The Art and Science of Happiness - Solved assignment - Week 12

Photo credit - Freepik

Tasks for the week (Wrap up)

• Open Topic Discussion (40 minutes)
• Individual Reflection (15 minutes)
• Group Sharing (20 minutes)
• Evaluations (30 minutes)

Task 1 - Open Topic Discussion (40 minutes)

(Invite students to propose topics or questions related to the course content, allowing them to share insights, reflections, or seek clarification, Encourage an open and collaborative discussion where students can draw connections between different concepts learned during the course, Facilitate the conversation, ensuring that multiple perspectives are considered)

Topic for discussion - How can we use metaphor in describing the art and science of happiness

1. Happiness as a Garden - Happiness is like a well-tended garden, requiring both artistry and scientific understanding. Just as an artist carefully selects and arranges flowers, the gardener cultivates positive emotions. The science lies in understanding the soil, sunlight, and water—equivalent to the psychological factors, cognitive patterns, and social connections that contribute to our well-being.

2. The Symphony of Well-being - Picture happiness as a symphony, where each instrument represents a different aspect of our lives. The artistry comes from orchestrating these elements harmoniously, while the science involves understanding the notes, rhythms, and dynamics. Happiness, like a beautiful symphony, requires balance, cooperation, and a skilled conductor—in this case, the individual's mindful choices and actions.

3. Happiness as a Puzzle - Consider the pursuit of happiness as solving an intricate puzzle. The art lies in choosing the right pieces—those experiences, relationships, and endeavors that resonate with our values. Meanwhile, science involves understanding the connections and patterns, arranging the pieces to create a meaningful picture. Just as assembling a puzzle brings satisfaction, so does piecing together the elements of happiness.

4. Navigating the Emotional Landscape - Imagine the landscape of emotions as a vast terrain, with happiness as the destination. The art involves navigating through valleys of challenges, peaks of joy, and rivers of resilience. The science comes in understanding the terrain—mapping emotional patterns, recognizing pitfalls, and forging pathways towards contentment. In this journey, emotional intelligence serves as the compass, guiding us toward the artful creation of a fulfilling life.

Task 2 - Individual Reflection (15 minutes)

What did I learn?

• Definitions - happiness, depression, optimism etc. 
• Some models such as Martin Seligman’s PERMA model, The ABCDE method for building optimism, Logotherapy, the concept of Flow etc
• Clarity about some terms such as Optimism vs Pessimism, Happiness vs Pleasure etc
• Questionnaires/ self assessment such as for level of happiness, level of optimism, signature strengths etc
• Reflective exercises such as ‘Who am I?”, Happiness in relationships etc
• Importance of Yoga, Meditation and Pranayama in happiness
• Got an insight into what po-psychology is and its impact

Some new things I tried during this course -

• Assessing the level of my well-being - I created my own scoring method using 9 types of well-being
• Assessing the level of my familiarity with the topic - I created a framework using the Dreyfus model and Seligman’s PERMA
• Used Six thinking hats to answer - Why am I taking up this course?
• I studied different religions, cultures, philosophers and psychologists to find definitions of happiness
• I studied how happiness is viewed under different types of governments (communist, fascist and democratic) and took help of the Lewis model to identify different cultures of the world to know their happiness levels

How will I apply these concepts in my life?

What I observed was - rather than taking up a project to pursue happiness, integrating happiness in day-to-day tasks could be less stressful - think of victory laps as a way of feeling happy after each success/ each completion of a task.

Based on the above, here’s the implementation plan - 

• List down my daily chores and calendarise them (set alarms for each hour to remind me of a task)
• Before I start each chore, I remind myself that this task is created by me to feel happy. This helps me love any/ every task (even the ones I did not like e.g. swiping the floor, watering the garden etc.)
• Define some ‘victory lap’ for each task (A "victory lap" is a term to describe a celebratory or triumphant action taken after achieving success)
• Complete the chores for the day, do the victory laps and record the number of victory laps done 
• This record becomes my measure of happiness

Task 3 - Group Sharing (20 minutes)

(Invite students to share their reflections in small groups or with the whole class, fostering a sense of community and shared learning. Encourage discussions on common themes, differences in perspectives, and how the course has influenced each individual)

Group sharing is not possible because I am doing this course alone. 

What I will do instead is attempt to answer the questions that I had raised during the study. I guess it will be like a sharing.

Week 2

What harm can pop-psychologists make to people and society?

Pop psychologists are those who provide oversimplified, sensationalized, or unverified psychological advice through popular media, self-help books, or online platforms. They may potentially cause harm to individuals and society in several ways. Some examples - 

• Distorted understanding of mental health and well-being
• They promote quick fixes or one-size-fits-all solutions to complex psychological problems. Human beings are complex and need individual treatment
• The intent of many pop-psychologists is exploit individuals' vulnerabilities
• They encourage self-diagnosis. It could harm some clinical cases
• They overemphasize on positive thinking creating unrealistic expectations and contribute to feelings of inadequacy

Can we measure Happiness derived from our daily chores? What is the unit of measurement of Happiness?

