ISSUE 2
Are You Happy?

W

hat makes you happy? More fundamentally, what does “happiness”
mean? The way we answer these questions is very important if we want toachieve a happy life. We should know what makes us feel satisfied and sad. Thatway we could pursue some situations and evade others. Everyone is different in termsof what he desires and what he despises. For example, most people seem to wantmore money, thinking it will make them happier, but some believe that material desireis endless and thus causes eternal trouble.

What makes you happy?
1. Being healthy and physically attractive
2. Having money
3. Preserving my integrity
4. Doing my job well
5. Having friends
6. Being in love
7. Accomplishing my goals
8. Having a hobby
9. Learning more
10. Getting a college diploma> pursue : continue in order to accomplish some goal
> despise : hate (sth) or (sb)> evade : avoid> in terms of : concerning; about> eternal : continuing forever or for a very long time

> preserve : keep

> integrity : honesty; soundness of moral quality> diploma : official paper showing that a student has successfullycompleted an educational program, esp. high school or college1ha pp
Are youy?

Issue 2Sample Answers(A) I would say that being in love is the happiest feeling in my life, except that every time I’ve
been in love I’ve felt miserable. You want the other person to love you in return, so you are
hyper-sensitive about whether that is true or not. If you are not with your loved one all thetime, you feel lonely and anxious. Emotionally, it’s like being on a roller coaster at theamusement park, but the ride never ends.
(B) If I had my diploma I could do anything I wanted in life. It would be easier to find a better job
and make more money. I could attend concerts and sporting events and take wonderfulvacations. I could drive a nice car and live in a big house. And I’d be able to be friends withrich, attractive, successful people. But, unfortunately, studying doesn’t make me happy at all!

SPEAK YOUR MIND
1. How do you usually respond if your friend asks if you are happy?
2. Are you satisfied with your current life? Why or why not?
3. What is your secret for a happy life? Is it applicable to other people?
4. Does money make people happy?
happiness?

Or does the love of money destroy their

5. How do your friends make you happy? When do they disappoint you?
6. Do you think knowledge makes people happy or unhappy?
7. We overlook a lot of trivial and routine things that actually make us happy. Namesome “unimportant” things that are vital to your happiness.
8. A certain man is handsome, intelligent, and rich, and everybody knows and respects
him. He has a beautiful wife and terrific children. The whole family enjoys a highsocial status. Do you think he is always happy? Why or why not?
9. We must learn how to be happy and then work at it. What have you learned abouthappiness? How do you practice happiness?

> miserable : extremely unhappy> in return : in exchange> hyper : more than usual> on a roller coaster : being in a situation that is impossible to control, because it keeps changing very quickly> secret : method or formula for making or doing (sth)> applicable : capable of being applied; appropriate> overlook : fail to notice> vital : very important, necessary, or essential> status : (sb)’s position in a profession or society> work at : try hard to develop or improve (sth)2

Speak Your Mind Helpers
1. How do you usually respond if your friend asks if you are happy?
(A) I always pretend to be overjoyed, even if I’m very depressed. Just because I might
be unhappy does not mean that I have to bring my friends down too.
(B) People wouldn’t ask me how I felt unless they really wanted to know, would they? SoI always give an honest answer. If I’m happy, I tell them so, and if I don’t feel very
cheerful, I let them know that as well.

2. Are you satisfied with your current life? Why or why not?
(A) Things could always be better, but they sure could be worse, too! In general, I’m ingood health and busy. I see my friends often and enjoy my life. So, I must say I’m
pretty happy.
(B) It has been a very difficult time for me lately. I’ve had a lot of personal problems. I
hope things get better soon, because I can’t take much more of this!

3. What is your secret for a happy life?
people?

Is it applicable to other(A) To be happy, one must have friends. Just having a lot of money would be pretty
empty unless we had someone to spend it with. Living in a big house would be lonely
if no one ever visited.
(B) Everyone must discover for himself what he needs to be happy. I’m sure some of thethings that make me ecstatic, like reading a good book, would just bore you to tears.
If you don’t know what makes you happy, just keep experimenting until you find it.

