1 The Path to Happiness- Heightened Awareness and Acceptance Human suffering takes place as a part of the natural cycle of life. Individuals are often devastated by the suffering they go through as a result of loss, and are generally unable to overcome these sufferings in the short term. As a result, people often turn towards unhealthy coping mechanisms and avoidance in hope that their problems and suffering would eventually disappear. However, by engaging in these activities, people will not be able to effectively approach happiness and truly address their suffering. In Jeanette Winterson’s essay “The World and Other Places”, he writes about his imaginative experiences as a child and how he understands human suffrage. He also explains how people usually cope with suffering by providing anecdotes and rhetorical questions for his readers to reflect on their experiences and their approach. Winterson grapples with the concept of death and suffering through his imaginative experiences as a child and elaborates on the behavior of people when it comes to addressing their suffering. In Jane Goodall’s essay “Into the Forest of the Gombe”, she writes about her experiences in the Gombe and how she effectively coped with her suffering. She also explained how people could effectively approach happiness by living in the moment and being mindful of their surroundings. Both Winterson and Goodall’s essay are reflective of their past experiences that emphasizes the role of imagination and the importance for mindfulness in achieving happiness and overcoming human suffering. Looking at both author’s essays, it can be seen that in order to approach happiness, individuals must first understand and address suffering by allowing themselves to truly live in the moment to experience their surroundings and appreciate the preciousness of life. They must also have the acceptance that suffering is simply a natural part of life because through this, they will be able to overcome the obstacles associated with their suffering and work towards achieving genuine happiness. 2 With the rapid advancements in technology and societal development, people are constantly under pressure to perform in order to ensure their survival, which takes away joy from their lives. If individuals were too preoccupied with worries about the future, they would not be able to enjoy the moments they have with the people they care about. In addressing the preoccupation about the future, Winterson mentions that “the curious thing is that no matter how different they are, the people are all preoccupied with the same things, that is, the same thing; how to live” (287). This implies that individuals are constantly affected by their future, and in order to catch up with the rapidly advancing society, people need to continuously excel in order to achieve stability and success. However, this preoccupation comes at the cost of missing out on happy and memorable experiences that individuals can reflect on. As such, individuals need to accept that life is more than simply “living” and change their perspectives towards survival in order to approach happiness because at the end of the day, individuals do not reflect on their chaotic experiences but rather on the life peaceful day-to-day life and the most impactful experiences that had left an imprint on their mind. In addressing how she approached happiness after experiencing the suffering that occurred after the loss of her husband, Goodall writes that, “I recaptured some of my long- ago feelings- the excitement of discovering, of seeing things unknown to Western eyes, and the serenity that had come from living, day after day, as a part of the natural world” (147). This implies that the experiences that matter are the experiences that are most memorable. In other words, by revisiting these unique experiences, individuals are able to work towards approaching happiness because these experiences inspires in them a sense of purpose and hope in life. Through this sense of hope and purpose, people would be able to achieve happiness and address suffering effectively. By having a new sense of purpose, people can begin to find new ways to look at life again and gradually recover from their suffering by engaging in other activities that interests them. As such, by focusing on 3 experiencing their surroundings whole- heartedly without allowing themselves to be bogged down by the preoccupation and the worries about the future and tomorrow, individuals will be able to approach happiness and effectively address suffering. Apart from that, individuals must understand that ruminating on one problem would not only enhance the magnitude of their suffering but would also hinder their path towards happiness. People often become so preoccupied with a problem that instead of fixing it, they end up amplifying it and become anxious in the process. Not only would they not be able to solve their problems, they would also not be able to work towards happiness. By accepting that there are simply no solutions to some problems and that sometimes, human suffering is simply a part of life, individuals can come to terms with their suffering and eventually approach happiness. Winterson illustrated the problems that comes with the preoccupation about worries through a conversation he had with his hair- stylist, “‘Stop thinking,’ she said. ‘The more you think, the faster you cut your own throat. What is there to think about? It always ends up the same way. In your mind there is a bolted door. You have to work hard not to go near that door” (288). The “bolted door” Winterson writes about could mean the Pandora box of worries and human suffering. By “working hard to not go near that door”, it is not to encourage the avoidance of problems but rather to encourage a moderation in worries. Through accepting that some problems simply cannot be solved and should be seen as a part of life and the natural life cycle, individuals can effectively work towards approaching happiness and addressing human suffering because they will no longer be