Final Paper Criticism & Happiness

                     The behavior of being happy is common worldwide but some people are forced to think optimistically, because in their mind they have a fixed presumption that thinking this way would make them happier. There is an idea which says that everyone should be happy, but each person is different and not everyone has to feel elated. There are studies that show happier people have several kinds of symptoms such as sense of an irrational life and more. Also, having the idea that being happy is essential can lead people to purchasing products allowing the marketing industry to grow in profit on peoples’ negative thoughts. Humans are made up of many types of emotions and have different lifestyles that could cause them to feel sadness, angry, depress, or just content there is no reason why everyone has to be happy.

            Even happiness which is considered an ideal has some indication of abnormalities. According to a psychology's founder, Martin Seligman, "it is our negative, pessimistic, thoughts that are maladaptive and happily, as it turns out, vestigial: Because our brain evolved during a time of ice, flood, and famine, we have a catastrophic brain. The brain [looks at what's wrong" (Ehrenreich 74). If our brain is already looking for what is wrong not everyone can be completely happy all the time. Also, Richard P. Bentall points out that happy people have, "a lack of contact with reality" (70). In their minds they have a much more positive look at things then what people who are less happy. They may detect some of the conflicts in reality and decide that they rather be in a more pleasant environment than reality. This is the point where people start to believe they are great, superior in their achievements, and "believe that others share their unrealistic opinions about themselves" which is not reality (Bentall 70). Happier people try to hide their insecurity. Many people feel insecure sometimes in their life and it is fine to feel that way. There is no need to undergo the emotion of joy if there isn't any.  On the other hand, it may cause depressive realism, which is where depressed people are more accurate in perceptions and judgment. They see things in an overly negative illumination unlike the non-depressed or happier people (Bentall 70). Because those who are depressed may have went through painful events like having a divorce, losing a job, a love one who passed away, or just going through tough times. They see and accept the hardships out there in life, and know that not everything is ideal. 

            People may or may not have any kind of harmful symptoms, but they are always thinking or looking for something that is wrong with them.  They are always the ones who are complaining about some sort of physical or mental pain. They are also the ones who have less happier lives than their friends or co-workers. When considering these problems they would actually look up the solutions to their problems online to become happier. There could be nothing wrong with them, but once they have taken those quizzes about their problems whether they are depressed, obese, etc they could fall into a trap. As a result, they start looking up more solutions or cures and ending up buying the products that are offered. Ehrenreich states, "Google offers more than a million entries on 'positive thinking' covering almost any kind of challenges you might encounter" (72).  These entries or products may not fully perform the tasks many people may think they may do for them. It may lead people into thinking that there is really something wrong with their life or their health. "In 2000, the self-improvement industry -- including books, CDs, seminars, and coaches -- took in $3.35 billion. In 2005, it grossed $5.62 billion, with the coaching market alone growing by almost 500 percent" (Ehrenreich 72). The products the industry offered caused more and more people to start thinking and feeling negatively about themselves which indirectly persuaded them to purchasing more than what they really need. The ones benefiting are the companies who tells people there are issues with their happiness and they need to fix these problems in order to live up to the ideal. By doing this they gain a monetary profit. The companies are so persuasive that people forget they don't have to be happy all the time.

            There is nothing wrong with being a little less happy than those who are always happy. People who are always happy may think this way because they believe it will be good for their health and a better lifestyle, but in a 2002 study in the Times article it was found that "mildly depressed women living longer than nondepressed or more severely depress women" (Ehrenreich 75). Nobody has to be depressed to live longer, but it is fine to feel depress from time to time. Everybody has to go through some sort of obstacle; there are no perfect and constantly blissful lifestyles. Ehrenreich had breast cancer and she had a different life than most healthy people and she said, "I got through my boat of cancer in a state of constant rage…" (76). She cannot feel happy and joyful while having such a grave disease. Even though she had this disease she could still reach the feelings of happiness and any other emotions like other people. In addition, Anne Becker states, “[if someone] become super happy, there are forces that will bring [him/her] back to a more average level [of happiness]" also known as hedonic leveling (Becker 58). There is no way they could be happy forever, as time passes that happiness will start to diminish.

            Allowing happiness to weaken in different times in life is not a dire thing because everyone does not have to be happy; they could be experiencing other kinds of emotions. If people were force to be happy that would not be real joy. Also, there is no reason to cause people to think this way; the results of forcing others to believe they must all be happy will lead people into buying unnecessary products, and development of server symptoms. Elation is something that would be experienced at different times in people's lives, because everyone is different.

