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Amaya Nelson

Professor Ditch

English 115

1 October 2018

Project Space

Authors Graham Hill, David Brooks, Howard Cutler and the Dalai Lama, and Sonja

Lyubomirsky all focus on either internal or external space. Internal space is focusing on within

someone’s mind and how it affects someone’s happiness. Meanwhile external space focuses on

physical objects and other things outside of the mind that affects how happy someone is. Each

author focuses specifically on one space. Brooks, Lyubomirsky, and Cutler and the Dalai Lama

all focus on internal space. Brooks claims that suffering could lead to genuine happiness, people

come back from suffering with a different mind set. Lyubomirsky argues that genetics and

circumstances have a lot to do with people’s happiness. Cutler and the Dalai Lama says that

one’s happiness should not depend on physical pleasure, sometimes you will have to sacrifice

pleasure and in return you will gain genuine happiness. However, Hill is focusing on external

space. Hill argues that people tend to be happier when they do not have a lot of materialistic

things because it gives them less to worry about.

David Brooks and his article, “What Suffering Does,” focuses on internal space. Brooks

states that, “Recovering from suffering is not like recovering from a disease. Many people don’t

come out healed; they come out different” (Brooks 286). People are different after they suffer

from something they have been through. They start to appreciate life more and in result of that,

they are happier. After people suffer, they will not forget what they have been through and they

will do almost anything to make sure it does not happen again. People who have been through
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trauma, emotional or physical, come out a different person because they know what it feels to

hurt, they just want to be happy. Many people see suffering as a bad thing because it causes

emotional pain but suffering can help you change into a better person if you look at it from

multiple perspectives. This all relates to internal space because trauma causes suffering and

suffering is within someone. Suffering is how people cope when something bad happens, it is

emotional pain not physical pain so therefore it is not external space. Brooks wants people to

realize that even though pain may come, if you push through all the hardships you will be

different in a good way.

Cutler and The Dalai Lama in the article, “The Source of Happiness,” also focuses on the

internal space. Physical pleasure can only bring temporary happiness, it will not help in the long

run when trying to gain genuine happiness. The Dalai Lama proposes that, “True happiness

relates more to the mind and heart. Happiness that depends mainly on physical pleasure is

unstable; one day it’s there, the next day it may not be” (Cutler and the Dalai Lama 30). When

trying to reach your full potential of happiness, you can not depend on materialistic things or

physical pleasure because that happiness will not last. If you depend on yourself, within your

mind and heart, you will be able to reach the happiness you are trying to gain. Sometimes while

on the quest for happiness, you have to give up some pleasure because if you do not, it will hurt

you in the long run. The Dalai Lama points out something important when trying to be happy,

“The ‘right choice’ is often the difficult one -- the one that involves some sacrifice of our

pleasure” (Cutler and the Dalai Lama 31). To gain full happiness, you will have to make tough

decisions often but it will be worth it in the end. People find it hard to give up some pleasure

because physical pleasure brings happiness that is temporary, but people think it is genuine
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happiness, they will have to determine the difference between temporary happiness and real

happiness.

Graham Hill in the article, “Living With Less. A Lot Less,” focuses on the external

space within happiness. Having a lot of materialistic things does not determine whether you are

going to be happier than someone who does not have as much money as you. As Hill states that,

“There isn’t any indication that any things makes anyone any happier; in fact it seems the reverse

may be true” (Hill 308). Someone who does not have a lot of materialistic things is just as likely

to be happy as someone who has a lot of money. Money and expensive items does not guarantee

that someone will be happy. People who have better communication skills and create good

relationships with people are typically happier than ones who just depend on money for

happiness. Hill claims that, “Intuitively, we know that the best stuff in life isn’t stuff at all, and

that relationships, experiences and meaningful work are the staples of a happy life” (Hill 311). If

someone wants to be happy, it is better for them to create bonds with people. When people have

friendships and relationships that they can count on, they will most likely be happier than

someone who only depends on money.

Sonja Lyubomirsky in the article, “How Happy Are You and Why,” focuses on internal

space as well. Happiness can be determined by someone’s circumstances that they are in and

how they go about it. Lyubomirsky explains that, “Happiness, more than anything, is a state of

mind, a way of perceiving and approaching ourselves and the world in which we reside”

(Lyubomirsky 185). State of mind influences the way you perceive your circumstances. Your

perception can change your state of mind and can help you reach your full potential of happiness.

When everyone is born they have a happiness set point and that cannot be changed. The set

point is determined by genetics, it cannot be influenced by anything. Lyubomirsky proves that

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your happiness set point is not the only factor in your happiness, “Another critical step in

clearing the way to committing to becoming happier is to appreciate the fact that 50 percent is a

long way from 100 percent, and that leaves ample room for improvement” (Lyubomirsky 187).

Even if your happiness set point is low, you can still improve the other factors of happiness in

order to reach your goal of genuine happiness. Genetics plays a very important role when it

comes to people’s happiness. Although genes have a big role when it comes to depression, they

take part in someone’s happiness as well. If someone has the gene that makes them prone to

depression, they will have to learn to not put themselves in stressful situations as best as possible.

It is harder for people with the depression gene to gain happiness but it is not impossible.

Each of these articles focuses on either external or internal space. The only article where

the main focus is external space is Graham Hill’s article. His focus is on explaining that having

a lot of money and materialistic things will not guarantee you happiness. David Brooks main

point in his article is suffering does not have to be a bad thing, you can come out of suffering a

happier person that you were before, a different person. Cutler and the Dalai Lama’s main point

in the article is that physical pleasure will only bring temporary happiness and if you ever want

to reach the happiness you want, you will probably have to sacrifice physical pleasure in order to

get there. Sonja Lyubomirsky main point in her article is that people are born with a set point of

happiness that cannot be changed or influenced in any way, and that genetics play a big role

when it comes to depression and in happiness. All of these articles give information on

happiness and how to gain happiness. They all have their different ways of including the internal

and external space within happiness and what happiness is and how to gain it.
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Works Cited

Brooks, David. What Suffering Does. Pursuing Happiness: A Bedford Spotlight Reader.

Macmillan Education Imprint, 2016.

Cutler and the Dalai Lama. The Source of Happiness. Pursuing Happiness: A Bedford Spotlight

Reader. Macmillan Education Imprint, 2016.

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Hill, Graham. Living With Less. A Lot Less. Pursuing Happiness: A Bedford Spotlight Reader.

Macmillan Education Imprint 2016.

Lyubomirsky, Sonja. How Happy Are You and Why. Pursuing Happiness: A Bedford Spotlight

Reader. Macmillan Education Imprint 2016.