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Aidan Hutton

Mrs. Pettay

ENG 112

7 March 2024

Why we should strive for happiness

Last year after my grandma passed away I was down in the dumps and I saw my brother

was still up in the clouds I asked him how he was so happy, and he looked at me and said

“Although she is no longer with us I can smile knowing I will always have the memories of her

with me.”Happiness leads to many great moments in personal and among other people's lives.

When I walk into school and I see someone walking around looking bland, sad, or angry it

makes me wonder why, we get every day to live our lives we have everything to be grateful for.

Although some may argue that happiness should be something that comes and goes and

shouldn’t be a goal, this is not the case happiness leads to a healthier life and are more likely to

forgive others more often.

Happy people often live healthier and better lives compared to those who are constantly

negative. Unlike negativity and hate that are spread like a disease, happiness and hope are spread

through love, having a sense of achievement. Happiness is one of the greatest causes of a strong

mental state, Sandeep Singh, an Indian Psychologist details in, “Happiness And Health:

Lessons--And Questions--For Public Policy” “Happy people live the healthier life, more engaged

life and can easily cope up the stressful situation.” Not only are happy people healthier

mentally, but they are healthier physically where, Indian doctor Carol Graham, writes in
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“Happiness And Health: Lessons--And Questions--For Public Policy” that “Good health is

linked to higher happiness levels, and health shocks”

Another reason why happiness should be a goal for society is because of the greater level of

well-being and forgiveness in the community. Happiness and forgiveness go hand and hand with

each other with the feeling of forgiveness a large destresser and improves mental health. If there

is a lot of well-being in the community, individuals have a larger chance of being joyful more

often. Forgiveness around society is exceptionally important for building relationships around

each other. “Individuals who have greater levels of forgiveness reported greater level[s] of

subjective well-being, life satisfaction, and more positive emotions.” (Gunjan et al 361) Indian

psychologist Vinayak Madhukar explains in “Mindfulness, Happiness and Well-Being among

Adults” about a study that he figured that forgiveness has a huge role in overall happiness and

well-being in society. He explains that “well-being is the experience of health, happiness and

prosperity. It includes having good mental health, high life satisfaction, a sense of meaning or

purpose and the ability to manage stress.”

Some people might say that happiness shouldn't be a key factor in society due to other

factors such as debt, murder, inflation, etc. A large problem in today's society is the murder rate

in large cities like Chicago, LA, New York City, and many others. Patrick Sharkey, a student at

the University of Chicago Law, wrote the article “Neighborhood Inequality and Violence in

Chicago, 1965-2020.” In the article he brings up the argument that there is a large problem in

society, “From the 1960s through the early 1990s, the murder rate rose from 11.6 per 100,000 to

its peak of 32.8 murders per 100,000 in 1992.'' He also brings up the problem of how". In the six

years since, the murder rate has risen back to 28.8 murders per 100,000, erasing most of the

earlier decline in violence.” As of the article being released the murder rate has been slowly
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creeping up. However, happiness is a key spread of love and prosperity, and if strived for in a

society that overpowers hatred the murder rate will surely go down. Although it is almost to

silence all evil we can still suffocate most violence with love, joy, and forgiveness to others.

When my brother told me to keep my chin up and to be grateful and happy we had such a

great person in our lives, that changed the way I saw most situations in life. Everyone should

recognize that life is a beautiful thing that we take for granted every single day, happiness will

only change one’s circumstances for the better through forgiveness and good health. For a

sickness we don't cure it by never addressing it, so why should we not address the unhappiness,

hate, and evil in our society today? If we strive for happiness it can only help today's society

survive.
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Works Cited

Graham, Carol. “Happiness And Health: Lessons--And Questions--For Public Policy.” Health

Affairs, vol. 27, no. 1, Jan. 2008, pp. 72–87. EBSCOhost,

https://doi-org.eztcc.vccs.edu/10.1377/hlthaff.27.1.72.m Accessed 28 February

2024.

Gunjan, and Sandeep Singh. “Effect of Forgiveness on Happiness and Well-Being.” Indian

Journal of Positive Psychology, vol. 14, no. 3, Sept. 2023, pp. 360–63.

EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=172996902&site=eh

ost-liv Accessed 27 February 2024.

Honmore, Vinayak Madhukar. “Mindfulness, Happiness and Well-Being among Adults.” Indian

Journal of Positive Psychology, vol. 14, no. 2, June 2023, pp. 184–87.

EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=165033462&site=eh

ost-live. Accessed 27 February 2024.

Sharkey, Patrick, and Alisabeth Marsteller. “Neighborhood Inequality and Violence in Chicago,

1965-2020.” Review, vol. 89, no. 2, Mar. 2022, pp. 349–81. EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=156306403&site=eh

ost-live. Accessed 27 February 2024.