Aristotle — Happiness
“Happiness depends on ourselves.”
Aristotle
Big Idea
Students think and talk about happiness all of the time. Some believe happiness is something we control and that if we just do the right things we will become happy. There are others who think of happiness as a byproduct of a good environment and not something we can control. The issue of whether we control our happiness is an important one because it determines whether or not a student develops a healthy capacity for self-motivation and goal-setting.
Claim
The choices we make and the attitudes we take determine our happiness.
Counterclaim
Other people and our environment determine our happiness.
Essential
Question
Do we have the power to make ourselves happy?
Student Video
“Dreams” – Happiness
The Langston Hughes’ poem “Dreams” provides students with a great opportunity to contemplate a person’s ability to pursue their own happiness. Without dreams, the poet states, ...
“Princeton University 2010 Happiness Study”
I like to have my students read an informative text about the 2010 happiness research from Princeton University, first shared by National Public Radio, which states that money can buy happiness, but o ...
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