Kristel Hicinbothem

Debra Jizi
UWRT 1102-010
9 February 2016
Double Journal Entry

Joshanloo, Mohsen, and Dan Weijers. "Aversion to Happiness across Cultures: A

Review of Where and Why People Are Averse to Happiness." Pursuing Happiness.
267-79. Print.
From the text
Subjective well-being is believed to
consist of life satisfaction, the presence
of positive affect and the absence of
negative affect. (p. 267)

an individuals happiness is not

directly constituted (but may be
affected) by the success, health, or
psychological well-being of others.
(p.267)
Being happy makes you a worse
person (p.268)

unhappiness, suffering, and death,

tend to happen to happy people.
(p.268)

Responses
This is very true. Everyone tends to
focus their emotions on what positive
and negative things they have in their
life. If they are happy at the moment
because they have a lot of positive
things then they believe they are wellbeing. But what people do not realize is
that everything is temporary.
Yes success, health, and money are
contributors of ones happiness and wellbeing but it is not the main thing.

If someone is truly happy they will try to

make others around them happy, which
makes them a good person. If they are
only happy because of money and fame
then maybe they would be a worse
person because of selfishness.
I think this is ridiculous. Bad things
happen to everyone whether they are
happy or not. You should not be scared
to be happy in fear of becoming
unhappy in the future. Things are going
to happen that you cannot control and
that is life. We should all be happy in the
moment and not worry about the future.
I guess I can see how people can think
this. When people are happy bad things

Sorrow never comes too late, and

happiness too swiftly flies. (p.269)

people might be averse to happiness

because they fear the devastating loss
of newly-attained happiness more than
they value the actual attainment of it.
(p.269)

but some people nevertheless worry

that happiness might preoccupy their
minds, leaving them little time for deep
reflection on important issues. (p. 271)
being happy might make them less
motivated to fight for justice, thereby
making them morally worse people. (p.
272)

Individuals in many cultures have

issued warnings about expressing
happiness because of the negative
consequences for the expresser and
those around her. (p. 272)

For if each man may do what is good in

his own eyes, proceed according to his
own pleasure, so that none may crosse
him or control him by any power; there

eventually are going to happen; but

when people are unhappy all the time,
its like the bad things that are
happening doesnt really affect them
because they are already unhappy.
These are words of someone who thinks
negatively. I however do not like to think
in this type of context. I like to believe
that if I am going through a rough time
that there will be happiness soon to
come.
Although I think this is a terrible way to
view things I can somewhat relate to
this. Such as with relationships. Most
people who have had multiple bad
relationships wont value a good one,
because they are in fear of breaking up.
I can see how some people could think
this but the way I view it is, if I am really
happy I am going to want to focus more
on other issues rather than if I was
unhappy.
Happiness does not necessarily have
anything to do with justice. If someone
wants to fight to keep their countrys
justice it shouldnt matter if they are
happy or not. But I also could see how
people would think well if they are happy
with their life why would they want to
risk it for others?
There is a difference between expressing
happiness and excessively expressing
happiness. Some people are scared to
show that they are happy because they
feel bad for those who arent happy
around them. Showing that you are
happy can be a good thing but being
over dramatic about it and shoving it in
peoples faces is another thing.
I think everyone should do what they
believe is good and do stuff according to
their own pleasure. Of course we should
be careful of those around us but we can

must of necessity follow the distraction

and desolation of the whole. (p.276)

never please everyone. Everyone

believes different things that one person
could not attain all of those beliefs.