreRelatedLove. Loves Is A Four Letter Word With A Lot Of Significance.1304 Words   |  6 Pagesa part of love. Yet, it doesn’t simply begin from one day to another. Love is a necessity that starts with one-self, within each person. Self-love is very important not just for that individual but for everyone around. Love has the capability to bring such a simple feeling as happiness. Love is the key to striving and living a vigorous life, self-love is included as well. Many see self-love as â€Å"selfish and narcissistic† (Kipp). Its is not selfish nor narcissistic, it is something that is to be valuedRead MoreImpact of Cross-Cultural Differences on Different Perceptions of Happiness1358 Words   |  5 Pagesof happiness. A careful analysis of Weiners findings, which are rooted in research, shows that there are universal patterns and trends beyond individual and cultural differences. Happiness entails understanding the curious combination of internal and external factors; environmental triggers and the human psychological response to those triggers. Buddhist societies like those of Bhutan and Thailand show that happiness manifests when the individual no longer chases happiness, because happiness isRead MoreThe Pursuit Of Understanding Happiness1201 Words   |  5 Pagesand Motivation In the pursuit of understanding happiness, there are two forms of theoretical perspectives called hedonic and eudemonic happiness. Each form of happiness represents the determinant of an individuals’ well-being. Hedonic happiness focus more on activities that bring individuals’ pleasure whereas, eudemonic happiness focus on the circumstances that influence people emotions and life’s expectations. Fisher (2010) defines hedonic happiness as the pursuit of pleasure. These pleasures mayRead MoreHistorical Perspective : What You See Yourself862 Words   |  4 PagesHistorical perspective summary Key concept # 1 self concept describes how you see yourself. overall perception of your abilities, behaviors, and personality. Ideal self is the person you dike to be. Not shaped by your desires for yourself but is shaped by other’s perceptions and evaluations and acceptance of you. If these two match up, youre happy. The greater the difference, may caue anger, depression. Key concept # 2 actual self making progress towards ideal self is self actualization, the basicRead MoreImproving Self Esteem And Live A Better Life1242 Words   |  5 PagesHow to Improve Self Esteem and Live a Better Life By Kassie Lyne | Submitted On March 03, 2012 Recommend Article Article Comments Print Article Share this article on Facebook Share this article on Twitter Share this article on Google+ Share this article on Linkedin Share this article on StumbleUpon Share this article on Delicious Share this article on Digg Share this article on Reddit Share this article on Pinterest One of the questions psychologists and counselors of all kinds find themselvesRead MoreFamily Value Is Important For Life1696 Words   |  7 Pages I think we all can agree that at some point in our life we asked our self about â€Å"what makes human life matter†? Some of us, including myself, always perceived Human life as something this very precious and important. Even though the answer to this question is ambiguous, people often have a different answer. Some of us only care about life that has some way connected to us or had an impact in our life. However, as for me, the one that stands out above all would value of family because theyRead MoreEvaluation of a Business Code of Ethics Essay1369 Words   |  6 Pagesits employees, and maximum financial stability with focus on the highest morals (First Energy Corp, 2010). The key pulled from the previous statement attempts to substantiate the ethical system with maximum stability portraying the highest morals. Utili tarianism explains that correct actions are actions that provide the highest balance of happiness over sadness. Every person’s happiness is of equal importance (Lasley Pickett, 1992). The following paragraphs will provide more information into theRead MoreHappiness666 Words   |  3 PagesWorkplace  Happiness  Lecture Key  Questions †¢ What  is  happiness? †¢ Why  is  happiness  important? †¢ Cognitive  Lens:  How  do  we   understand/misunderstand  what  will  make  us   happy  at  work? †¢ Situational  Lens:  When  are  people  happy  at   work? †¢ Trait  Lens:  Who  is  happy  at  work? What  is  Happiness? 1 30/04/2013 What  is  Happiness? †¢ Happiness: – an  emotional  state. – how  you  feel  about  yourself  and  the  world. †¢ Satisfaction  with  Life: – more  global  judgment  about  your  acceptance  with   your  life  conditionsRead More`` Slumdog Millionaire And The Great Gatsby By Wendy Wu : Homecoming Warrior1544 Words   |  7 Pageshis terms of happiness. A key scene which helped me come to this realization that money cannot buy happiness is the scene of Jamal won the game show. Boyle symbolized the concept of money through a medium shot film techniques to capture Jamal passive expression when he won. This scene signified that money couldn t buy happiness as Jamal believes his terms of happiness is not wealth but finding Latika is his happiness. People today, including myself, measured their success/happiness only by wealthRead MoreThe First Wave Of Psychological Therapy1386 Words   |  6 Pages Linehan, 2004). The third wave is the most current theory which focuses on traditional cognitive-behavioral concepts with the addition of mindfulness techniques and the acceptance of thoughts (Hayes, M asuda, Bissett, Luoma, Guererro, 2004). This third wave of cognitive-behavioral therapies includes such methods as acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT; Hayes, Strosahl, Wilson, 1999), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT; Linehan, Armstrong, Suarez, Allmon, Heard, 1991), mindfulness-based cognitive