Happiness Project
Project Description
In this project, we spent the first couple weeks watching documentaries on one subject: happiness. We were collecting background information, which we then used to write an essay. We wrote the essays on happiness, meaning, what's important, what's not important, and how to achieve this. The second thing we did was an art piece, and it had to make others happy, look nice, and include content from the essay. For the exhibition, we had a seminar open to the public, on the subject of happiness.
Art PieceBrave New World SeminarSeminar Pre-Write
1. What is the overall message of BNW? The overall message of Brave New World is that there cannot be happiness without suffering, nor suffering without happiness. To experience happiness is like a comparison to more difficult times, because then a person is aware that it could be worse. It is the same with suffering. A person might say that they are suffering because they cannot stay up late at night, whereas other people would give anything to have a full night’s sleep. There must be a balance between happiness and suffering in each person, or else there would be an imbalance, causing more suffering for everyone. 2. In what ways has Brave New World made you think about the concept of happiness? Brave New World has made me think about the concept of happiness differently than before. Before reading the book, I thought that humility was a large factor to happiness. I thought that less was more, and it was the simple things in life that we should appreciate the most. But then if you look at the book, John lived a simple lifestyle. But was he ever really happy? He never seemed happy, and even after visiting the society he never wanted to go back to his old life. Then if you look at the other side, Bernard wasn’t ever really happy in the new world where he could have anything he wanted, either. And everyone else’s happiness came from the soma, so it wasn’t really real. The only truly happy person in the book, it seemed to me, was Mustapha Mond. He was happy because he had power, and he knew how to use it. He had the knowledge of the old and the new world, and all of his knowledge enabled him to do and become whatever he wanted. This has mostly taught me that happiness comes from power, and the saying “knowledge is power” proved true in this book. 3. What does John mean by saying nothing in civilization costs enough (page 239)? I think that John meant that in civilization, everything is freely given, with no cost to anyone, really. He doesn’t mean cost as in the money sense, but rather in a figurative sense, such as the cost of happiness. He thinks that happiness should come at the cost of misery, and shouldn’t be freely given or artificial. He disagrees with every emotion, even fear and anger, being delivered artificially in comfortable environments, for the convenience factor. 4. How much of our society do you think is focused on comfort and how much do you think is focused on truth and beauty? Give overall percentages and explain why. Our society is more focused on comfort and beauty than truth, because a lot of the time the truth is not beautiful, and people would rather live in a comfortable world that doesn’t have anything unpleasant. However, those people are normally in charge, so the rest of the people don’t get much choice on the matter. Overall percentages would be about 50% comfort, about 30% beauty, and about 20% truth. Seminar Reflection
1. Reaction: Identify a comment made by someone else during the seminar. React to his/her statement. This could be a statement you thought was interesting, that you strongly agree or disagree with, that made you question, that you are still thinking about. During the seminar, the idea that money cannot buy happiness was brought up a lot. I personally disagree with this, because in our society it is very difficult to be happy without money. Money buys food, shelter, confidence (clothes, haircuts, etc.), safety, social benefits, enjoyment, and so on. Besides, its not like money will make you unhappy. 2. Self-evaluation: In what area do you feel you did well in seminar? How do you feel you have grown since our last seminar? Use the “moves” in your answer. In the first seminar of the year, I only spoke once, and my short statement did not contribute much to the conversation at all. In contrast, this seminar I feel I did a lot better. I spoke twice, but both times I spoke a lot and shared important ideas. I think that I did pretty well in this seminar. 3. Key Take-away: What are the key ideas from the book or the seminar that you will take away? This should be something you will not forget, that has changed how you see the world. This could include something we learned while reading it or a new revelation about the world you live in. I will remember from this seminar the idea that happiness and the idea of happiness always depends on your perspective, and it will be rare to find a definition that will match your own completely. Everyone is different, with different experiences, mindsets, and ways of thinking. |
Artist StatementMy art piece is a framed collage of happy animals and quotes so that it can make people smile when they see it. There are 11 pictures and 3 quotes, reading “A positive mind will give you a positive life,” “A negative mind will never give you a positive life,” and “Overthinking does kill your happiness.” This piece represents what makes people happy, and also advice on how to be happy. I chose to create this because it seemed simple enough, but it would still look really nice and meaningful. I wanted to create something that would make people happy when they saw it, and remind everyone that life is good. I included the quotes to thoroughly get the meaning of the piece across and I feel it balanced out with the pictures.
