EIT 201300476 Byungwook Kim
Happiness. This simple but somewhat mysterious word has been one of the most deeply thought subjects in history. Endless philosophers have struggled to define happiness for thousands of years with their own perspectives. Finding an answer to this intellectually challenging riddle with barely two decades of life experience literally tortured the brain cells of mine. Yet I have come to vaguely take a glimpse of happiness.
Happiness is defined by a society, not by the individuals. A new born baby is a piece of white paper. The infant is defined and colored by its surroundings. If particular society believes and sets certain notion as a path to happiness, the new born gets to believe that that is the one. Just like a preprogrammed robot believing serving human being lies within their purpose of existence. For example, in Sparta, an ancient city of Greece, happiness was all about glory. Young warriors were taught in their youth that seizing victory and dying in a battle in the most glorious fashion was an answer to happiness. The society we live in today does not differ greatly from Sparta, where the cause of happiness is initially set.
Many would disagree, but it is an undeniable fact that happiness is determined by financial status. For me, it is disgusting to witness speeches that give false lessons or impressions to those in twenties that money does not matter to their happiness. Those celebrities say that following passion is the key to happiness. That is true. But true for only those with extraordinary talent. Not every one of us can become Steve Jobs or Eminem. Following passion will starve you, and make your life miserable. Meanwhile, financial gain obtained by exerting your abilities where they are most needed can give you security and affluence. It gives you protection to you and your family and benefit to your society. You do not have to encounter a heartbreaking situation where you cannot give your daughter a great birthday present because of empty wallet. In fact, according to CNN, six of the happiest countries in the world were from the riches countries such as Denmark or Norway.
Third, the cause of happiness is derived from ignorance. In general, statistics show those less educated living in the most poverty stricken country show high level of happiness over their lives. But this cannot be only seen as a good sign. For a frog in the well, not much can be seen but a void sky. Same applies to them. The happiness they feel is basic and instinctual. They can find happiness only with fresh bread and a sip of warm milk. This is not an exception in developed countries. These days, the entrance of the job market is getting narrower and narrower. Therefore those highly educated, sometimes including university graduates settle for the reality. Instead of putting all their efforts to finding a job, they find a life for example in cyber space happy.
In conclusion, there are three cause of happiness. First is the initially set and defined terms of happiness. Second one is financial status and the final one is ignorance. All of the cause I found may seem a bit gloomy and pessimistic, but realistic for sure.
From Youngkyung Ko to Byungwook Kim
ReplyDelete1. Yes the introduction includes a general thesis about the cause and effect.
2. Yes all of them contain each of topic sentence.
3. Yes they all explain in a logical way.
4. Yes the writer used connectors.
5. Yes, conclusion restated the three causes of happiness very well done.
6. Conclusion includes writer's thought that all of the cause seem little bit gloomy and pessimistic but they are realistic for sure.
From Yoon-Shik Shin to Byungwook Kim
ReplyDelete1. There is a general thesis.
2. Each sentence contains a specific topic sentence.
3. Yes, his points are supported logically.
4. There are many use of connectors.
5. Yes his conclusion restates the thesis.
6. Yes his conclusion clearly shows his view on the topic
201300476 Byungwook Kim Happiness Rewrite
ReplyDeleteHappiness. This simple but somewhat mysterious concept has been one of the most pondered subjects human race has ever encountered. For thousands of years, great thinkers and philosophers who where supreme in their day have struggled to bring an answer to the definition and the cause of this enigma. While answer varies among this subjective idea, challenging this riddle with barely two decades of life experience of life experience literally toured the brain cells of mine. Yet I have come to take a vague glimpse of three possible causes of happiness.
Undeniably, one of the main causes of happiness lies within the society he lives in. Just like Aristotle said, man is by nature a social animal. The moment a newborn sees the light of the world, the infant is inevitably exposed to the culture, social norm, and atmosphere of a particular society. Being consistently surrounded by those elements, a piece of white paper is gradually sketched and colored with certain notions and ideas the society has initially set. In short, the infant is defined by its society. Therefore, if certain society sets what happiness is how it should be, there is no choice but for individuals to believe so. For example, in Sparta, an ancient city-state of Greece well know for the movie 300, happiness was all about glory. Young minds were repeatedly taught in their youth that seizing victory and dying in a battle in the most glorious fashion was an answer to happiness. If you ask a Spartan child “What makes you happy?” hypothetically, you’ll probably get an answer like “Au Au! Victory! Give them nothing, but take from them everything!” At the same time, if you ask the same question to any Korean child, you are most likely to get an answer like “Going to one of SKY universities and becoming a medical doctor or a lawyer.”
