Happiness and Meaning
a. What is the purpose of your existence?
b. What is happiness and what makes you happy?
c. What does it mean to live a meaningful life?
d. To what extent can literature shape your personal philosophy on happiness and meaning?
b. What is happiness and what makes you happy?
c. What does it mean to live a meaningful life?
d. To what extent can literature shape your personal philosophy on happiness and meaning?
https://docs.google.com/a/animashighschool.com/file/d/0B5ktO3NLUDlcems1NU1kbjZudWM/edit?pli=1
The Stranger Seminar Prep
1. I believe the message that Albert Camus is trying to push across with his readers is that you should live your life the way that it best fits you. You will always be judged and looked at by other people in critical ways, so there is no point in living a purposeful life. Mersault is detached from the world he lives in. Many important events in most ordinary people’s life are not important to him. Like death and marriage. Nor does he care that Marie loves him or that his mother died. Mersault does not make a distinction between good or bad. He is honest and does not question anything. He answers questions with the justification for that answer being; ‘I had no reason not to.’ If I am open to other people about my life, if I love and care and if I try to achieve great things I will not end up like Mersault. Mersault was a man with no feeling and that is not how I am going to end up.
2. See attached.
3. Q: What, if anything, can you learn about how to create meaning in your life from Mersault?
A: I don’t want to spend my life going with the flow and doing things just because. I want to go against the flow and make a difference. I will find things in my life that will define me. I will not be defined as being indifferent because there is so much more to life than that.
2. See attached.
3. Q: What, if anything, can you learn about how to create meaning in your life from Mersault?
A: I don’t want to spend my life going with the flow and doing things just because. I want to go against the flow and make a difference. I will find things in my life that will define me. I will not be defined as being indifferent because there is so much more to life than that.
Happiness and Meaning Seminar Prep
The source I chose to best represent ‘What is happiness and what makes one/you happy?’ is the video called “The Science of Happiness”. This source really addresses this question well for me because it gives a good example of what happiness could be and how to make yourself happier. The idea that your happiness can be increased be simply coming up with someone that has really been influential in your life and contacting them to tell them that really made me think about happiness in a different way. “And for those who picked up the phone and personally expressed their gratitude, we saw a happiness increase of 4-19 percent.” “Expressing your gratitude will make you a happier person.”
The source I chose to best represent ‘What does it mean to live a meaningful life?’ is the article called ‘The meaningful life is a road worth traveling.’ This article goes over a large amount of different examples on the difference of meaning vs happiness. A meaningful life guides actions from the past through the present and to the future, giving one a so called sense of direction. Living a meaningful life does not necessarily mean getting what you want when you want it but instead involves having deeper connections with people and seeking out things in life that will cause you happiness for longer periods of time. Paragraph 6, “Happiness is about the present, and meaning is about linking the past, present and future”. Paragraph 7, “Deep relationships – such as family – increase meaning, while spending time with friends may increase happiness but had little effect on meaning.”
The source is chose to best represent ‘What is the purpose of your existence?’ is the Existentialism ideas power point. This article states that once someone recognized the absurd they begin to question the very fundamentals of their life and whether their life has meaning or not. To determine this they must question the absurd which states that; at any point in time anything can happen to anyone and a tragic event could plummet anyone into direct confrontation with the absurd. “The Absurd arises out of the fundamental disharmony between the individual's search for meaning and the meaninglessness of the universe.” “A moment at which an individual questions the very foundations of their life: whether their life has any meaning, purpose or value.”
The source I chose to best represent ‘What does it mean to live a meaningful life?’ is the article called ‘The meaningful life is a road worth traveling.’ This article goes over a large amount of different examples on the difference of meaning vs happiness. A meaningful life guides actions from the past through the present and to the future, giving one a so called sense of direction. Living a meaningful life does not necessarily mean getting what you want when you want it but instead involves having deeper connections with people and seeking out things in life that will cause you happiness for longer periods of time. Paragraph 6, “Happiness is about the present, and meaning is about linking the past, present and future”. Paragraph 7, “Deep relationships – such as family – increase meaning, while spending time with friends may increase happiness but had little effect on meaning.”
The source is chose to best represent ‘What is the purpose of your existence?’ is the Existentialism ideas power point. This article states that once someone recognized the absurd they begin to question the very fundamentals of their life and whether their life has meaning or not. To determine this they must question the absurd which states that; at any point in time anything can happen to anyone and a tragic event could plummet anyone into direct confrontation with the absurd. “The Absurd arises out of the fundamental disharmony between the individual's search for meaning and the meaninglessness of the universe.” “A moment at which an individual questions the very foundations of their life: whether their life has any meaning, purpose or value.”
