Posting early this week so you can take Labor Day (Monday) off...
Haybron ch3-4, Life Satisfaction & Measuring Happiness
1. Is satisfaction with your life the same as thinking it's going well?
2. Does rating your life satisfaction provide reliably objective insight into your degree of happiness?
3. In what sense do "most people actually have good lives"?
4. Can the science of happiness tell us which groups tend to be happier?
5. What (verbally-expressed, non-numerical) ratio of positive over negative emotional states does happiness probably require?
6. What percentage of American college students said they'd considered suicide?
Discussion Questions (please add yours):
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Old Podcast
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"Brad's Status" on Fresh Air - a new film on status anxiety and the pursuit of elusive happiness.
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How do you Measure Happiness? The Top Questionnaires
Measuring happiness is at least as difficult as catching rare and elusive butterflies. What kind of net should we use? At the Pursuit of Happiness project, we try to collect and analyze the most scientific studies on happiness and subjective well-being (SWB). The question is, how does one evaluate what the most “scientific” studies are? Naturally, randomized and controlled studies are more reliable. These kinds of studies often require an enormous amount of effort and funding, and many studies that claim to do this are flawed in various ways.
One more major challenge to reliability is how these studies measure the happiness or SWB of their subjects. The following is a list of the most widely used and respected questionnaires. As you can see, we can discover some major differences in how they approach the issue, which reflect different definitions and perceptions of happiness.
2. Does rating your life satisfaction provide reliably objective insight into your degree of happiness?
3. In what sense do "most people actually have good lives"?
4. Can the science of happiness tell us which groups tend to be happier?
5. What (verbally-expressed, non-numerical) ratio of positive over negative emotional states does happiness probably require?
6. What percentage of American college students said they'd considered suicide?
Discussion Questions (please add yours):
- Are you having wonderful life, like Wittgenstein allegedly said he did? 34
- Today, right now, where would you rate your life on a 1-10 scale? What do you think that rating says about your satisfaction and your happiness? How much has it, or will it, fluctuate in the days, weeks, and years to come?
- Do you have a good life? What will they say about you at your funeral? Will you be gratified if your children have a life comparable to yours?
- Could you be happy in Maldonia? 42 In general, are you more or less happy than the people around you?
- Do you agree with Mill's statement? 46
- Which face on the chart is yours today? 47
- Is it "impossible that 94% of Americans are happy"? 50
==
Old Podcast
==
"Brad's Status" on Fresh Air - a new film on status anxiety and the pursuit of elusive happiness.
==
How do you Measure Happiness? The Top Questionnaires
Measuring happiness is at least as difficult as catching rare and elusive butterflies. What kind of net should we use? At the Pursuit of Happiness project, we try to collect and analyze the most scientific studies on happiness and subjective well-being (SWB). The question is, how does one evaluate what the most “scientific” studies are? Naturally, randomized and controlled studies are more reliable. These kinds of studies often require an enormous amount of effort and funding, and many studies that claim to do this are flawed in various ways.
One more major challenge to reliability is how these studies measure the happiness or SWB of their subjects. The following is a list of the most widely used and respected questionnaires. As you can see, we can discover some major differences in how they approach the issue, which reflect different definitions and perceptions of happiness.
Chasing it may not work, but neither does sitting and waiting.
Oxford Happiness Inventory (Argyle and Hill)
Subjective Happiness Scale (Lyubomirsky & Lepper)
Satisfaction with Life Scale (Deiner, Emmons, Larsen and Griffin)
Panas Scale (Watson, Clark, Tellegen)
And this is Todd Kashdan’s thoughtful critique of the above scales:
The assessment of subjective well-being (issues raised by the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire)
We should mention a recent measurement of Subjective Well Being created by the OECD, as part of their very sophisticated and broad ranging survey, theBetter Life Initiative. This initiative is fascinating and includes some eye-popping graphics. To see their detailed report on SWB and the questions they used to measure it, please refer to the end note.
The strong point of both the Panas Scale and the OECD Subjective Well Being scale is that they measure both positive and negative affect, which, as one might expect, have a clear inverse correlation.
http://www.pursuit-of-happiness.org/science-of-happiness/measuring-happiness/
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And speaking of Buddhists, Robert Wright's audacioiusly-titled Why Buddhism is True tackles the western secular version as a philosophy of happiness.
(Today, right now, where would you rate your life on a 1-10 scale? What do you think that rating says about your satisfaction and your happiness? How much has it, or will it, fluctuate in the days, weeks, and years to come?)
ReplyDeleteRight now, I would say my life is somewhere around a 9. It would be a 10 if I didn't have to go to work later. Other than that though, I've been having a great morning. I woke up, smoked a bowl, ate some breakfast, hung out with the dogs, and talked to my friends. It's been going pretty alright so far. It could fluctuate by a little bit over the course of the day. Realistically, it will probably drop to around a 7 when I get to work unless my work friends are there. In terms of weeks or years, though, it could definitely drop all the way to a 1, or stay at a 10 forever. I really don't know for certain.