There is an old chestnut I love. A horse is happiest and best when it runs and a bird is happiest and best when it flies. Nowadays, it is not hard to witness celebrities delivering speeches to those in twenties to follow their dreams to lead a happy life. However, inspiring crowds with those emotional and touching lines of sentences is highly irresponsible conduct. Not everyone can become like Steve Jobs or Bill Gates. Even if you've got energy, a few bright ideas about technology, and a garage, there is no guarantee you too could start a major thing. In this sense, Socrates said each of us is happiest and best when one does something he can do only or best. Of course I can’t stop those dreaming of next Eminem or Justin Bieber. But what they all should know is that so many have tasted the bitterness of failure before and that they are no exception from the statistics. Instead, realizing what you can do only or best, in other words, discovering your function can lead to your happiness. Therefore, the second cause of happiness can be derived from finding the function of oneself successfully. Again, horse is happiest and best when it runs and a bird is happiest and best when it flies.
What is so tricky about happiness is that even though it is a common emotion felt regardless of race, sex and age, there is no one clear criteria to look at or measure it. Of course there are some common themes that make us all content such as job, family etc. However, there are still those who are perfectly happy without jobs or family. Ultimately, happiness is literally looking in the mirror and accepting what looks back at you. Moreover, having someone who loves you the way you are near you. 21st century can be best described by the iconic question ‘What do you do?’ More of a straightforward translated version of this question would be ‘Are you worth my time?’ People consistently judge others by what car they drive, what brand of clothes they wear, and which house they live in. They look at small part of you and make a strict correlation to who you are. That is why we feel loved, and happiness when we are around those who do not care about our achievements, test scores, and social status just like mother. This sort of relationship is rare and valuable, and lets you to become who you are.
ReplyDeleteIn conclusion, there are three causes of happiness. The first cause of happiness can be found in the initially set and defined meaning of happiness. Next one is in realizing one’s function, and for the last one is in accepting yourself as a whole and having someone who looks at you just the way you are. However, there is a saying that ‘happiness is not something you experience, it’s something you remember.’ Instead of spending extra time figuring out the meaning of happiness, savoring the right moment where you stand is the best way to promise your happiness in the future.
Moments of Happiness
ReplyDelete201300476 EIT Byungwook Kim
Since 2008 when Lehman faced an unprecedented loss due to the continuing subprime mortgage crisis, the global economy has entered the blinding darkness of recession, suffering from the adverse effects of the financial and economic earthquake originated from the land of opportunity. Most advanced economies and major advocates of free market quickly implemented various measures to mitigate the aftershock, but they could not stop rounds of layoffs and small businesses from facing bankruptcy. Unfortunately, the successful trading business my father had been running for 15 years was on the path of the hurricane. Having lived through one end of the spectrum of wealth and the other, I could grasp the meaning of happiness with a bit more of certainty.
Right after the housing crash in the United States, my father’s importing business which depended heavily on a stable global economy could not withstand the minute by minute fluctuating Korean Won to US Dollar exchange rate. Eventually, just few months ahead of Korean SAT which was scheduled to be administered in November, my family became one of the victims of the acute economic downturn. In one single day, all of a sudden, banks came out of nowhere and foreclosed the five bedroom and two bathroom apartment with a nice view my family had been living for ten years in Seoul, two acres of land along the cost of East Sea and few family mountains in Gangwon province for the court auction. However, there was one thing in my life that could not be taken away. And that is my freedom to choose how I will respond to the situation. Rather than taking solace from the bitter taste of alcohol or numbing my pain through hours of meaningless sleep, I decided not to let myself become a product of the environment surrounding me. Under aggravating circumstances, I managed to get myself together and pushed through the economic struggles, keeping my rankings in a high school in one digit at all times. By the end of December, I had never been happier before not because of the arrival of the admission letter from HUFS EIT department but because of the fact that I took control of my situation when all the hope seemed to be lost.