EssayThe True Happiness
Happiness is a matter of opinion, to be honest. It’s an abstract concept, and there is not a definite solution to being happy. Everyone has a different definition, but the official dictionary definition of happiness is: “The state of being happy.” The definition of happy is: “Feeling or showing pleasure or contentment.” Happiness is, for the most part, a state of mind, however it also depends heavily on circumstance. For example, let’s look at Cinderella. She was a very optimistic and happy person in general, but due to her terrible circumstances, she was not happy with her life. Therefore, happiness can come from many different places, sources, and mindsets. Another thing that humans all strive for as a whole is a purpose, or a meaning. This can be defined by understanding, validity, significance, or consequence, such as the meaning of life, the meaning of existence, or why we are here. The point is, at the moment the society we are living in is not a generally happy one, or at least there’s room for improvement. To create a happier society we need to balance meaning and happiness, recognize differences and individuality, and create a society where happiness is a top priority. Meaning and happiness are equally important in everyone’s lives, but because of their conflicting ideals and implications, it is difficult to balance the two. In Emily Smith’s article, There’s More To Life Than Being Happy, she writes, “People whose lives have high levels of meaning often actively seek meaning out even when they know it will come at the expense of happiness.” Meaning and happiness can coexist, however many people value meaning over happiness, while many other people value the opposite. Though, it should be mentioned that while the search for meaning itself can lead to unhappiness, actually finding meaning can bring a whole lot of happiness, fulfillment, and satisfaction. In the same article by Emily Smith, she also says that “Happiness without meaning characterizes a relatively shallow, self-absorbed, or even selfish life, in which things go well, needs and desires are easily satisfied, and difficult or taxing entanglements are avoided.” A life for those without meaning is more likely to be happier than a life that is constantly seeking meaning. The search for meaning itself is a path of overthinking and sometimes forgetting to live in the present. This is why balance is necessary, because if there is too much happiness, then life would be too easy, and it takes away other people’s chances of happiness. Whereas too much meaning would prevent happiness, because of preoccupying thoughts such as “But why do I need this to be happy?” Thus missing out on many of life’s simple pleasures. Happiness and meaning can and should coexist, because in this case there is a fine line between too much of a good thing, and too little. Happiness can have many different definitions and sources for different people, but it is something for everyone to strive for and achieve. In Malcolm Gladwell’s TED Talk, Choice, Happiness, and Spaghetti Sauce, he said that “In embracing the diversity in human beings, that is the way to finding true happiness.” No two humans are alike, and no two humans will have the same idea of happiness, or a perfect life. Some may want simplicity, or some aim for higher standards of life, but keep in mind sometimes it’s impossible to tell what’s actually desired and what has been conditioned to think of as a priority. Because of these factors, one of the best ways to achieve happiness is to strive for your own ideal life, while also helping others achieve theirs. Through this, desires will probably change many times, but it’s important to go through the process of figuring all of this out. In the movie Happy, the narrator mentioned two different types of goals; intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic goals are personally satisfying, such as personal growth, making friends, and helping the world. These goals give more satisfaction than open joy, but are very important nonetheless. Extrinsic goals are external, such as rewards, praise, money, image, and status. Reaching these goals can invoke senses of belonging, being special, and importance. Indeed, both are important to a balanced sense of happiness, and are both crucial in the human psyche. Without reaching intrinsic goals, one would feel dissatisfied, and lacking in necessary fulfillments. Without reaching extrinsic goals, feelings of worthlessness, unimportance, and insignificance would result. However, reaching both would ensure satisfaction and importance, which is positive for oneself and others around them. The bottom line is, wherever a person’s happiness might come from, it is important to strive for and achieve. As a nation, America is not a very happy country, even though happiness should be a top priority. In fact, it is ranked number 17 worldwide. Denmark and Norway are ranked at the top, perhaps because of better living conditions, and less worrying about everything we Americans stress about on a daily basis? To remedy this, our society needs to make happiness, meaning, and satisfaction into a top priority. In the short story, The