(Do you have a good life? What will they say about you at your funeral? Will you be gratified if your children have a life comparable to yours?)
ReplyDeleteI think I have a fairly middle of the line life. There have been plenty of points that frankly sucked ass, but there have also been a lot of really great experiences that I can look back on. I hope they don't say anything about me at my funeral. I don't want to have a funeral, cause they're sad and I'll be too dead to enjoy any of it. I hope my children don't have a life like mine. I've seen and experienced a lot of things that no child should. I hope they experience the same happiness that I do, but there are a lot of points in my life that shouldn't be repeated.
(Is it "impossible that 94% of Americans are happy"?)
ReplyDeleteI don't believe that anything is impossible. I don't believe that this is probable, but I also am not every other American, so there's no real way to know.
I agree with this sentiment Cade! I think that 94% is not an impossible number to obtain on the overall happiness of Americans, but I think that right now it is just probably a little too improbable to comfortably agree with that number.
DeleteDo you agree with Mill's statement?
ReplyDeleteI think that John Stuart Mill's is correct in this statement because ultimately, good outweighs the bad in life. Later on page 46, Haybron discusses the broad happiness/negative ratio of 3:1 that is required to cancel out the negative. It just so happens that our brains are wired to focus on the negative (even more so where mental health/illness is concerned). It takes a more conscious effort to reflect on the positive than it does to pick apart everything that went wrong.
Could you be happy in Maldonia? 42 In general, are you more or less happy than the people around you?
ReplyDeleteI do not think that I can be happy in Maldonia. From the reading, perhaps it is the State that is responsible for producing an environment in which its citizens feel relatively inhibited in living out their lives to the fullest extent. Because happiness can be measured in a broad sense, it is reasonable to conclude that living in a constant state of anxiety and worry will negatively impact the body. When the quality of life for society is lowered, it is impossible to attain a sense of happiness in Maldonia which is why I do not think I could live there.
It depends on what kind of environment that I am in that make me feel either happier/sad. In the academic world, it feels as though it is a dog-eat-dog competition to stand out from your peers. Until recently, I had no understanding of how competitive the law world is and the necessary steps you have to take in order to market yourself to prospective employers/schools (extracurriculars, internships, etc.).
I used to feel less on par with my peers in terms of happiness prior to getting my internship, which I know should not be the value that I place on all other academic achievements. Now that I have attained one along with the extracurriculars I am invovled with, I feel like I am just on par with my peers. I realize that I feel more productive and fulfilled by being engaged in these activities. Objectively, I felt too sedintary without having extracurriculars.
Today, right now, where would you rate your life on a 1-10 scale? What do you think that rating says about your satisfaction and your happiness? How much has it, or will it, fluctuate in the days, weeks, and years to come?
ReplyDeleteRight now, I’d give it a pretty low number. A three probably. I have been needing to have my wisdom teeth taken out for years now, but I am terrified of medical procedures and am yet to do it, and have been in serious pain all day because of it. I plan on calling tomorrow to schedule an appointment finally. Outside of that, I have a good life and am usually happy. On an average day I would say I reside somewhere between 6-8, falling or rising a couple “points” occasionally due to circumstances. I imagine this number will fluctuate dramatically in the days, weeks, and years to come. And I think that’s okay. Happiness in my opinion is felt, or not felt, from moment to moment. The amount of happiness, or unhappiness, I experience today does not necessarily mean I do or do not have a “happy life”. I am not convinced the felt experience of happiness can be quantified or measured in such a way to create a useful measure of “life happiness”.
(Today, right now, where would you rate your life on a 1-10 scale? What do you think that rating says about your satisfaction and your happiness? How much has it, or will it, fluctuate in the days, weeks, and years to come?)
ReplyDeleteAs my moods evolve rather quickly, I believe I have taken to an understanding of happiness with the life satisfaction theory without realizing. I would rate my life right now at about an eight, as I can recognize the privileged nature of my situation. It is easy for me to disinguish my everyday emotions from the sheer opportunity I have in my position; when upset, I can still recognize that I have the agency to change a situation that is displeasing me. If I can't change it, I do my best to not allow something out of my control to hold that same agency over my emotions.
I'd like to be very clear, I find myself melancholic, stressed, disappointed and insecure often. However, I loathe the idea that such integral sensations to the human experience render my life unenjoyable or unsatisfying. The very fact that I'm able to experience them, and thus was given the opportunity to interact in the world around me or in my own mind enough to be susceptible to them grants me an amount of satisfaction on its own to be content with their negative symptoms.
Do you have a good life? What will they say about you at your funeral? Will you be gratified if your children have a life comparable to yours?
