1. HAPPINESS INTERVIEWS AND ESSAY 1
Views on Happiness
Jennifer Kitchen
HU300-16
Kaplan University
January 29, 2012

2. HAPPINESS INTERVIEWS AND ESSAY 2
What Happiness Means to Others
Dee is a 47 year old married Navajo woman. She is currently staying at the old inn
where I used to reside. I met her working across the street at the used furniture store. I do not
know her well considering I only met her about a month ago and have only had a few
conversations with her.
Zowie is my 12 year old daughter. She lives with her father in Texas but visits me a few
times a year. In the summer time we get 8 weeks to enjoy our time together. She is a good
student and enjoys playing video games and reading manga.
Interview with Dee
Question:How would you define happiness?
Response: Grandkids. They make life seem worth all the trouble.
Question: Has your definition of happiness changed over time?
Response: yes. When I was spending everyday with the grandkids it was special. Then we (her
husband and her) had to move for work and I didn’t get to see them for a while. Now, going
back is a precious moment.
Question: What experiences have influenced your definition?
Response: Just waking up and breathing. Living lets us see what is around us.
Question: Do you expect the definition to change again?

3. HAPPINESS INTERVIEWS AND ESSAY 3
Response: Yes, especially with my health. Health helps happiness. When I am sick I just want
solitude. But when I go see grandkids I feel better. They make my happiness.
(D. Haswood, personal communication, January 29, 2012).
Interview with Zowie
Question: How would you define happiness?
Response: I don’t know… When you get to be with the people you love. Not everything has to
be perfect. Happiness is also getting to do what you love to do. Freedom to express yourself.
Question: Has your definition of happiness changed over time?
Response: No. I think the people in my life are the most important part and when I get to be
with them I am happy. Always been that way.
Question: What experiences have influenced your definition?
Response: Every time I get to see you. You don’t have a ton of money. They (her dad and
stepmother) do. Here I get all kinds of stuff. Stuff doesn’t make you happy. Spending time
with you makes me happy. We have more meaningful time together.
Question: Do you expect the definition to change throughout life?
Response: No.
(Z. O., personal communication, January 29, 2012).

4. HAPPINESS INTERVIEWS AND ESSAY 4
Understanding Happiness
Jennifer Kitchen
HU300-16
Kaplan University
January 31, 2012

5. HAPPINESS INTERVIEWS AND ESSAY 5
Happiness
Happiness can mean different things to different people. I have known many people
who believe that comes from the many pleasures we have in life. Hedonism the term used for
this view and many people may think this way. They may say, “I am happy when I get to go to
the movies” or “I am happy because I got that raise and now I can buy a new car.” Other
people believe happiness comes when there is no pain to distract from living. This is
Epicureanism. These people may be heard saying, “I will be happy as soon as this headache is
gone” or “I am happy now that I no longer have a headache.” The two people I interviewed
seen happiness as neither of these.
Both Dee and Zowie find happiness in being with those you love. Dee enjoys her time
with her grandkids and Zowie enjoys her time with me, her mother. They both seem to know
that there are times when pain or loneliness is present but they also know these things will
pass.Stoicism is the belief that happiness comes from learning to cope with the pains that are
inevitable. It is “how we respond to what happens” (Janaro&Altshuler, 2009).Dee responds to
illness by secluding herself but when she visits her grandkids it helps her to feel better (personal
communication, January 29, 2012). Zowie receives many material objects when she is with her
dad but knows that she is happiest when she is with me because of the time we spend together
(personal communication, January 29, 2012). They both realize that sometimes we have what
we want, such as time with loved ones, but other times we must go without them for a while.
It is this going without that helps us see the happiness that is there when we have what we
desire.

6. HAPPINESS INTERVIEWS AND ESSAY 6
I thought that when I sat down to interview these two females I would find a
difference in their views, since they are 35 years apart in age. I found that this was not so. Age
does not mean people cannot have the same view of happiness. The two females had the same
thoughts, its time with loved ones. Happiness is not material wealth, ownership, or simply not
suffering, peace. Happiness comes from living and experiencing.
When I first started this project I talked to a lot of people about happiness and got a lot
of the same answer, “there is no such thing.” I could not believe this. I think it is just difficult to
explain happiness for many people. Seeing what really makes us happy is something that
makes us really look at ourselves and who we are. Some people would tell me, “It is what you
make it out to be.” I guess this means we all decide what makes us happy. We have freedom
to choose happiness and maybe this freedom of choice is what makes many people happy.

7. HAPPINESS INTERVIEWS AND ESSAY 7
Reference
Janaro, R. P., & Altshuler, T. C. (2009). The Art of Being Human: The humanities as a
techniquefor living (Kaplan University 2nd custom ed.). New York: Pearson Education,
Inc.