Francesca Rovalino

Professor Sinclair
LBST 2301-336
October 29, 2019
Interview on a Good Life

A “good life” has many variations of its recipe depending on who you ask and how old
they are. For my interview, I chose someone who is 58 years old, that is wise and has lived
through countless experiences to bring them where they are today. I chose Juan Rovalino, a son,
father, brother, and in many cases, a mentor. His recipe for a good life may seem simple,
however, he explained the ingredients in a way that really captured the essence of a meaningful
life.
When asked “What is a good life?” Juan responded that a good life is a healthy life,
where stress is kept to a minimum. It is a life where you appreciate the quality of the people that
surround you, rather than the quantity. It is safety and accessibility, and in order to feel good you
must do good. He said that in order to live a good life, you have to learn to prioritize things such
as your education, family, health, and a decent financial status. You must surround yourself with
those who care about you because they value your place in their lives and because they want to
help you grow and succeed. To live a good life is to do good by helping others, not for you and
your own personal fulfillment, but for them. You must live selflessly rather than selfishly,
because it is always better to give than to receive.
Juan chose to explain how happiness is defined and understood both for him and for
others. He said that personally, he feels that happiness is defined by moments, phases, and
achievements. It can be a process or a journey and it is not always constant and cannot always be
maintained. It can take time to achieve and although it may not always be fully in our control, we
very much can drive it. Juan said that for others, happiness can be defined by wealth and
possessions. Happiness is often misunderstood and confused with pleasure that can come from
material things that might become an addiction or obsession, such as drugs or alcohol.
Of all his life experiences, Juan said his best experience was having children. There is no
greater joy than giving life and it being a part of you. It is beautiful and it changes you. He said
his children are his greatest treasure and being a parent is the greatest achievement. The worst
experience of Juan’s life was the loss of his father-in-law, who he saw as his own father.
Watching the life leave his body was a chilling experience, since he had never had a first hand
experience with death. As he watched him laying in bed, he was struggling to breath, and Juan’s
mother-in-law calmly said “It’s okay. Let him rest.” Juan felt useless and even though he knew it
was time, he didn’t want it to be.
One of the interview questions was “Do you feel like something is missing in your life
right now?” and he answered, “I wish my mother lived here. There is nothing I would love more
than to have her near”. Juan moved to the US in 1998 and went 17 years without being able to
hug his mother. Knowing that she is older and that she might not have many years ahead of her,
he wants to be able to share as much time with her as he can, before it’s too late. He wants his
Francesca Rovalino
Professor Sinclair
LBST 2301-336
October 29, 2019
children to be able to spend time with their grandma and for them to be able to hear all of her
stories and he wants her to share more of her wisdom, because after all of her life experiences,
she has so much to share. She deserves better than the life she has in Peru right now and I would
do anything to provide her with a better life. When asked if he has any regrets, Juan responded
that his main regret was not sticking with his career when he moved to the US. He earned his
bachelor’s degree in animal science at a private university in Peru and rather than trying to use
that degree to his advantage, he found a job that paid well, where he helped make gymnastics
and track and field equipment. He stayed at this company for 17 years because it was stable, he
could support his family, and he chose to settle. When asked “At age 29, where did you think
you would be today?” Juan said he thought he would be working in his career and he also
thought he would still be living in Peru. The economy plummeted in Peru and Juan lost his job,
but still had a wife and child to provide for. Juan’s wife’s family starting moving to the US and
eventually he saw that it was the best option for them too. Another question was “What’s one
event you would go back to and why?” and Juan answered that it would be his college
graduation. He said he had to work very hard to get into school and while in school he had his
first son, meaning that he had to help raise him and had to work to support his family.
Juan’s answer to “What are the problems we humans must address?” was particularly
interesting because this was where he focused on the divide between different generations. He
said that one of the main problems in humans is deciding how we value things and people.
Humanity, as a whole has become indifferent and has lost a sense of sensibility. Another issue is
the difference in principles from the different ways people are raised. There used to be more
respect for elders, not because of their education, but because of their wisdom from simply living
longer and living through more experiences. We have reached a point where wisdom is no longer
valued in the same way. Also, people have become selfish and they feel like they are superior or
entitled. When asked to give some advice he said, “ never disappoint your parents, do everything
in your power to reach your goals because they are not impossible, be disciplined, and when you
have your own family, raise your children the same way you were with the same values and
always remember the significance of unity in a family. He always gives good advice and tells it
in a way that really reaches a person’s mind. He’s always been good with words.
I very much enjoyed interviewing my dad because his perspective, although very similar
to mine, had more depth. In class we talked about what statistically makes people happier and
those things included family and religion, which he focused on a lot throughout the interview.
When he talked about values, many of them were taught in church. I feel like based on his life,
the most important variable for the happiness formula would be the conditions of your life, C,
because of all the unforeseen circumstances. In chapter 2 of ​The Happiness Hypothesis ​we read
about negativity bias, however I feel like this bias rarely affects my dad since he tries to focus on
finding solutions, rather than thinking about the problem. Another difference I found between
Francesca Rovalino
Professor Sinclair
LBST 2301-336
October 29, 2019
my dad and the book was that he also brought up feeling happy and good for yourself and not for
others. He’s always talked about how it is never good to compare yourself or your possessions to
others and in chapter 4, Machiavelli and Dan Batson focus on appearance versus reality.
Therefore, according to Machiavelli, my dad would be considered trustworthy because of his
perspective. I did appreciate that my dad provided many details rather than simply giving short
answers. He has lived through so much that it fascinates me how after everything, he can say he
is happy because of his family and his health. I have always looked up to my dad but after
hearing him talk about his experience with death, I have gained a newfound respect for him. His
experience with college motivated me to push myself more in my studies because while I may
think I have it hard with my major being chemistry, he took a lot of the same classes while
having to work to support his family, and raise a child. My dad has always taught me the
importance of being humble, especially since I grew up Catholic. I hope to one day be able to
raise my children the way he has so that they will grow up always feeling loved. I hope my
children are eager to push themselves in everything they do, like their grandpa and their mom. I
am grateful for the opportunity to listen to my dad tell me his stories in depth, because although I
had already heard some of the stories before, I had never listened to the full story of how my
grandpa passed or how he had to sacrifice so much for his family because family should always
be a priority.

Word Count: 1510

Francesca Rovalino
Professor Sinclair
LBST 2301-336
October 29, 2019