Happiness

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Happiness
Over time, defining the term happiness has been difficult with some people just viewing it as a positive frame of mind. Therefore, this essay’s discussion will be center on the thesis statement, “is happiness relative, i.e., does it have a different meaning for each person?
To some people, happiness is having close relationships either romantic, friendship or family. Relationships help people to be less lonely which improves their moods and brain functioning. However, toxic relationships can attribute to unhappiness in people. In the story, ‘The Richer, The Poorer’ by Dorothy West, the character Bess finds a lot of happiness in her relationship with Harry who she couldn’t wait to get married to after high school. She is happy in her marriage and the fact that she did not get children to complete her family with Harry, made her unhappy (1). In this case, Bess valued relationships and denoted them as a form of happiness.
In other cases, happiness is having money and owning luxurious things. It plays a critical role in life and influences one’s happiness to some point. Happiness from money arises essentially from the freedom it gives one from worrying about basic needs, e.g., food, shelter, and clothing. According to the story by West, the character Lottie was not happy during childhood because of her parents “skimping and scraping” (1). She vowed to buy herself the best things in life such as clothes to be happy.

This is also evident when she purchases a big house for herself later on after college, even though she does not need or use all the rooms. She used to save money, and the fact of having it in plenty without spending seems to be an aspect that made her happy. Lottie also feels blissful to be able to renovate her entire house and get a luxurious makeover when she is expecting her sister. This aspect of having money in plenty seems to be what Lottie views as happiness and feels sorry for her sister who is comfortable to be stranded in a different country.
Apart from the monetary rewards in the form of salary, a worthy career to some is happiness. This is because it gives one’s life meaning and a sense of accomplishment. Lottie, for example, is happy to be working, from a very young and as a cashier in the chain of restaurants, to the extent of choosing the job over her education. She’s dedicated, and after her employer terminates her employment, she is unhappy. “…Lottie would gladly have worked for nothing to have someplace to go, something to do with her day” (West 2).
Adventure and fun activities, e.g., sports, hobbies, and talents, are also some of the aspects in which happiness is denoted. This is evident as Bess was up and about in her childhood learning how to skate and ride using skates and a bicycle that were not hers (West 1). She is enthusiastic about these activities as well as the adventure of touring the world with her husband, Harry. Harry, on the other hand, finds happiness in his talent, i.e., ‘playing the horn’ as well as traveling the world to play it. From Bess’s stories to her sister at dinner, it is evident that she and Harry found a lot of happiness in the simplicity of their lives as well as meeting new people, i.e., socializing despite their humble lifestyles (2).
From this story by West, it is evident that happiness is relative to people, i.e., the things that make people happy are different and unique to each based on their experiences and personality. Concisely, happiness means different things to different people, but these different meanings amount to the basic fact that, happiness is the well-being of a person which includes a good life that is meaningful, secure and full of satisfaction.
Work cited
West, Dorothy. The Richer, The Poorer: Stories, Sketches, and Reminiscences. New York: Doubleday, 1995. Print.