Literary Analysis Essay
Something More
The first paragraph of Jon Ronson’s short story “The Amazing Adventures of Phoenix Jones” presents a real-life superhero called Phoenix Jones and his view on what his meaning is. He lives a normal life during the day but at night he takes up a mask and costume to fight crime. Phoenix embraces the lifestyle he has chosen and continues to live it out on a day to day basis. Jon Ronson’s short story “The Amazing Adventures of Phoenix Jones” demonstrates that in order to live a meaningful life you have to be authentic to yourself, have passion in what you do and to give back to the community.
Phoenix Jones has passion in what he does. Presented with challenges, Phoenix chooses to do what he loves instead of what is good for him. After being injured on the job Phoenix finds himself in the hospital. Instead of listening to the doctor’s recommendation he does what he is passionate about. “Go home and rest,” says the doctor, leaving the room. “Let’s hit the streets!” says Phoenix. “I’ll get suited up!” (3) Phoenix finds the suit as a tool to extend an anonymous hand to those in need. “I got tired of people doing things that are morally questionable,” he says. “Everyone’s afraid. It just takes one person to say, ‘I’m not afraid.’ And I guess I’m that guy.” (4) Phoenix, now committed and passionate to what he does, found that if he needed change he would have to be that change.
With a community in need, Phoenix has found meaning in giving back in the only way he sees right. Already involved in an autistic home, Phoenix goes to the streets to keep them clean. Just as he helps people in need during the day, he helps communities in need during the night. After patrolling the streets for several hours, providing his service to the community, Phoenix and his crew get into trouble with a gang.
”You’re willing to DIE for this shit?” They reach us. “You guys are dumb motherfuckers,” he says. “I don’t even know what to say. You guys are fucking stupid.” He stares at Phoenix. But then his voice softens. “If you guys are going to stand here and die for it I guess we’re going to have to walk home. We should shoot your ass, but I guess we’ve got to go home.” (25)
Phoenix and the presence he has in the community creates a problem for the people who work the streets but it lessens the problems for those who live there. Phoenix provides a service to his community and to himself. Cleaning up the streets, he also gives himself a sense of accomplishment. Phoenix Jones is a superhero, that alone entails doing your duty to your community and that is just what he does.
From Superhero to dad, Phoenix Jones lives an authentic life. Phoenix, a special education teacher, helps people with special needs. As a superhero he helps more people than that. Mask on or mask off, Phoenix is a superhero. Phoenix lives two individual lives but the second life is actually just an extension of who he really is and who he is in his first life. After being arrested, his identity was revealed and people realized that he wasn’t some sort of low life in a costume, “He’s a professional mixed martial arts trainer! Wait! He’s CPR certified and trained! Wait! He’s the main manager of an autistic home!” (30) Phoenix embodies his real life practices in his second life. He lives as himself and only himself. He expresses what he loves to do and that is living an authentic life.
Phoenix Jones lives a life that truly represents who he is. He has found meaning in all of the actions he does. He gives back to his community by cleaning up the streets and fighting crime. He finds passion in what he does, not allowing serious injuries get in the way of his passion. To tie all of that together, Phoenix is extremely authentic to himself. He has two individual lives that aren’t that different from each other. He helps autistic people and he helps people in the community. He fights crime and he is a professional mixed martial arts instructor. He is passionate with his work, starting an autistic home and not giving up his crime fighting even with injuries. Phoenix Jones is a normal individual who has found that with his skill set he can expand the meaning of his life through the three highlighted points. Phoenix Jones is a Superhero with his mask on and off.
Works Cited
Ronson, Jon. “The Amazing Adventures of Phoenix Jones.” The Best American Series. Scott Cohen. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2012. 235-263. Print
The first paragraph of Jon Ronson’s short story “The Amazing Adventures of Phoenix Jones” presents a real-life superhero called Phoenix Jones and his view on what his meaning is. He lives a normal life during the day but at night he takes up a mask and costume to fight crime. Phoenix embraces the lifestyle he has chosen and continues to live it out on a day to day basis. Jon Ronson’s short story “The Amazing Adventures of Phoenix Jones” demonstrates that in order to live a meaningful life you have to be authentic to yourself, have passion in what you do and to give back to the community.
Phoenix Jones has passion in what he does. Presented with challenges, Phoenix chooses to do what he loves instead of what is good for him. After being injured on the job Phoenix finds himself in the hospital. Instead of listening to the doctor’s recommendation he does what he is passionate about. “Go home and rest,” says the doctor, leaving the room. “Let’s hit the streets!” says Phoenix. “I’ll get suited up!” (3) Phoenix finds the suit as a tool to extend an anonymous hand to those in need. “I got tired of people doing things that are morally questionable,” he says. “Everyone’s afraid. It just takes one person to say, ‘I’m not afraid.’ And I guess I’m that guy.” (4) Phoenix, now committed and passionate to what he does, found that if he needed change he would have to be that change.
