Lauren Rodgers

Instructor D. Jizi
UWRT 1102
10 February 2016
Double Entry Journal
Citation:
Joshnallo, Mohsen and Dan Weijers. Aversion to Happiness across Cultures: A Review of
Where and Why People Are Averse to Happiness" 2015. Pursuing Happiness: A Bedford
Spotlight Reader. Place of Publication Not Identified: Bedford Bks St Martin'S, 2015.
267-79. Print.
Source: Quote (Page# or Paragraph #)

Responses

Western culture and psychology seem to

take for granted that happiness is one of the
most important values guiding individuals
lives, if not the most important. (267)

When I read this I thought of myself. I often

take happiness or granted; sometimes my
own happiness over others. I biologically am
prone to depression, so happiness does
come hard to me sometimes, but I dont
completely forget it. I love to make other
people happy and often forget myself. But
happiness is human necessity.

Many individuals posses negative views

about happiness, and sometimes averse to
it (268)

This just strikes me as unbelievable when I

first read it; I thought why would someone not
want to be happy? I strive for happiness
everyday; to me happiness is everything. I try
to find happiness in every day, for motivation.

Being happy makes it more likely that bad

things will happen to you (268)

This makes me feel ridiculous. Its almost as if

being are saying that good energy attacks
bad energy and there is something around
the corner waiting for us to become happy
just to smite us down again. I think people
who become overly happy have more
sensitive reactions to sadness. They arent
used to it, so when it comes it hits them
harder.

Happiness tends to cause, or be followed

by, sadness-seems to be a very widespread belief (269)

What do all of these countries have in

common to make them feel the same ways
about happiness? Why cant human beings
accept that happiness is natural and a
positive aspect to have in life?

Japanese participants
I feel that sadness can do this too; any
believed.happiness made them inattentive emotion can cause distraction. I do agree
to their surroundings (269)
that happiness does cause euphoria and I
can see why people think this is more of a

distraction.
Happiness and a glass vessel are most
easily shattered (269)

People are easily influenced by outside

situations. Happiness is a fragile thing, I dont
get why it is if it is necessary for human
survival. Maybe that is the purpose of life, to
strive for perfect happiness.

Some people naturally expect happiness to

be followed by unhappiness (269)

If people think this way of course it is going to

be the result, they are setting themselves up
for it.

Individuals fear strong affective states

because they are concerned that they will
lose control over their emotions or their
behavioral reactions to emotions. (270)

Fear shouldnt consume people and avoid

happiness, it kind of seems backwards
thinking to me. They are psyching themselves
out.

Some depressed patients are fearful of

feeling happy because they have a taboo on
pleasure, probably because of an upbringing
in a hard line puritanical Christian family.
(270)

As a person diagnosed with clinical

depression, I can relate to this feeling. I am
fearful of when I will feel depressed after I am
on a high of emotions. I almost feel as if it is
temporary and will only be with me for a short
amount of time.

In Iran..happiness has been associated

with shallowness, foolishness, and
vulgarity. (271)

I assume they assume everyone who is

happy is glutinous and boastful about their
success. This extreme example of
happiness does not seem common to me

Expressing happiness usually comes in the

form of explicit verbal statements. (273)

I think happiness is actually expressed more

through body language, just like everything
else. Yes people express happiness through
saying Im happy about this, but people
laugh, smile, and have a sparkle in their
eye.

Desire for pleasure-based happiness is

nearly always centered on the self, which
can make a person more selfish and thereby
have negative effects on the well-being of
others. (274)

I think that people are actually more happy

and satisfied with themselves when they do
things for others. Pleasure based happiness
for me comes from making others happy
above myself.

The active pursuit of happiness requires

constant effort in such a way that no pursuer
of happiness has the time or carefree
attitude required to appreciate happiness.
(275)

For myself personally, happiness requires a

lot of effort at times due to my depression.
But I find that if I dont focus on thinking or my
thoughts, happiness comes naturally to me.

Some people fear happiness because they

think it will make them selfish and
insensitive to the needs of others in a way

I find that happiness has the opposite effect,

maybe its because I do things for others
which makes me happy. Happiness doesnt

that will offend or otherwise harm them.

(276)

make someone selfish, their personality does,

because happiness is a normal human
emotion that everyone has.