Power to Positive Thinking

                   There is power in positive thinking, without it some things might not even happen. Donald Martin states, "[all] of our feelings, beliefs and knowledge are based on our internal thoughts, both conscious and subconscious." For example, no one likes having a load of unfinished work they think it will take forever, or they think they can wait till later. This will cause them to do it later (more negative thinking). If it was more positive thinking like if they start now they will have more free time later, or they might do a better job if they start now, and this will not be put off till later. It is how people see the work load, how they feel about it, and think about it that causes different actions to happen. Thinking more positively the work will be completed faster and more accurate. In addition, many people think about what they want to be when they are a child, a teenager, and even as an adult. They may even dream about it. Most of the time, it is a positive view of what they want to become not negative. They do not think about all the tough obstacles that are ahead, but the goal at the end. By thinking like this people find ways to get to where they may want to be in life, whether it's about being wealthy, or getting their dream career. Everything we do is based on our thoughts, just like the saying think before you act. On the other hand, just imagining, picturing, or even if it is a positive though is not enough it would be  only half accomplished. The optimistic idea is only like a blueprint of a construction worker. There also has to be some kind of action involved. Without action nothing would be done, the blueprint would only be swaying in the wind. Positive thinking does have power, but combined with building and work it would be more powerful.    

 

Donald, Martin. "The Power of Positive Thinking," 1991. Web. 3 Dec        2010. <http://www.marin.edu/~don/study/2positive.html>.

P.S: The work cited came out without an indent on the 2nd/3rd line on the blog.

Total Word: 328

Criticism & Happiness

                         The behavior of being happy is common worldwide but some people are forced to think optimistically, because in their mind they have a fixed presumption that thinking this way would make them happier. There is an idea which says that everyone should be happy, but each person is different and not everyone has to feel elated. There are studies that show happier people have several kinds of symptoms such as sense of an irrational life and more. Also, having the idea that being happy is essential can lead people to purchasing products allowing the marketing industry to grow in profit on peoples’ negative thoughts. Humans are made up of many types of emotions and have different lifestyles that could cause them to feel sadness, angry, depress, or just content there is no reason why everyone has to be happy.

            There are many kinds of disorders with their own symptoms and even happiness has some indication of abnormalities. According to a psychology's founder, Martin Seligman, "it is our negative, pessimistic, thoughts that are maladaptive and happily, as it turns out, vestigial: Because our brain evolved during a time of ice, flood, and famine, we have a catastrophic brain. The brain works is looking for what's wrong" if our brain is already looking for what is wrong not everyone can be completely happy all the time (Ehrenreich 74). Also, Richard P. Bentall points out that happy people have, "a lack of contact with reality" (70). In their minds they have a much more positive look at things then what people who are less happy. They may detect some of the conflicts in reality and decide that they rather be in a more pleasant environment than reality. And this is the point where people start to believe they are great, superior in their achievements, and "believe that others share their unrealistic opinions about themselves" which is not reality (Bentall 70). Happier people try to hide their insecurity, where people lack the confidence to do things with their top most abilities. Many people feel insecure sometimes in their life and it is fine to feel that way. There is no need to undergo the emotion of joy if there isn't.  On the other hand, it may cause depressive realism, which is where depress people are more accurate in perceptions and judgment. They see things in an overly negative illumination unlike the non-depress or happier people (Bentall 70). Because those who are depress may have been the cause of painful events going through a divorce, loosening their job, a love one passed away, just going through tough times. They see and accept the hardships out there in life, and know that not everything is ideal. 

            People are always thinking or looking about that there is something wrong with them.  Thinking they are always the one who is complaining about some sort of physical or mental pain. Thinking they are the one who has a less happy life than their friends or co-workers. When considering these problems they would actually look it up online and try finding solutions. There could be nothing wrong with them, but once they take those quizzes about their problems whether theyare depress, obese, etc you fall into a trap. As a result starts looking up more solutions or cures and ending up buying the products that are offered. Barbara Ehrenreich states, "Google offers more than a million entries on 'positive thinking' covering almost any kind of challenges you might encounter" these entries or products  does not fully perform the task many people may think it may do for them (72). It may leadpeople into thinking that there is really something wrong with their life or their health. "In 2000, the self-improvement industry -- including books, CDs, seminars, and coaches -- took in $3.35 billion. In 2005, it grossed $5.62 billion, with the coaching market alone growing by almost 500 percent." this is the cause when more and more people start thinking and feeling negative about themselves, purchasing more than what they really need or none. The ones benefiting is the markets, there could be no other reasons for the self-improvement industry to sell these products but making money and at a very high profit, only for their own gain (Ehrenreich 72). Everyone does not have to be happy all the time, and if they were it would only make them less content.