Measuring happiness is subjective and can vary from person to person. We should be in a position to apply our own measures. 

If that is the case, this is how I would measure happiness -

• List down my daily chores and calendarise them (set alarms for each hour to remind me of a task)
• Before I start each chore, I remind myself that this task is created by me to feel happy. This helps me love any/ every task (even the ones I did not like e.g. swiping the floor, watering the garden etc.)
• Define some ‘victory lap’ for each task (A "victory lap" is a term to describe a celebratory or triumphant action taken after achieving success)
• Complete the chores for the day, do the victory laps and record the number of victory laps done 
• This record becomes my measure of happiness

Week 3

All the time I hear that helping others is happiness. What about the risks involved in helping others? If I feed the stray dogs on the street, my neighbours threaten me with legal cases, if I try saving children from the child labour mafia, the goons will kill me there and then. What is the use of this happiness if I no longer exist?

While helping others can indeed bring happiness and a sense of fulfillment, it's crucial to prioritize personal safety and well-being.

I would therefore look at these aspects before getting my happiness from helping others - 

• Identify risks involved in helping others and plan the required mitigation
• Collaborate with relevant authorities, law enforcement agencies etc.
• Build awareness among those who are likely to object (this however may not hold water if you are doing something that is against the interests of the mafia)

If I plan to help others, will I not be taking away my family time? Gandhi may have served the poor of the whole nation but he failed as a father. What is right?

Well, everyone can not be a Gandhi, but if you want to become one, you have to face the consequences.

It would however be a good idea to do the following 

• Speak to your family about your passion and get their views
• Try to get them involved in the cause
• If they do not want to get involved, set some quality time only for them

Week 4

Can your partner become your happiness coach? If yes, how do we go about it?

Of course. It will be a good idea to get your partner to study the art and science of coaching. 

It will be even better if your partner can get some certification. There are some well known frameworks such as the GROW model, Positive Psychology Coaching, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Coaching, Kolb's Experiential Learning Model, Timothy Gallwey's Inner Game Coaching etc, 

How effective are online happiness surveys? (When I did the Optimism survey, my score was moderately pessimistic. This could have been because I did not understand the questions properly)

• Sometimes the surveys may miss some important aspects such as cultural sensitivity
• Some surveys may not consider contextualization (e.g. your age, your income, your current role…)
• Some surveys may not provide comparisons and benchmarks. You may not therefore understand how you fare against others
• Some surveys may not offer post survey conversations or follow-up/ interventions

Week 5

How feasible is it to find a job in line with the signature theme? Isn’t it risky to leave what you have and run after something that you never tried?

It is always great to find a job in line with your Ikigai. However, the decision to pursue a job change should be made with careful consideration such as these - 

• Is there a market demand for your strengths
• Are you networked with people with similar strengths?
• Have you studied the lives of people with similar strengths?
• Have you considered piloting (part time or taking vacation to experiment)?

What is the reliability of this tool (Strengthsfinder) in bringing happiness?

One of the criticisms is lack of scientific rigor associated with traditional psychometric assessments

Does the identified strengths truly correlates with job success in current role?This is not very clear.

Forer Effect (Barnum Effect) - The results may sometimes provide vague or overly positive descriptions that individuals could perceive as highly accurate

The StrengthsFinder tool provides a fixed set of strengths. There could be many more strengths.

Overemphasis on individual strengths. Other than asking us to connect with people with complementary strengths, it does not talk much about collaboration with large teams with diverse strengths

How does this tool take care of potential bias and cultural Sensitivity?

There is continuous research happening on this tool by the company. The users of the tool come from diverse locations and backgrounds. This may help the company to integrate this aspect in the tool.

Week 6

Is Buddhism the only way to battle suffering?

While Buddhism provides a specific philosophical and spiritual framework for understanding and overcoming suffering, there could be many other philosophical/ religious approaches. For example, Christianity emphasizes concepts like redemption, forgiveness, and divine grace, Hinduism advocates karma, bhakti yoga, and jnana yogas.

There are some secular approaches such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and positive psychology that aim to alleviate suffering and enhance well-being. Greek philosopher Zeno of Citium’s Stoicism, for instance, focuses on cultivating resilience, virtue, and acceptance of what cannot be changed.

Do we have cases of depression from history and mythology?

From history - Abraham Lincoln, Vincent van Gogh, Virginia Woolf

From Greek mythology - Niobe, a queen in Greek mythology, faced severe grief and loss when the Gods killed all her children. She turned into a stone statue, perpetually weeping. There are some stories about huge destructive consequences created by people facing unchecked emotional turmoil e.g. Achilles, Medea a Greek sorceress, Ajax etc. 

Is depression just a twisted reality or some chemical imbalance in the brain?

Depression is a mental health disorder. It involves a combination of biological, psychological, and environmental factors. 

