A. In the assigned essay there are two points that lend themselves to an interesting discussion. These points are:1. “To the European ” Frankl wrote “it is a characteristic of the American culture that again and again one iscommanded and ordered to ‘be happy.’ But happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue. One must have a reason to ‘be happy.'”2. “How do the happy life and the meaningful life differ? Happiness they found is about feeling good.Specifically the researchers found that people who are happy tend to think that life is easy they are ingood physical health and they are able to buy the things that they need and want. While not havingenough money decreases how happy and meaningful you consider your life to be it has a much greaterimpact on happiness. The happy life is also defined by a lack of stress or worry.”In your course journal make notes about the following questions.Do you think American culture is characterized by the command and order to “be happy”? Is that command inherent in our culture for some reason? If so what are the roots of this? If not is there some other contradictory message that we internalize in some way a message that happiness is not essential?What does “happiness” look like in America? Where do we as a culture get our ideas about happiness?On a personal level how does happiness relate to “meaningfulness” in your opinion? Are they the same thing two different things related states of being? And how does that fit with the prevailing cultural ideas about how happiness works?