            There is nothing wrong with being a little less happy than those who are always happy. People who are always happy may think this way because they believe it will be good for their health and a better life style, but in a 2002 study in the Times article it was found that, "mildly depressed women living longer than nondepressed or more severely depress women" (Ehrenreich 75). Nobody has to be depress to live longer, but it is fine to feel depress from time to time. Everybody has to go through some sort of obstacle; there are no perfect and constantly blissful lifestyles. Barbara Ehrenreich had breast cancer and she had a different life than most other healthy people, and she said "I got through my boat of cancer in a state of constant rage…" she cannot feel happy and joyful having such a grave disease (76). Even though, she had such a disease she could still reach the feelings of happiness just like anyone else and any other emotions too. In addition, Anne Becker states, “[if someone] become super happy, there are forces that will bring [him/her] back to a more average level [of happiness]" also known as hedonic leveling (Becker 58). An example of hedonic leveling is if someone won a free BWM they would be extremely cheerful, but they would not be happy forever, as time passes that happiness will start to diminish.

            Everyone do not have to be happy, they could be experiencing other kinds of emotions. And if people were force to be happy that would not be real happiness. Also, there is no reason to cause people to think this way; the results of forcing others to believe they must all be happy will lead people into buying unnecessary products, and development of server symptoms.   

Elation is something that would be experienced at different times in people's lives, because everyone is different.

Happiness and Criticism

http://www.happinessinsights.com/2009/12/happiness-criticism-and-insecurity.html

I am Grateful for...

Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough.
-- Oprah Winfrey 

            I am grateful for my parents because they brought me into this world. They help support me through my life loving me unconditionally. And to the rest of my family members, because I am never bored with my cousins around even if we have nothing to do but sit and talk. I am also thankful for my friends, because they give me another reason to go to school, beside just wanting to go to school and be educated. They've made my days enjoyable and exhilarating. In addition, my best friend because she's stick through me since first grade till now even if she's irritating sometimes. I am also grateful for my brother because he's pleasant and sweet at the right moments. I am grateful for my education and all the brilliant teachers I had and will have in the future. They taught me so much I don't know if I can contain it all. Lastly, I am grateful for everything that makes me happy.   

Cultivating Happiness in Friendship

Not everyone you meet is an enemy, you may meet a brainless scarecrow, a heartless tin man, a cowardly lion on the way, but the girl in red shoes will form and hold a relation, bonding everyone together with a little work. Relationships hold many shocking and exhilarating mysteries and there are many different types of relationships, but they all have a similar goal. The goal that everyone wants is to form a strong, loving, and blissful relationship, but there is no perfect relationship. There is always something that can be worked on to bring more happiness into a relationship. Anne Becker states in her article that, “If you become super happy, there are forces that will bring you back to a more average level [of happiness]" and that is something no one want in their relationship (Becker). A relationship that is universal to everyone is friendship and it is necessary to cultivate the connection holding the friendship together so it will grow.