With a community in need, Phoenix has found meaning in giving back in the only way he sees right. Already involved in an autistic home, Phoenix goes to the streets to keep them clean. Just as he helps people in need during the day, he helps communities in need during the night. After patrolling the streets for several hours, providing his service to the community, Phoenix and his crew get into trouble with a gang.
”You’re willing to DIE for this shit?” They reach us. “You guys are dumb motherfuckers,” he says. “I don’t even know what to say. You guys are fucking stupid.” He stares at Phoenix. But then his voice softens. “If you guys are going to stand here and die for it I guess we’re going to have to walk home. We should shoot your ass, but I guess we’ve got to go home.” (25)
Phoenix and the presence he has in the community creates a problem for the people who work the streets but it lessens the problems for those who live there. Phoenix provides a service to his community and to himself. Cleaning up the streets, he also gives himself a sense of accomplishment. Phoenix Jones is a superhero, that alone entails doing your duty to your community and that is just what he does.
From Superhero to dad, Phoenix Jones lives an authentic life. Phoenix, a special education teacher, helps people with special needs. As a superhero he helps more people than that. Mask on or mask off, Phoenix is a superhero. Phoenix lives two individual lives but the second life is actually just an extension of who he really is and who he is in his first life. After being arrested, his identity was revealed and people realized that he wasn’t some sort of low life in a costume, “He’s a professional mixed martial arts trainer! Wait! He’s CPR certified and trained! Wait! He’s the main manager of an autistic home!” (30) Phoenix embodies his real life practices in his second life. He lives as himself and only himself. He expresses what he loves to do and that is living an authentic life.
Phoenix Jones lives a life that truly represents who he is. He has found meaning in all of the actions he does. He gives back to his community by cleaning up the streets and fighting crime. He finds passion in what he does, not allowing serious injuries get in the way of his passion. To tie all of that together, Phoenix is extremely authentic to himself. He has two individual lives that aren’t that different from each other. He helps autistic people and he helps people in the community. He fights crime and he is a professional mixed martial arts instructor. He is passionate with his work, starting an autistic home and not giving up his crime fighting even with injuries. Phoenix Jones is a normal individual who has found that with his skill set he can expand the meaning of his life through the three highlighted points. Phoenix Jones is a Superhero with his mask on and off.
Works Cited
Ronson, Jon. “The Amazing Adventures of Phoenix Jones.” The Best American Series. Scott Cohen. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2012. 235-263. Print
Personal Philosophy Project Proposal
Happiness and Meaning
I think the purpose of our existence is to reproduce. That could be a simple way of looking at things but look at it this way. You can spend the first part of your life trying to find meaning. Whether that be by travelling, furthering your education, starting a business or many other things. When things slow down you are going to want to settle down and start a family. So in my eyes no matter what you do in the beginning of your life chances are you, just as everyone else is going to end up doing the same exact thing: creating new life.
Happiness is one of the few things that I think is truly defined by each and every individual. My definition of happiness is: To find something I am truly passionate about and to be able to make a substantial living off of it. You can do what you love, but if you are not making money off of it is a hobby. I don’t that you can find happiness. You can find something that brings you happiness but that type of happiness is on consistent. It will eventually die away. In order to have consistent happiness you have to make your own. You cannot just stumble upon it.
I think in order to find meaning in life you have to dedicate yourself and your time to helping other people. Once you put others before yourself you should find that you have a new outlook on life and how you spend your days. Once you have made a difference in someone’s else’s life you can begin to make one in yours. I have not done this yet in my life so I cannot accurately describe how to find meaning but when I am older I will pursue this and figure out what the meaning of my life is. Until then I will just have to do little things like helping out around the community in order to satisfy myself.
The purpose of one’s existence is to reproduce, to make happiness for yourself by finding something you are truly passionate about and to put others before yourself until you find meaning in your life.
