Abstract
The document answers 7 reflexive questions about happiness and well-being.
Extract
[...] The promise of lasting joy through money and possessions often fails, leading to feelings of dissatisfaction. Over time, society's perception of happiness has changed. While wealth and possessions once symbolized success, many people today prioritize having more time, even if it means earning less. This shift reflects a deeper understanding of what truly brings fulfillment: meaningful connections, personal accomplishment, and the ability to care for loved ones. As far as I'm concerned, I recognize myself in this perspective. Having more time allows me to spend time to help people, family, friends, and others in general. [...]
[...] Happiness often appears something very simple, yet it is something very paradoxical. The first paradox of happiness is that the most we seek happiness, the further we are from. That's why maybe it's not the best way to obtain happiness to be obsessed by it. Maybe it's a better way to be happy to go step by step, to give ourselves challenges. There is also something paradoxical about happiness. It's the fact that difficulties are not always the opposite to happiness as long as overcome difficulties can also be a way to happiness because we can be proud of our resilience as we say. [...]
[...] Happiness and Well-Being: Making a Better Life - Reflection Paper Please revisit and reflect on your personal contract. Maximum 1 page (mandatory). My personal contract is to accomplish myself and take care of others. I want to live by being authentic and sincere. It's very important for me. I don't want to pretend to be someone I'm not. I want to live a life according to my values. I want to always learn, I want to always give me challenges. [...]
[...] Of course, we live in 2025 and it can be a computer, a laptop and I just write my ideas with a nice cup of coffee. This course also made me think. It changed my perspective. It's important to always try to think in a different way. I'm not only thinking in short-term perspective but in a longer perspective. It allows me to take better decisions I think. Please reflect on the paradoxical aspects of happiness, based on our discussions and the readings in week 1. Maximum 1 page (16 p). [...]
[...] Writing can be associated for example with meditation. It's an entire way of life. We can organize our life around this space of creativity and organization, it's not that different, it's not opposite as society can make us believe and it's important to go against the stereotypes. But it's also important in life, I think, to bring also variety, to get out of the comfort zone, our habits and that's how we can create, and we can create something new and avoid boredom. [...]