          One factor to cultivate a happier friendship is by spending more time together. Most people start from elementary school then to middle school then to high school to college and so forth making more and more friends. As you move on in life keeping in touch with all the friend's you've made is important. Having friends but not interacting with them does not make them your friends, it only makes them your classmates, or co-workers, or just a person you meet and nothing more. But by interacting with them and communicating with them more, makes them your friend. Some friendship click and some never work out, but once a friend always a friend if the friendship is cultivated.  Being around your companions makes you happier, "[spending] meaningful time with friends… [is] necessary" (Shahar 111). How else would you keep a friend then spending meaningful time with them. Friends are there for a reason, a reason to hang out together, go to the mall, watch a movie, have lunch, play sports, and much more. In my own circumstance, my friends and I hold a small Christmas gathering every year. It is a way to catch up on what everyone is happening in everyone's life and to spend time together. There is always laughter and it ends with hugs and kisses. It is different for everyone, but this is how friendships stick like glue.  
          Another way to improve the happiness in friendship is to get to be known for what kind of friend you really are. Friends are there to help and care for one another. Why make friends if you are afraid to share your core-self with them, your inner characteristic that makes up who you are. They are there so you can share exciting events with them, both good news and bad news. Making a friend at first may seem hard but keeping a friend is harder. People of all ages start out by introducing themselves to new people and then start forming friendship bonds. What comes after is the harder part but at the same time it strengthens the friendship. Getting known is not always an easy step, like in an educational environment. There are always groups that people form, they put themselves in similar groups, or with people who are like themselves and that is one way of making friends and getting known. Others may start to get known by,  "…[discussing]…[working] in groups of four to six, even just once a week, understood material better and felt more engaged with their classes" not only does this help them in their school work, or other work, it is a way to get recognized (Zernike). It is a way to get out of the shadows and make friendships that would last a long time. To keep a good and joyful relationship for a long time is to let them, "[understand] [you] values, passions, concerns, and hopes" and for you to understand theirs' too (Shahar 120).
          One of the most important things in a friendship is to accept friends for who they are. In some situations, there are people who may befriend someone for their wealth, or fame, or popularity, or for some kind of benefits, but then that is not real friendship. There will be no happiness in a type of friendship which you’re only in it for some sort of gain. Real friends are the ones who are, "willing to step in and take your keys when they think you have had too much to drink. These are the types of friends that challenge us and help us grow" (TheHappyRock). Everyone may have a friend that they dislike whether they talk too much,  pick their nose, say things at the wrong moment, or is very forgetful, but that is who they are so, "accept your friends, quirks and all, and recognize when they need a little help too. Because you never know when you'll need them around to rescue you from some flying monkeys" (Beliefnet).
          Friendship like any other types of relationships could be made easily and broken effortlessly, but as long as people nurture their friendship it would last forever. Not only would it last, but everyone would be a bit happier. When friendships are form there is, "loyalty, forgiveness, honesty and dedication" (TheHappyRock). The friendship will form its own characteristics bringing happiness to friends. Everyone must work hard in keeping that tie within their friendship. Like happiness that everyone desire, friendship is also necessary in life. With a little work there will always be happiness in friendship lasting eternally.

Total Words: 925

Happiness in Relationships

Spending more time with love ones

            It is very important to spend quality time with your love ones, but sometimes it is really difficult to make time, but we should try to make time. When I was younger I use to have more time than I do now with my  grandparents. Nowadays, visiting my grandparents once a week is hard. But I try to visit them or call them, just to let them know how I am doing and to see how they are doing. When it comes to our love ones whether it is our family, friends, romantic partners spending time is significant. By spending time together we are able to learn more about each other. By learning more things about each other we grow to create a stronger bond. And sometimes we just want "to share the events and thoughts and feelings in our lives" and spend time with them because we care (Shahar 111).

Cultivating vs. Finding

            Cultivating, is to improve, to work on, to make, to create better growth in whatever we may be working on such as in a relationship. By doing this it helps create an even stronger bond between the 2 couple, groups, etc. There is always something in a relationship that can grow, something that can be cultivated on. There is no finding, meaning that there is one person out there who is for everyone. If there was, there would not be any divorce or fighting. Everything would be like a fairytale, where the one looking for love ends up with the one right person and lives happily ever after, but there is no happily ever after. Because there is still more work to do, even if someone found their true love. They would have to start cultivating their relationship to have happiness.  

Sacrifice vs. Sharing

           

            Stated in the article Happiness in Relationships Tal Ben-Shahar, gives a really clear example of what sacrificing is. Sacrificing is something that a person gives up for their love ones. What the person is giving up could affect their core self. The example that was given was how a "woman permanently giving up work she loves and cannot find elsewhere so that her husband can take a job abroad-because if her work is fundamental to her core self, if it is part of her calling, then abandoning it is detrimental to her happiness" (Shahar 117). On the other hand, aside from sacrificing there is also sharing, like the saying "Sharing is Caring." I think that for someone to share something they care about the person they are sharing with. You can share your thoughts, or hopes, or dreams, or fears with the ones you love. By sharing your also letting the other person know how you feel, and that you are able to comfortably share with them a part of you. Just by sharing can bring happiness to both people.  