Ones Who Walk Away From Omaela, written by Ursula Le Guin, they write, “The joy built upon successful slaughter is not the right kind of joy; it will not do; it is fearful and it is trivial.” In America’s case, “successful slaughter” might mean beating an opponent, or winning a competition. This does bring joy, yes, but only as far as making one person feel superior, while making the other person feel inferior. A more “pure” form of joy might come from helping others, or creating beneficial change. Maybe if Americans cared less about being the best, then they would be happier? Anyways, in The Paradox of Choice, a TED Talk by Barry Schwartz, he states that “Life is a matter of choice.” Though most of his TED Talk was complaining about having too many choices, he did have a point in this statement. Everything in life is a choice, and it would certainly be easier with fewer choices. However, choice is extremely important to happiness, and it is more efficient in ensuring the maximum amount of satisfaction. If there are more choices, then you’re more likely to find something to suit your own unique needs. It’s similar to having better odds of winning. As a nation, in order to rise in happiness ranking, everyone needs to have equal opportunities for satisfaction, and being even a little less competitive would go a long way. Within the past several years, there has been increasing numbers in people studying happiness. Before this, no one really cared about where or why happiness came from. Because of these studies, many people have found more meaning in life, and are now capable of bringing more happiness to others. Understanding happiness is the first step to truly achieving it. Happiness in America is at a very low point, which is a cause for concern, but also a cause for change. If no one does anything to help, it will only get worse. But hey, there’s at least more education on the subject. To be happier, everyone should be accepting and encouraging of differences, because without that, it is nearly impossible to ensure happiness for everyone. |
Model UN
This project was about the United Nations, and each person was assigned a country. Once we had our country, we then researched it until we knew it's history, religion, location, etc. Then, we learned about the North Korean nuclear crisis and our country's perspective on it. From there we wrote a couple of papers in it, and eventually had a small conference in front of the seniors about it. Then we learned about the Israeli-Palestine issue, and repeated the process, eventually leading up to the exhibition conference at the college.
Reflection
1. What would you tell another student if they asked why the MUN project was important
The MUN project was important because it made real-world issues relevant to real life. After this project, we know how big of a threat North Korea is, and how unfairly the Palestinians are treated. We all have a new perspective on modern day issues, which is important to understand.
2. Which HOHAM were you most proud of using during the conference?
During this conference, I used the HOHAM of Perspective. Throughout this project, sometimes it was difficult to remember my perspective, since sometimes my country’s perspective differs from my own personal opinion. In the end, though, I think that it lined up fairly well, and did not agree to anything that my country would not.
What was the greatest challenge you faced in the project and how did you work through it?
The greatest challenge from this project was not falling behind in research and writing, even though it was difficult to stay focused for too long. I accomplished it, though, by listening to different music than normal, such as instrumental so I wouldn’t be distracted, by blocking out other noises, and by using class time. This all helped to make sure that I didn’t get distracted, and got the work done on time.
What was the most interesting speech, resolution, amendment, or comment by one of the delegates?
The most interesting resolution made by s delegate was the resolution written by Russia, because of the seventh operative. It stated that all sanctions would be removed from Russia, in exchange for helping with the issue. It wasn't something that would normally be written into a model UN, but in a real UN meeting, it would be realistic. This resolution created many arguments and debates centered around it, but it was never fully taken out.
1. What would you tell another student if they asked why the MUN project was important
The MUN project was important because it made real-world issues relevant to real life. After this project, we know how big of a threat North Korea is, and how unfairly the Palestinians are treated. We all have a new perspective on modern day issues, which is important to understand.
2. Which HOHAM were you most proud of using during the conference?
During this conference, I used the HOHAM of Perspective. Throughout this project, sometimes it was difficult to remember my perspective, since sometimes my country’s perspective differs from my own personal opinion. In the end, though, I think that it lined up fairly well, and did not agree to anything that my country would not.
