What exactly is happiness? Dictionary.com (2013) defines it as “1. the quality or state of being happy, 2. Good fortune, pleasure, contentment, joy . In order to be able to solicit ten anonomous answers for a survey on happiness, I had the surveys placed for an hour on the counter of a local public library. On the folder in which the questionaires were placed, there was a notice that read: “If you are willing, could you please answer these five questions about happiness? The answers are anonomous and you will be helping a college student complete a required assignment in a research design course with your participation.” Within one hour, fourteen people had completed their questionaires and placed them into another folder that was labeled: “Please place completed happiness questionaires here. Thank you for your assistance.”
The five questions that were included on the survey included:
- What makes you really happy?
- Are you happier now as an adult than you were as a child?
- Would having more wealth make you happier than you are now?
- Is there a particular person that you speak to when you are not feeling happy?
- What is it about that person that raises your spirits and helps you feel happy?
There was no direct correlation among the responses for the first question. Eight of the
people listed recreational activities that they enjoy doing including shopping, golf, going to the theater, writing, drawing, napping, going to the movies, and relaxing with grandchildren.
Twelve of the people surveyed stated that they were happier now than as a child. The main reason that was mentioned was that as an adult the participants were able to make choices that they were unable to do as a child. The two people that were not happier as a child mentioned that feeling stressed is why they are less happy now than their earlier years.
Eleven of the participants stated that money is not directly related to their happiness, but with more money they could increase their participation in enjoyable activities that do cost money and work less. The other three participants stated that having more money would increase their happiness.
When asked about with whom they preferred to speak when they are not feeling happy, half of the participants named a family member and the other seven participants named a particular friend. All participants did have a person who they could list when they need to be uplifted and speak to someone when they were not feeling their best.
Two of the people surveyed said that the person with whom they speak when they are not feeling happy are always happy and that their positive attitude is infectious. Ten of the people said that just having someone that will really listen to them is why they feel better when they need their happiness increased. The last two participants were not able to really identify a particular reason why they chose to speak to a particular person, they just did. Ironically, both of these people named their spouse.
I was surprised that money was not a direct correlation to happiness. It seems that when speaking to people, it is a lack of money that is commonly the reason named for their misery and problems. On the other hand, it is nice to read that so many people are able to differentiate their happiness and financial situations and realize that it does take more than wealth to help a person feel happiness. I was also pleased to read that people were able to identify so many things that helped them feel happy. The differentiation between the responses indicated a wide range of interests and activities that help them find a way in which they can increase their ability to find happiness.
I chose the library as a place to find a random sample of people to be questioned as patrons tend to come from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds. It was my goal to survey people that are from different backgrounds and levels of wealth to demonstrate that people can find happiness no matter what type of income that they have .
References
n.a.. (2013). Happiness. Retrieved from Dictionary.com.: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/happiness?s=ts