> depressed : feeling very unhappy> bring (sb) down : depress; dispirit; sadden> empty : meaningless> ecstatic : feeling extremely happy and excited> bore (sb) to tears : make (sb) extremely uninterested> experiment : try or test in order to discover or prove (sth)3

Speak Your Mind Helpers
4. Does money make people happy? Or does the love of money
destroy their happiness?
(A) I don’t know, but it seems to me that people who have no money find it very hard tofind happiness, while people who have too much money are too busy to look forhappiness.
(B) Money can indeed make us happier, at least to the extent that it allows us to takecare of some of our problems. For instance, if we were sick and too poor to getproper medical treatment, we could not be very happy.

5. How do your friends make you happy? When do they disappointyou?
(A) Friends are always around to share our good times and make them better. They arealso around to share our bad times and make them better, too. But sometimes they
are too busy to spend time with me when I really want their company.
(B) I love it when one of my friends takes me out to a nice restaurant and buys me agreat dinner. Of course, I’m expected to repay the favor, but I also enjoy doing thatvery much. The only time I’m disappointed is when I take one of my friends out andhe never returns the courtesy. After a few times I begin to think I’m just being used.

6. Do you think knowledge makes people happy or unhappy?
(A) If I’m taking a test and I know most of the answers, I feel happy. But I feel terrible
when I don’t know any of the answers.
(B) Ignorance has always been the root of great misery. Knowing even a little bit about
our situation is better than not knowing anything.

> company : comfortable presence> courtesy : favor; generosity> ignorance : lack of knowledge or facts> misery : state of being extremely unhappy or uncomfortable
4

Speak Your Mind Helpers
7. We overlook a lot of trivial and routine things that actually make us
happy. Name some “unimportant things that are vital to yourhappiness.
(A) I never fail to feel better when I take a slow stroll through a wooded place.
(B) “Little things” like being loved are truly the most important.

8. A certain man is handsome, intelligent, and rich, and everybody
knows and respects him. He has a beautiful wife and terrificchildren. The whole family enjoys a high social status. Do you think
he is always happy? Why or why not?
(A) I’m sure that this man, like everyone else, is happy sometimes and unhappy at othertimes. Money, intelligence, position, and looks are wonderful things to have, ofcourse, but in themselves they cannot assure one’s happiness. No one needs
anything to be happy except a good attitude.
(B) I guess I would rather be a rich, good-looking, well-respected genius and then takemy chances on being happy. Since happiness is never guaranteed, it would be thesame if I were poor, ugly, disliked, and stupid, but then I think my odds would be a lot
longer, don’t you?

> stroll : slow walk for pleasure> genius : (sb) who is much more intelligent or skillful than other people> take one’s chances : do sth that involves risk
> guarantee : promise that sth will happen or be done
> odds : likelihood or probability that sth will happen> longer : less likely5

9. We must learn how to be happy and then work at it. Whathave you learned about happiness? How do you practicehappiness?
F : I feel wonderful today!
M : I thought you felt wonderful every day. Is today special?
F : Well, of course, every day is wonderful, and I do feel terrific all the time. But, yes,
today is a very special day indeed!
M : Why? It’s just like any other Wednesday.
F : No, it’s not. It is a Wednesday beyond compare!
M : Why? How?
F : Today is the Wednesday that will notify me that I just won the lottery. I know I won! I
can feel it in my bones!
M : Are you sure you won? Have you checked the newspaper?
F : Not yet. I’m delaying as long as I can, because I love the happy sense ofanticipation. When the suspense has built up to the point where I can’t take itanymore, then I’ll check out the winning numbers.
M : And then what?
F : And then I’ll find out that I actually won, and myexcitement will know no bounds!
M : Gosh, I sure hope you win. You’re so high that a fall inyour spirits if you lose could be downright painful.
F : Don’t worry. I’m so high because I know I’ll win. It’s just
impossible for me to lose!

> feel in sb’s bones : to believe something strongly although you cannot explain why> anticipation : feeling of excitement about something that is going to happen in the near future> suspense : excitement or worry while waiting to find out what has happened or what will happen> build up : prepare for a particular moment or event> bounds : limits> downright : thoroughly; absolutely
6