I think I am going to make a piece of art on a canvas that will describe my personal philosophy credo. By creating a canvas I can place whatever I am truly passionate about on it. So being authentic is not going to be a problem. What is going to make my piece authentic to me is what I am placing on the canvas. I want to draw my audience in with my creative traits that I will show on my canvas and then pose a powerful question or statement that sticks with people and makes them ponder how they are living their life or finding their own happiness or meaning. For my project I am going to pose a question in the middle of my canvas that will say something similar to: “Quantity or Quality? How are you living your life?” (This will probably change) Then surrounding this quote I will have a bunch of pictures showing what people think is happiness and meaning. For example: money, fame, cars, yachts and other artificial sources of happiness. This will make people think of the quote and then relate to all of the artificial sources of happiness on the outside of the canvas. Some of the obstacles I will encounter are; finding a powerful question or statement that sticks with people, finding the right pictures and not procrastinating. I am going to need a canvas, paint, glue, pictures and lots of positive mental vibes! I will probably need several hours to complete this project. As of right now I am not entirely sure though. I need lots of encouraging quotes and help from Ashley in order to succeed. I will also need lots of time.
I think the purpose of our existence is to reproduce. That could be a simple way of looking at things but look at it this way. You can spend the first part of your life trying to find meaning. Whether that be by travelling, furthering your education, starting a business or many other things. When things slow down you are going to want to settle down and start a family. So in my eyes no matter what you do in the beginning of your life chances are you, just as everyone else is going to end up doing the same exact thing: creating new life.
Happiness is one of the few things that I think is truly defined by each and every individual. My definition of happiness is: To find something I am truly passionate about and to be able to make a substantial living off of it. You can do what you love, but if you are not making money off of it is a hobby. I don’t that you can find happiness. You can find something that brings you happiness but that type of happiness is on consistent. It will eventually die away. In order to have consistent happiness you have to make your own. You cannot just stumble upon it.
I think in order to find meaning in life you have to dedicate yourself and your time to helping other people. Once you put others before yourself you should find that you have a new outlook on life and how you spend your days. Once you have made a difference in someone’s else’s life you can begin to make one in yours. I have not done this yet in my life so I cannot accurately describe how to find meaning but when I am older I will pursue this and figure out what the meaning of my life is. Until then I will just have to do little things like helping out around the community in order to satisfy myself.
The purpose of one’s existence is to reproduce, to make happiness for yourself by finding something you are truly passionate about and to put others before yourself until you find meaning in your life.
I think I am going to make a piece of art on a canvas that will describe my personal philosophy credo. By creating a canvas I can place whatever I am truly passionate about on it. So being authentic is not going to be a problem. What is going to make my piece authentic to me is what I am placing on the canvas. I want to draw my audience in with my creative traits that I will show on my canvas and then pose a powerful question or statement that sticks with people and makes them ponder how they are living their life or finding their own happiness or meaning. For my project I am going to pose a question in the middle of my canvas that will say something similar to: “Quantity or Quality? How are you living your life?” (This will probably change) Then surrounding this quote I will have a bunch of pictures showing what people think is happiness and meaning. For example: money, fame, cars, yachts and other artificial sources of happiness. This will make people think of the quote and then relate to all of the artificial sources of happiness on the outside of the canvas. Some of the obstacles I will encounter are; finding a powerful question or statement that sticks with people, finding the right pictures and not procrastinating. I am going to need a canvas, paint, glue, pictures and lots of positive mental vibes! I will probably need several hours to complete this project. As of right now I am not entirely sure though. I need lots of encouraging quotes and help from Ashley in order to succeed. I will also need lots of time.
Personal Reflection
New Insights
This project helped me take a deeper look at what makes me happy. I was able to see how many people search for happiness with no luck simply because they were searching in the wrong place. If yourself with people that are happy, like in The Amazing Adventures of Phoenix Jones, he surrounded himself with people that made him happy and as a result he was happy. If you go out of your way to ensure happiness you are more likely to find it than if you just sit there and wait for it to come. I have found that when i am either outside or getting exercise I am happy, so that is what I spend my time doing. Happiness is what you make of it. If you have a positive mental attitude then chances are you are going to be more happy and vise versa.
Further Questions
What makes us happy?
How do people in the worst parts of the world find happiness?
Is a job that makes you happy something that you need to be fulfilled?
What is needed to be happy?
This project helped me take a deeper look at what makes me happy. I was able to see how many people search for happiness with no luck simply because they were searching in the wrong place. If yourself with people that are happy, like in The Amazing Adventures of Phoenix Jones, he surrounded himself with people that made him happy and as a result he was happy. If you go out of your way to ensure happiness you are more likely to find it than if you just sit there and wait for it to come. I have found that when i am either outside or getting exercise I am happy, so that is what I spend my time doing. Happiness is what you make of it. If you have a positive mental attitude then chances are you are going to be more happy and vise versa.
Further Questions
What makes us happy?
How do people in the worst parts of the world find happiness?
Is a job that makes you happy something that you need to be fulfilled?
What is needed to be happy?