Work & Happiness

            One of the jobs I had before was working as an office assistant at Gouverneur Hospital. The place is very sanitary and organizes.  All my co-workers were really nice and helpful. They all had a very positive attitude.  I was able to learn everything in a short period; especially with the technologies, and running the filing programs. The pay was decent, but sometimes I found myself having nothing to work on. Sometimes I would be reading the news online, or some article, or I might even be on Facebook, but no one minds as long as I get my job done.  Most of the time I would make calls, pick up calls, faxing, running errands from department to department, file away documents by computer or manually which was a bit dreary. These are like the basics when it comes to working in an office environment. There are even times when I would even ask my supervisor if there was anything else I could work on. In some way I was happy that it was only for the summer.

            I would tell my friends about my job and they would go “Oh you’re so lucky to have such an easy job and you get paid; I want your job, etc.” Even though, they say that I do not feel lucky. When something new comes up I may feel a bit excited or even just a bit happy, because I get to experience something new. But I was not really happy with the job I had at that time. I believe that work is similar to education, if one is not challenged enough or over challenge things becomes boring or be over stressed and that would result in being less happy or not happy at all. The salary is very important because we live in a society that runs on currency, but happiness at work is significant too. Why work at a place with tasks that do not bring out ones’ potentials or is just too much to handle.

Paper #1 Happiness in My Education

When people think of education it is not always a pleasant thought. There is so much build up on the negative traits about school and not much positive traits about school. With such great build up even “12 year old children already [made] a clear distinction between work and play, a distinction that stays with most of us for the rest of our lives. It is very clear to children that their education is about schoolwork, homework, and hard work” (Sharhar 91). I am always worrying or stressing over a subject area that I am not strong in. In order to solve these problems and have a happier education, I participate in things that I enjoy and make sure I put in my best effort into the work that I do.

I am always over worrying and thinking about events that I have uncertainties over but has not happened yet, which is a spontaneous thing for me. Recently I took a math quiz and the result has not come out. On the day of the quiz I had double checked my work and handed in my quiz knowing that I did my best, the quiz ended but all I could think about was the problems that I had trouble on during the quiz. Even after I arrived home I was not able to ignore my thoughts. I tried redoing the problems with a calculator many times. When the result came out different than what I wrote on the quiz negative thoughts clouded my mind. Then I would redo another problem I had on the quiz. When the result also came out differently my mind is clouded with a rush of negative thoughts. Especially if it is a major exam poisonous thoughts would flooded my mind. There is always a solution to something and I do have a solution to my over worrying thoughts.       

By doing things that I enjoy I am able to stop myself from over thinking about stressful things and be a bite happier and less unhappy. Whenever I feel overwhelmed or if information is not getting processed within my mind knowing that I tried my hardest to focus but still overwhelmed I would stop what I am doing. With the over worrying situation about the quiz result I would do something productive to keep my mind elsewhere. Sometimes I would read a book; a good book takes my mind into the many adventures inside the story and away from my worries. This leaves me to forget all my worries and doubts about the quiz. Another situation such as when I am overwhelmed by my homework I would do something that I enjoy to relive my stress such as painting. Once I have started to paint I feel like I have fallen into the zone, “we enjoy both peak experience and peak performance: we experience pleasure and perform at our best. Athletes often refer to this experience as being in the zone” (Sharhar 86). Creating an atmosphere where I would worry less about my education helps bring me closer to the zone.

Currently a class I am taking is psychology, I am not sure if I am good at it or bad at it, but I do my best at trying to enjoy the subject. There is a lot of reading along with my homework from other classes, but as I take my time reading and taking notes everything becomes more interesting. Rushing quickly through the chapters will not allow me to gain any new knowledge. When I understand something that is a benefit for my education I am a bit more delighted than when I do not understand something. While I read carefully the contexts in the textbook is clear and I can comprehend what it is talking about. Also, when I feel like I am overwhelmed by all my homework I would do something that I enjoy to relive my stress such as cooking. I find the delicious aroma of food to be quite relaxing and assuring. By doing things I enjoy which help relieves my stress I think less about how education is such a burden and more of a happy experience.

Another way that makes me feel happier is when I am not good at certain things whether its school work or outside of school work; I would put all my effort into it. I would try to accomplish it even though my thoughts might be “I cannot do this, give up, it is too hard…” but that would not make me feel happy. After putting in my best effort into something I am not strong in, and I still have lingering doubts in some ways. It is fine, because not only did I try my hardest in accomplishing the task but also with the best of my ability. On the other hand, if I kept pushing myself I would start to stress and feel anxious. That would only result in unhappiness with my education and other things I am learning.

