Happiness

            What makes a family, friend, or oneself happy? The denotation of happiness is the quality of being happy. But what level of quality defines us as happy? Back in the day in the 1960s, the man of a household could work a full time job out of high school and support a family as a middle class income assuming the family has two kids and a wife. Nowadays both parents work and even kids get a job in high school for future college payments. The world as we know it has changed and we as human beings are never fully satisfied, we want more and more. People were worried about homes and food on the table in the 1960s and our generation today post 2000 want the future. I personally always hear how people are content with their lives but never hear "I'm happy with where I am". I want to know what makes a person today happy whereas back then, the simple necessities made a person happy. The rapid growth of technology, standard of education and thirst for capital is what fuels this lack of happiness.

            Technology today soars at a rapid pace, every year we have upgrades for phones, computers, and databases. Innovation, achievements and goals are accomplished every day, people work hard to achieve. In our Declaration of Independence, it is inscribed that we follow the pursuit of happiness. According to the online source, "Americans unceasingly and unsurprisingly ask themselves, "Am I happy?" Matters of money, health, job satisfaction, romantic love, family, and friendship are the principal concerns of both private and public life in our modem republic" (Stearns 1). People work hard for new technology in their homes for matters of fun and enjoyment but does this make one happy? From my experience it quenches our thirst but we are unsatisfied and grow evermore wanting for more enjoyment. I believe the rapid growth of technology acts as candy to our eye and keeps us wanting for something new every day.

            Students all over the world are given the choice to higher their education to college with encouragements such as scholarships and financial aid. It is statistically proven that students with bachelor degrees earn millions more than a high school degree graduate. People stress themselves over with the known fact that one earns more capital through higher education but sometimes end up with a miserable job. Despite that fact, the extra money does not always achieve happiness. Stearns states, "once a comfortable sufficiency has been reached, surplus does not noticeably increase happiness; yet having a lot makes you want more and more, so that there is no such thing as enough"(1). Today, people need to educate themselves, especially when jobs can be competed for by anyone from any country who qualifies.

            The pursuit of happiness is inscribed into our very founding document of our country, perhaps this is the reason why many wish for it. Our background and past experiences can curve our definition of happiness, for example harsh living conditions and lack of education as a child will make one pursue a stable home and higher education. Once one achieves it, one can achieve happiness. But this happiness seems inconsistent, "pursuit of happiness" seems everlasting and maybe one can never completely achieve it, with everything rapidly changing today, it seems as if happiness is a dream we cannot reach and we can only be content with our lives at best.

Valiunas, Algis. "Have much, want much." Commentary 134.2 (2012): 87+. Gale U.S. History In Context. Web. 6 Feb. 2013.