Biological Factors - Imbalances in neurotransmitters (such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine). However as per the latest research treats “chemical imbalance" theory as an oversimplification

Psychological Factors - Distorted thinking patterns (negative perception of themselves, the world, and the future), stressful life events or adverse experiences during childhood may lead people to depression

Genetic and Environmental Factors - Individuals with a family history of depression may face increased probability of depression. Loneliness and social isolation could lead us to depression 

Week 7

What are the strategies for building relationships with gen z?

• Quality learning time - They would love to teach you life, technology and digital presence. Maybe you could pay them as you would pay a coach
• Share personal stories - Indirect way of telling them how you/ your parents succeeded and faced failures
• Celebrate their successes, even small successes
• Create an environment where they know they can come to you for support
• Learn and implement the art and science of active listening

What are the strategies for building relationships with our grown up/ married children?

• Respect boundaries (write down details including dates of unsolicited advices you gave them)
• Respect their partner and partner’s family
• Note down your constructive responses for each point of possible conflicts
• Create an environment where the children know they can come to you for support
• Learn and implement the art and science of active listening 

Week 8

Do we need to be happy all the time? 

Expecting to be happy all the time means we do not understand life. Life is an ocean of emotions. Happiness is a part of it. However, if we choose to be happy, we will find means and ways to be happy.

When we are undergoing feelings of sadness/ grief, it is OK to be normal and healthy to grieve and allow ourselves to experience these emotions.

When is it OK to not feel happy?

If we look at Plutchik’s wheel of emotions, ecstasy/ joy are one of the eight emotions. I feel it is OK not to feel happy when we are experiencing the other 7. Unless, of course you find your unique way of finding happiness when experiencing these 7 (e.g. Feeling happy when you are in a state of terror is an uncommon psychological experience. But feeling relieved and happy after you get over terror is OK. Could be a good idea to develop a habit of celebrating as soon as you successfully get over negative feelings)  

I see a jungle opposite me. My curiosity and sense of adventure wants me to enter the jungle. Is this a feeling of happiness? What about the dangers of entering an unknown territory without understanding the dangers?

This kind of curiosity and adventurous spirit is often linked to a sense of exploration, novelty, and the thrill of the unknown. But it is crucial to balance the sense of adventure with a realistic assessment of potential risks.

Week 9 

Do we live in life only for Happiness?

The pursuit of happiness is a significant aspect of the human experience, but it is not the sole purpose of life for everyone.

For some, dying for a cause or dying for their nation could be more important than happiness.

For some, undergoing extreme pain for a cause could be more important.

For some, struggling to live (food and shelter) could supersede pursuing happiness.

What do the saints and Gurus speak about Happiness?

I studied some modern Gurus to know what they speak about Happiness. Here’s the summary.

• Cultivating a sense of joy and peacefulness irrespective of external circumstances (Inner engineering is a nice word I found)
• Finding purpose and meaning in one's life
• Connection and Compassion (service to others)
• Living in the presence (mindfulness)
• Practicing spirituality (including meditation, yoga, and breathing exercises)
• Healthy lifestyle
• Self-discipline
• DOing your tasks with devotion

Week 10 

How should we celebrate when we make a decision when we are given too many options to choose from?

Create some kind of decision-making-ritual that involves how you will make a decision, when you will make a decision and how you will celebrate. Will you celebrate at each stage? Depends what you wrote in your decision making template😀

How does regret impact happiness?

Regret definitely impacts happiness. But how long and how big an impact will depend on each person.

The relationship between regret and happiness is influenced by various factors, including the nature of the regret, individual coping mechanisms, and the ability to learn and grow from experiences.

As a mature person, one is supposed to get over regrets quickly and to move on.

Task 4 - Evaluation (30 minutes)

(Distribute evaluation forms or surveys for students to provide feedback on the course structure, content, teaching methods, and any other relevant aspects.

Discuss the importance of constructive feedback and how it can contribute to the improvement of future courses.

Allow time for students to share verbal feedback or ask questions about the evaluation process.)

Feedback question	Feedback
Course structure	The course involved study of different theories and models about Happiness (including a week to study Depression and suffering) It also had some exercises about self assessment/ reflection A week on developing relationship (with parents and with partners) They could one about relation building with teenage children A topic of flow was a great information
Readings	The reading material touched on diverse topics by great scholars. I felt there was too much information about Buddhism.  Here’s the list of authors -  Csikszentmihalyi, Mihali. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience His Holiness the Lama, Dalai and Howard C. Cutler. The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living Frankl, Viktor E. Man’s Search for Meaning Lyubomirsky, Sonja. The How of Happiness: A New Approach to Getting the Life You Want Peterson, Christopher. A Primer in Positive Psychology Ricard, Matthieu. Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life’s Most Important Skill Schwartz, Barry. The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less Seligman, Martin E. P. Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment. Weiner, Eric. The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World
Assignments	Assignments included taking up different surveys about happiness, about wellness and about finding your strengths There were some nice assignments about writing your legacy and about interviewing someone to their views about happiness Study of how different cultures look at happiness was good Some activities were unique such as Do one pleasurable activity and one service-oriented activity and compare, Live an optimistic day and live a day feeling like a pessimistic There could be one session on how to measure happiness depending each individual’s personality