preoccupied by depressing thoughts, and even if they were, the acceptance that it is simply “a part of life” would allow them to embrace it as one of their life experiences and grow stronger from it. Goodall explains her experience of recovering from her suffering in the forest by writing that, “In the forest, death is not hidden- or only accidentally, by the fallen leaves. It is all around you all the time, a part of the endless cycle of life” (146). The 4 emphasis on how the forest does not hide death indicates that Goodall did not avoid her suffering, but rather approached it and learned to accept it as a part of life. By embracing this understanding, individuals can work towards accepting their losses and approach happiness because acceptance is the first step towards moving on and living a happier life. Both Goodall and Winterson explained how individuals could work towards approaching happiness by explaining how people should learn to accept their sufferings as a part of life instead of ruminate and avoid it. By being mindful of their surroundings, individuals can also address suffering and approach happiness effectively because they are able to appreciate the wonders of nature and begin to see their environment and their lives differently. Individuals who are able to experience life with mindfulness will be able to experience happiness that comes from within, that is the most authentic and genuine form of happiness. In order to achieve this, people must learn to appreciate their surroundings by “losing” themselves. Goodall writes about her experience in the Gombe fondly by explaining that “lost in awe at the beauty around me, I must have slipped into a state of heightened awareness” (Goodall, 147). In the state of “heightened awareness”, people are capable of experiencing things that would otherwise not be possible to explore. If people allow themselves to be “lost”, they can truly live in the moment and experience life to its fullest because they would not be constricted by time and live a rushed and hurried life. They will be able to form a new appreciation for their surrounding and find beauty even in times of suffering. When people are able to truly experience this heightened awareness, they would be able to develop a sense of happiness that is intrinsic and genuine because they would have had found their stability in life by having a “happy place”. Winterson also explains the dynamics behind approaching genuine happiness by writing that, “it is important to develop a sense of “happiness that comes from a steadiness inside. This was genuine. This was not someone who had turned away from the 5 bolted door. It was open. She was on the other side” (288). This demonstrates that if individuals are able to accept their suffering as a part of life, they will be able to transcend past their fears and sorrow. By explaining that she was “on the other side” of the bolted door, Winterson emphasizes on how the old lady was able to overcome all her sadness and sorrows by directly confronting it, taking it a step beyond simply avoiding the suffering. As such, it can be seen that by understanding that the nature of loss and human suffering is a natural cycle of life, individuals can effectively address their suffering and approach happiness. The ability to confront one’s sufferings also allows people to be more optimistic, allowing them to effectively deal with the daily stressors in their lives, which hinders their path towards happiness. The understanding that individuals can achieve happiness ultimately through acceptance can also allow them to cherish their time they have with one another without leaving regrets. Both Winterson and Goodall eloquently addressed the most effective ways to address suffering and eventually approach happiness by explaining how it is important to accept suffering as a natural part of life without preoccupying oneself with excessive worries. Through the practice of mindfulness and allowing oneself to be “lost”, individuals can enter a state of “heightened awareness” that can help them realize and appreciate the moments in life. It can also help them see things from a different perspective through exposing them to a richer appreciation for their environment. It can also help them calm down from the daily stressors they face in their lives that contributes to the worries due to the rapid advancements and increasing demands in the work place. In essence, the most effective way to address suffering is through the acceptance of the impermanence of things, and realizing that that is where the beauty lies. This understanding can help individuals approach happiness and work towards having a deeper and more meaningful appreciation for their lives. Essay 2 Assignment Rough Draft Due- February 8- 3 hard copies to class- upload to Sakai Final Draft Due- February 15- 1 hard copy to class- upload to Sakai Readings: Robert Thurman, “Wisdom” Jean Twenge, “An Army of One: ME” Question for Writing: Twenge writes about how, in American society, “the culture of the self is our hometown” (490). We are so conditioned to the importance of the self, she argues, that we don't even realize it. Not only do we not realize how self-directed we are, but, even if we did, we wouldn't see anything wrong with it, such is the power of cultural conditioning. Thurman, however, discusses the demon of self-preoccupation [and] the ways in which it causes us suffering” (447). But Thurman's argument presupposes a desire for self-reflection that Twenge argues is absent in Generation Me. Considering what both authors have to say, is it even possible for Generation Me to overcome their focus on self or has Twenge diagnosed a problem for which there is no cure? DO NOT spend the whole essay summarizing Thurman and Twenge. RESPOND to their ideas. Questions for Thinking: What is or might be damaging about being so focused on the self? Is this something individuals can fix for themselves or might institutions help (educational, political, social)?
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