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Elijah Acacio

Professor Ditch

English 115

1 October 2018

Project Space Essay Draft

It is possible for us to transform our own space internally to affect our environment externally.

In the four academic essays gathered in the book Pursuing Happiness by Matthew Parfitt and

Dawn Skorczewski, the reader is given some examples of how becoming happier as a person can

be both internal and external processes. “The Source of Happiness” by His Holiness the Dalai

Lama and Howard Cutler provide examples in which most joy is found within a person. “Living

with Less. A Lot Less.” by Graham Hill argues that materialistic objects have a negative impact

on people's level of happiness. “How Happy Are You and Why?”, by Sonja Lyubomirsky de-

scribes how you have a “set point” of happiness and how a person can work on increasing this

level with their actions and goals they set for themselves. “What Suffering Does” by David

Brooks explains the external effects of pain and how this could alter one's happiness. These au-

thors provide arguments in which they suggest situations where people can transform the level of

joy through situations themselves in different environments.

The Dalai Lama and Cutler discuss the ways one can become happier through levels of

finding inner peace within a person. The state of being calm can be an important tool in altering

your pleasure of living, as The Dalai Lama is quoted saying“... the greater the level of calmness

of our mind, the greater our peace of mind, the greater our ability to enjoy a happy and joyful

life.” (Cutler 25). It is often said that this idea of staying positive and not causing conflict can
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boost one's happiness. The more control one has over their outlook on life will have a more posi-

tive view of life. The Dalai Lama then talks about his relationship with humans instead of mate-

rials while Cutler interprets, “Through this type of reasoning you can see the very practical value

of human warmth and affection in developing an inner sense of worth.” (Cutler 29). Healthy and

positive relationships are very important in one's health. Having friendships affects the people

around a person, this will then affect how they treat others. By being kind to others one can feel

an “inner sense of worth” and make oneself feel rejuvenated. Cutler goes on to argue if using ex-

ternal objects to decide if it will truly give us pleasure asks, “...’Will it bring me happiness?’

That simple question can be a tool in helping us skillfully conduct all areas of our lives…” (Cut-

ler 32). By asking oneself this simple question one can improve a person's space tremendously

by surrounding themselves with limited material objects. Using space and external objects is a

common tactic in affecting one's happiness.

This is seen in Hill’s argument when he suggests in order to live a truly happy life one

must lift themselves from being attached to material objects and instead become minimalist and

travel. It takes time and less material to realize Hill was happy when he mentions, “It took fifteen

years, a great love and a lot of travel to get rid of all the inessential things I had collected and

lived a bigger, better richer life with less.” (Hill 309). Happiness may not come instantaneously

for some people, it may take some patience. Hill describes traveling and excluding unimportant

items progressively made him a happier person. “In a study published last year titled ‘Life at

Home in the Twenty-First Century’ researchers at U.C.L.A observed 32 middle-class Los Ange-

les families and found that all of the mothers’ stress hormones spiked during the time they spent

dealing with their belongings.” (Hill 310). The author provides strong evidence when providing

research that shows external items affecting mothers at home. With this, a person can feel less
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stressed when “dealing with their belongings” if they were to have fewer objects to care for. Hill

also talks about time with his partner when he states, “I wouldn't trade a second spent wandering

the streets of Bangkok with Olga for anything I’ve owned.” (Hill 312). Spending time with hu-

mans and not focusing on material objects can improve one's lifestyle. The environment that Hill

surrounds himself with effects his views on life and improves his overall happiness. Where you

spend your time predominantly transforms the space in which a person is in.

Sonja Lyubomirsky provides extensive research on how there are some aspects of joy

that are strictly internal including the way happiness is coded into our DNA. Lyubomirsky first

emphasizes that a person's “state of mind” contributes to, “Happiness, more than anything… a

way of perceiving and approaching ourselves and the world in which we reside.” (Lyubomirsky

185). As a person's perception might be shaped by the surroundings of this society one must

learn to change their perceptive in a way where one shapes their views on the world. Mental

strength is a huge factor in one's perception of the world and how we overcome adversities.

Some people struggle for their search for happiness, when in actuality, “Happiness is not out

there for us to find. The reason that it’s not out there is that it’s inside us.” (Lyubomirsky 185).

She argues that a person can find joy from within, one should not go looking for it outside of

themselves. Some forms of happiness are exclusively internal, “... depression is associated with a

particular gene, called the 5-HTTLPR… The short allele is undesirable to have because it rids

the brain of a substance needed to fend off depressive symptoms.” (Lyubomirsky 192). In this

research, Lyubomirsky strengthens her argument for happiness being genetically linked to spe-

cific people which can not be altered at the start of life. This does not mean that happiness is set

at this point for an entire lifetime but can be effected in the future.
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Brooks argues that tragedy brings learning experiences in which people are enlightened,

and without this suffering, they would not have experienced the same thought process when

growing from the tragedy. People would be perfect if it was not for how, “... suffering gives peo-

ple a more accurate sense of their own limitations… The healing process, too, feels as though it’s

part of some natural or divine beyond individual control.” (Brooks 286). This external situation

is then reacted by an extremely internal conflict. To get over loss means to learn and continue on

with life. Do not take this the wrong way, “The right response to this sort of pain is not pleasure.

It’s holiness. I don’t even mean that in a purely religious sense. It means seeing life as a moral

drama, placing the hard experiences in a moral context and trying to redeem something bad turn-

ing it into something sacred.” (Brooks 286). Brooks attempts to counter his counter by following

up and saying that bad things will come but we need them because their undeniably going to

happen. We are supposed to overcome adversity it is part of life. When people are desperate they

depend on others, “Prisoners in the concentration camp with psychologist Viktor Frankl rededi-

cated themselves to living up to the hopes and expectations of their loved ones…” (Brooks 287).

This then meaning if one depends on the right person they too will return their love, spreading

the happiness. Pushing oneself for the thoughts and needs of another person before themselves

would aid them in continuing life because of the hope it brings. While putting others needs in

front of their own must also remember to care for oneself in order to reunite with that person at

one point.

The authors that Parfitt and Skorczewski provide readers with writers who are passionate

about affecting ones internal and external processes that alter their happiness. From making one-

self feel better, to leaving material objects astray, and viewing ones external space through dif-

ferent perspectives. There are multiple ways to find happiness and be at peace with the world.
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There is hope for every single human on this planet and we should treat others with equivalent

respect because as a species being human is counting on others to then benefit oneself.
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Work Cited

Parfitt, Matthew, and Dawn Skorczewski. Pursuing Happiness: a Bedford Spotlight Reader.

Bedford/St. Martins, a Macmillan Education Imprint, 2016.

Brooks, David. “What Suffering Does” Pursuing Happiness: a Bedford Spotlight Reader.

Bedford/St. Martins, a Macmillan Education Imprint, 2016, pp. 284-287

Cutler, Howard, and Dalai Lama, His Holiness the. “The Source of Happiness” Pursuing

Happiness: a Bedford Spotlight Reader. Bedford/St. Martins, a Macmillan Education Im-

print, 2016, pp. 21-33

Hill, Graham. “Living with Less. A Lot Less.” Pursuing Happiness: a Bedford Spotlight

Reader. Bedford/St. Martins, a Macmillan Education Imprint, 2016, pp. 308-313

Lyubomirsky, Sonja. “How Happy Are You and Why?” Pursuing Happiness: a Bedford

Spotlight Reader. Bedford/St. Martins, a Macmillan Education Imprint, 2016, pp.

179-197