ReplyDeleteAs far as lives go, I would say mine is quite well. I wouldn't say that it is perfect; however, it could possibly be far, far worse. With that being said, I feel there is a fine line between trying to remain humble in the face of other's worse off lives and recognizing your own issues. If one constantly sets aside their own issues because they are not as bad as another's, how would that affect them? Does staying humble have its downsides? Is the above mentioned scenario truly being humble.
As for at my funeral, all I hope people will say are good things. However, I don't think it quite matters what anyone says at my funeral. I'll be gone. Their words will only serve to comfort those around them still alive, so I guess what really matters is meeting that end. What should be said at my funeral should be what is best for others.
Finally, my kids should always have a better life than me. While I am not a parent yet, I believe that should be what ever parent should strive for. What that means I am not sure.
Is it "impossible that 94% of Americans are happy"? 50
ReplyDeleteI think it is highly unlikely, especially when you consider the statistics that Haybron cited in chapter 4. It does not seem possible that suicidal ideation, depression and anxiety would be that prominent if 94% of people were truly happy.
I have to agree with you that 94% seems highly unlikely. There just seems to be far too much suffering within our own society, which can largely stem from the nature of our society, for it to be true.
DeleteToday, right now, where would you rate your life on a 1-10 scale? What do you think that rating says about your satisfaction and your happiness? How much has it, or will it, fluctuate in the days, weeks, and years to come?
ReplyDeleteToday, if I were to rate my life on a 1-10 scale, I would rate my life about an 8/10. I have been incredibly blessed in more ways than one during my short 21 years here on Earth. I think the rating says a lot about how I view my life and how events have unfolded in my life. I like to consider myself quite realistic, so I know that life is and has had its ups and downs. However, I have had an incredibly loving family, great support group of friends, and I think I am headed on a great path for myself and my life. I think my score, and overall satisfaction/happiness with life will fluctuate over the years to come, but hopefully only for the better! Life is hard and ever changing, so part of being happy and satisfied is learning how to evolve and adapt in life.
Is it "impossible that 94% of Americans are happy"? 50
ReplyDeleteI do not think it is impossible that 94% of Americans are happy, but I think that it is incredibly unlucky. With the current climate of politics and society I would just find it hard to say that that high of a percentage of Americans are considered to be happy. The world has been in a really tough spot over the last few years, and I think it has taken a toll on society and people. I think America is still reeling quite a bit, but that we can eventually drag out of the slump of the last 3 years. Overall, I feel that percentage of 94% is a little too high when rating the overall percentage of Americans who are happy, but I do think it is a possible number to eventually reach.
Could you be happy in Maldonia? 42 In general, are you more or less happy than the people around you?
ReplyDeleteI have learned that I can be happy pretty much anywhere. But I have also learned that my “happiness baseline” is a lot lower than a lot of people I know. So I guess that also in part answers the second question. I wouldn’t say that I’m “happier” that those around my, but I am quicker to find the happiness in any given situation I am in. It is easy to make me laugh even if the joke isn’t funny, I am easily fascinated with what I am learning, from differential equations to U.S foreign policy. I am also slower to recognizing unhappiness, or things that I might consider to be upsetting. I have a high pain tolerance and I am quick to forget when someone I love has wronged me. So could you say I’m “happier”? I guess. I look at it as I have less requirements for my threshold of happiness to be crossed. All to say, I am easy to please.
Here’s a potential discussion question: do you think that our culture today conditions people to be unhappy? Do you think it is easier for people to like you if they think you are as miserable as them? Would you lower your own levels of happiness to make up for the unhappiness of your peers? Should you?
ReplyDeleteI do think that our culture conditions people to be unhappy. The capitalist nature of the United States means that a material importance is put onto our happiness. This in itself means that out society will not allow us to be happy until we have the newest toy or gadget. Since there are always new things to have, our society needs us to continue wanting those, so we then have to be unhappy.
Delete“Today, right now, where would you rate your life on a 1-10 scale? What do you think that rating says about your satisfaction and your happiness? How much has it, or will it, fluctuate in the days, weeks, and years to come?“
ReplyDeleteFrom an objective point of view, I would rate my life maybe a 7 or 8 out of 10. When looking at my life, I feel somewhat satisfied. I feel as though I am in a relatively good place with both wonderful people and prospects to my name. This should make me a relatively happy person, but like I stated last week, I do not feel happy much of the time. I often find myself anxious and frustrated and afraid of nothing in particular. I feel like I am getting nowhere, simply because I have not accomplished as much as I feel I should have by now. I look at the lives of others and see them as special for having done so much at such a young age. I compare myself to them and feel pathetic for my inaction. These feelings fluctuate, worsening at random times throughout the day, like they just want to throw me off anytime I let my guard down, and they will continue to dominate my mind as long as I let them go loose. I give them power over me simply because confronting them would be too scary. It will take a long time for me to heal this aspect of myself, but I am trying.