What was the greatest challenge you faced in the project and how did you work through it?
The greatest challenge from this project was not falling behind in research and writing, even though it was difficult to stay focused for too long. I accomplished it, though, by listening to different music than normal, such as instrumental so I wouldn’t be distracted, by blocking out other noises, and by using class time. This all helped to make sure that I didn’t get distracted, and got the work done on time.
What was the most interesting speech, resolution, amendment, or comment by one of the delegates?
The most interesting resolution made by s delegate was the resolution written by Russia, because of the seventh operative. It stated that all sanctions would be removed from Russia, in exchange for helping with the issue. It wasn't something that would normally be written into a model UN, but in a real UN meeting, it would be realistic. This resolution created many arguments and debates centered around it, but it was never fully taken out.
North Korea Issue Policy Paper
Israeli-Palestine Issue Policy Paper
|
North Korea Issue Resolution
Israeli-Palestine Issue Resolution
|
The Tragedy Project
The tragedy project was a couple-month long project that ended up with writing a play and creating a visual of the play, that ended in tragedy.
Project Reflection
I am most proud of what our story has become in terms of writing and thinking of interesting plot lines, which I feel that my partner and I collaborated well on. Our story has satisfied us both, even if it could have gone a lot deeper. But that would take more than three pages to make it a masterpiece. My favorite part of the story is the way it’s written to see what Mateo’s thinking without it turning into a novel format. Also I just enjoyed the plot line in general.
My advice to be successful in this project is to check it for errors very frequently. For us, we made it and uploaded it and were just excited to be done with it. Therefore, we didn't check the final piece for mistakes. The next day, when we were presenting it, a whole two pages of the graphic novel were missing. Turns out we had tried to change the formatting in the document and it somehow made two pages fade out of existence. So, if we had proof-read it before turning it in, then we would have had a better result.
As far as working with partners goes, I normally can’t stand it. But, I've found, if you get a friend as your partner who will help and not slack off, then it works nicely. It’s better to work with friends, and easier to communicate and have fun. It went well for me because we were in tune with each other and shared ideas easily, and also shared common interests to gather ideas from. It can be harder, though, to work with a partner, because then it’s really hard to work on the project outside of school. Sometimes texting while doing work gets complicated and harder to share ideas.
The most challenging part of this project was the visual component, as I am not a very good artist. Since we did a graphic novel, this was a bit of an issue, but luckily my partner was a really good artist. He drew most of the drawings, but I drew a couple and I put it together. Most of class during the drawing stage consisted of me watching him draw, and editing the play. I did have to work on putting it together outside of class. Once we uploaded it to the website, we were presenting it and found a couple pages were missing. So, the next day we fixed and re-submitted it.
My advice to be successful in this project is to check it for errors very frequently. For us, we made it and uploaded it and were just excited to be done with it. Therefore, we didn't check the final piece for mistakes. The next day, when we were presenting it, a whole two pages of the graphic novel were missing. Turns out we had tried to change the formatting in the document and it somehow made two pages fade out of existence. So, if we had proof-read it before turning it in, then we would have had a better result.
As far as working with partners goes, I normally can’t stand it. But, I've found, if you get a friend as your partner who will help and not slack off, then it works nicely. It’s better to work with friends, and easier to communicate and have fun. It went well for me because we were in tune with each other and shared ideas easily, and also shared common interests to gather ideas from. It can be harder, though, to work with a partner, because then it’s really hard to work on the project outside of school. Sometimes texting while doing work gets complicated and harder to share ideas.
The most challenging part of this project was the visual component, as I am not a very good artist. Since we did a graphic novel, this was a bit of an issue, but luckily my partner was a really good artist. He drew most of the drawings, but I drew a couple and I put it together. Most of class during the drawing stage consisted of me watching him draw, and editing the play. I did have to work on putting it together outside of class. Once we uploaded it to the website, we were presenting it and found a couple pages were missing. So, the next day we fixed and re-submitted it.
Socialization Project
The socialization project is a project that makes us explore our identities as a person, and learn a lot about ourselves and everyone around us. We wrote an essay on key parts of who we are, and made a mask to represent who we are.