Overall, I believe that by participating in something I enjoy and trying my best brings much more happiness to my education than just worrying and stressing about it. Mostly when you are challenged or under challenged in a subject area you would start to dislike school even more. But with a subject you enjoy it is a way to get away from subjects that you’re stressing over and worrying about constantly. Also, by putting in the effort to at least try new things and just be proud of what you have accomplished would make anyone happier. What I want is “present gain, [and] future gain” in my education (Sharhar 87).

                                                                                                       Total Word Count: 947

Happiness In Education

When people think of education it is not always a pleasant thought. There is so much build up on the negative traits about school and not much positive traits about school. With such great build up even “12 year old children already [made] a clear distinction between work and play, a distinction that stays with most of us for the rest of our lives. It is very clear to children that their education is about schoolwork, homework, and hard work.” (Sharhar 91). The school’s education system makes everyone think that English, math, and science are the most important aspect, but what about the arts and things that students enjoy doing. I rarely find happiness in education, but I will learn to achieve some happiness in my education now and the future.

            Since elementary school till now all the major exams such as the city wide exam, regents exams, SAT, ACT are all focused around the mathematics and English areas. The only exam that I have taken that was in the Arts and a subject that I really took pleasure in was art, and that was because I was in AP Art.  I was never good in chemistry and was always anxious about the upcoming exams or projects. I would practice and practice and it did pay off, but only after the exams and projects were over did I feel relief.

Currently a class I am taking is psychology, I am not sure if I am good at it or bad at it, but I do what I can to enjoy it. There is a lot of reading along with my homework from other classes, but as I take my time reading and taking notes everything becomes more interesting. Rushing quickly through the chapters will not allow me to gain any new knowledge. When I understand something I am a bit more delighted than when I do not understand something. While I read carefully the contexts in the textbook is clear and I can comprehend what it is talking about. If I feel like I am overwhelmed by all my homework I would do something that I enjoy to relive my stress such as cooking.  

Another way that makes me feel a bit happier is when I’m not good at certain things whether its school work or outside of school; I would still put all my effort into it. I would try to accomplish it even though my thoughts might be “I cannot do this, give up, it is too hard…” but that would not make me feel happy. After putting in the best that I can into it, but might still fail in some ways it is fine. Because I did all that I could. On the other hand, if I kept on at it I would start to stress and feel anxious.

I believe that by participating in something you enjoy makes you a bit happier. Mostly when you are challenged or under challenged in that subject area you would start to dislike school even more. But with a subject you enjoy it is a way to get away from subjects that you’re stressing over and worrying about constantly. Also, by putting in the effort to at least try new things and just be proud of what you have accomplished. What I want is to have “present gain, [and] future gain” (Sharhar 87) in my education.

I've Experienced “Impact Bias”

Daniel Gilbert a professor of psychology and his collaborator Tim Wilson gave many examples of how one feels in a happy or sad situation. One of his example was most people would think winning the lottery would make them happy forever, but that is not true. Another example is when a love one pass away, many would feel and think that they would never get over the impact, but that is not true too. The different emotions that a person feel will only last for a short period of time, but many people tend to overestimate the length and intensity of their feelings, this is call “impact bias”; this has happened to me before without even knowing whether I was feeling “happy” or “sad”.

The time when I was feeling really down was when my cousin Sally and her family moved away. Even though, everyone was informed about their move it did not feel right. She was not relocating a few streets away, she was moving to a different state from New York to Illinois, about seven hundred forty-two miles away (www.travelmath.com). On the day of the move sending my cousin to the airport, and saying our good-byes at that moment I felt joyless. It was a moment where I thought I would never see her again. And I would miss her continuously. In the end after so many years that feeling is gone. I may miss her, but it is not the same feeling when I first sent her to the airport.

Another event where I over predicted my emotions was when I got my first cell phone. Everyone else had a cell phone and I did not. My friends would ask for my cell number, but I was only able to tell them my home phone number. When I finally got the cell phone I was in bliss. I would be able to call my friends and use it like an iPod. It became more convents when I stayed out late and had to call my parents. Never again would I need to borrow my friend’s cell phone to call or use the polluted payphones. After a month or two, the way I felt when I got my cell phone has vanished. Now it is just a cell phone a regular phone.    

The words “never” or “forever” does not tell us how we would feel in the future. The emotions that one feels are only during the present, during that time. It may linger around for a few days maybe longer but not forever. Impact bias is something that everyone would experience and helps us keep moving forward. We think our goals would make use happy always once we reached it. Our mind works wonders and without impact bias we may be stuck in one place not moving at all.