Happiness

Part I.
There are several things that make me happy, such as playing the guitar, running, and drawing, but I am normally the happiest when I am around people that I enjoy being with and talking to. At least for me, being able to communicate with people while doing these things amplifies the enjoyment that I get from them.

I believe that a national happiness index is important because it gives people in power ideas as to how to change society for the better, and serves as a somewhat accurate representation of the views of people on society or any other aspect of a nation.

I feel like the best way to measure a nation's happiness is to conduct some type of survey with specific areas which people can express their happiness-or lack thereof-with. I think that this would provide a more accurate measure of happiness in a country than trying to measure the general levels of happiness among a population.

Part II.
Kurt Vonnegut's short story "I've Been Called a Luddite" implies that by making personal communication almost obsolete, technology, specifically electronic communication, is detrimental to happiness in our society. While I understand the point of view that Vonnegut is coming from, I cannot fully agree with him. The only context discussed by Vonnegut in which face to face communication has been largely eliminated was professional, as the story described the process in which he used to write a book. Electronic communication, at least from my point of view, does not does not serve as a replacement for face to face communication, and in a professional environment like the one discussed by Vonnegut, makes communication far more efficient and reduces the risk of any human error in trying to convey a message. While Vonnegut's claims seem justified at face value, due to the vast number of benefits technology has in our society, I have a hard time agreeing with the majority of the arguments presented throughout the story.

Part III.
The New York Times article "But Will it Make You Happy?" argues that consumerism and financial success do not contribute to the overall happiness of people. Instead, it argues that experiences and relationships with other people are the biggest influences on a person's happiness. The term "Keeping up with the Joneses" is used in this article to represent economic competitiveness and the desire to achieve economic success in order to elevate yourself above others. However, according to this article, such a mentality can be detrimental to the happiness of a person. I agree with this article's position on happiness, and that material and financial success is not a valid replacement for meaningful experiences or relationships because, in my personal experience, I have always been happiest when talking to friends or doing things that I love to do, not simply due to the amount of money or material goods that I have.

Part IV.
https://www.creativelive.com/blog/no-more-drab-landscapes-a-collection-of-epic-outdoor-photography-tips/

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