On April 16th, a ferry named Sewol capsized not far away from the island Jindo with 475 passengers aboard, mostly students from Danwon high school heading on a field trip to Jeju island. So many innocent lives were lost, though they could have been saved had it not been for captain’s misjudgment. Students who were told to stay put in the tilted ship by the crew were eventually trapped in the cabins, screaming and scrambling to get out. Paradoxically, this tragic accident guided me closer to the meaning of happiness. One day after the heartbreaking catastrophe, I got a phone call from one of my colleagues when I was cramming for the midterm on the fifth floor of the HUFS central library. He
said that there is a vacancy for an interpreting job and asked me whether I want it. My first question was, naturally, how much do I get paid? You name it, he said. On the next morning, I was on the train bound for Mokpo to interpret for Euro Vision for four days. Even though I was on full scholarship, one million won for four days of service was too good a chance to missed, especially for a student whose family is in need of financial support. However, the longer I stayed, the more self evident it became that money may give you the will, give you the drive, give you the motivation, but never the happiness. By the end of the day, after 16 hours of interpreting as a bridge between foreign broadcasting stations such as Euro Vision, NBC, ABC, CBS and Korean broadcasting stations and even to divers, what came into my mind was not how much I made for that day. What actually remained in my heart rather than monetary gain was a divine and sacred feeling that I can actually give a hand by exerting my abilities. There is no other way to put your exhilarating and fulfilling emotion when you find yourself useful.
ReplyDeleteHappiness is not something you experience, it’s something you remember. Even though five years have passed, I can still recall every single detail of the moment I met my fist love for the first and the last time of my life. It was typical Saturday afternoon of September 2010 and I was heading to the weekly art class. The art classroom was located on the third floor of a four-story building with a red wall. Going up the stairs, my head was full of ideas on how to spend two hours of mundane art lesson with joy. Even though those ideas never worked, it was worth trying. Just as I opened the old wooden door of the atelier, I could see a girl of my age at the corner of the drawing room. Sitting on a round black chair, she was solely concentrating on her huge canvas. She was by far the most beautiful girl I have ever seen. Dressed in elegant grey denim shirt, her rolled up sleeves exposed her perfect flawless skin. Even the white canvas in front of her was enchanted by the pale white, almost transparent skin of hers. Strands of her dark black hair gently touched the white collars above her shoulders. It was like a smooth black silk floating on a quiet little pond, making a beautiful contrast to her white creamy skin. Whenever her right arm followed the trail of the pencil, her unbuttoned shirt separated just enough to reveal her slim delicate collarbones which looked so fragile and feminine. Her tiny tight foot in grey converse place on the bottom metal bar of easel, my instinct was scrupulously trying to ignore the stunning slim lines of her legs. Her tight worn-out cobalt blue jeans tight as her second skin hugged her curves with such precision. They were like laces embroidered perfectly on her slender legs. But there was something more besides her extrinsic beauty. Admiring her from afar, she was so fiercely consumed by her work that the whole scene seemed even divine, like a ritual ceremony. She was a goddess turning black trails of pencil into a lovely day of spring. Her right hand with 4B pencil danced gracefully over the canvas, infusing love and life into the humble piece of paper.
The void canvas was soon filled with warm breeze of spring whispering in beautiful harmony and sweat aroma of flowers alluring happy couples and her delicate, flowery shampoo alluring me. However, this masterpiece was nothing next to her mesmerizing eyes. When my eyes met her dazzling eyes for just a fraction of a second, I instinctively realized that I was in love. Still, my heart responds whenever I recall the moment I met her eyes. The anticipation that I might someday bump into her gives me something to look for everyday, bringing spices into my everyday life regardless the state of wealth.
ReplyDeleteSo far, I have shared my personal experiences to reconsider the meaning of happiness. First, no matter how hard the situation is, no matter how the world hammers you down, getting life under control can bring you happiness. Second, realization of your abilities can show you the road to fulfilling life. Finally, scent of a woman, in other words, the memory and expectation of love can enrich and sweeten the ordinary days of yours to extraordinary.