Reading & Synthesis Writing

Reading 1:
Happiness

Ups and downs are part of life, and nothing is permanent except perhaps change itself. Similarly, happiness and sadness, neither
of them is permanent. No matter how many challenges we face daily and struggle to survive difficult times, the hope that
everything will get better sooner or later is always there. Clearly, all of us, regardless of our age, gender, or race are somehow
striving to attain happiness in our own ways. Everybody has their own definition of happiness.

Success is not only about financial success; it is about being able to set goals and achieve them. If you have passed your exam
with flying colors, or you have successfully lost 5 kilos in 1 month, or your boss has announced that you are getting a bonus , all
these achievements are going to make you happy and positive in life. Thus, if you want to experience the delight and happiness
by achieving success, then you should set realistic goals more often and strive to attain them. Mostly, it is the journey towards
the goal that keeps one content. Success makes people happier and it is often the happy people who are more likely to become
successful.

According to Daniel Gilbert, a Harvard happiness expert, spending quality time with family and friends causes true happiness.,
and all other things that make us happy are in reality a means of getting to  spend more time with family and friends. Thus,
having a warm conversation at the dinner table, playing a board game or Uno cards with family, or just visiting a park nearby for
a walk with them, can really cheer us up. Furthermore, bringing smiles on the faces of our family members and friends also
instill the feeling of joy in us, this is why, we love to arrange birthday parties for our best friends and strive harder to make our
parents proud at many stages of our lives.

Last but not least, a research study from 2009 reveals that having a purpose of life which is granted by spirituality greatly
enhances the feeling of happiness and contentment. Also, all religions in the world teach humanity, promotes forgiveness,
meditation, charity, and helping others. These things in turn boost self-esteem and the feeling of empowerment, grant inner
peace, give a sense of belonging, and make one more grateful. Collectively, all these feelings contribute to a happier mood.

Reference: Kahneman, D. (1999). Objective happiness. Well-being: The foundations of psychology

Reading 2:
Awesome Side Effects of Happiness

There are fringe benefits of happiness that, strangely enough, will make you even happier. Happiness lowers our levels of stress.
When facing a potentially stressful event, happy people are more likely to interpret the situation as challenging and beneficial in
some way and will find more meaning in past stressors.

This mindset leads to better coping and more solution-oriented behavior. Other studies have shown a direct link between
happiness and the stress hormone cortisol. When people were asked to rate their own happiness and then give a few blood
sample across two days, the happiest 20% of people had cortisol levels that were 32% lower than the least happy 20%.Over
time, these stress differences add up. Happy people have lower resting heart rates, reduced fibrinogen (a blood-clotting protein
resulting from stress that is associated with cardiovascular disease), and lower blood pressure.

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We know from many research findings that acting generously is a robust way to boost our own happiness, but one study shows
that happiness makes us kinder. Study participants were asked to remember a time they spent money on someone else as a gift
or donation. Then they were given a small sum of money and told they could spend it on themselves or on someone else (and
that their choice would be anonymous). The people who chose to spend on someone else were the ones who experienced
greater happiness thinking about their previous generosity. Furthermore, it gave them the feeling of accomplishment, serenity,
and peace.

Our relationships may be one area where this effect is most obvious. When we share positive interactions with others, we build
a sense of belonging and commitment that can be relied on later. Happy people—as shown simply through an authentic smile—
are rated as more likeable and more approachable, and individuals in a positive mood are both seen as more trustworthy and
are more trusting. Finally, being happy will help you sleep better. A study examined the difference between people whose
happiness is consistent like a personality trait and others who experience happiness more as a reaction to external events.
Those who slept well, experienced more rested feelings in the morning. As a result, they were practicing gratitude, kindness,
and optimism.

Reference: Helliwell, J. (2012). World happiness report. The Earth Institute, Columbia University, New York, USA.

Activity 1:

Fill in the table with the causes and effects of happiness from each of the readings:

Reading 1 Reading 2
- set goals and achieve them - Being happy
Causes
- spending quality time with family and - Interpreting stressful situations as beneficial
friends challenges

- bringing smiles on the faces of family - Generosity

members and friends

- These achievements make you happy - Lowers levels of stress

Effects and positive in life.
- This mindset leads to better coping and more
- True happiness solution-oriented behavior

- instill the feeling of joy in a person - Boosting happiness, feeling serenity and peace

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 Activity 2:

Highlight any vocabularies in your causes and effects ideas and change them into synonyms:

1- Delight -> Joy

2- Achieving -> Accomplishing
3- Journey -> Trip
4- Content -> Satisfied
5- Expert -> Professional
6- Reality -> Authenticity
7- Friends -> Acquaintances
8- Conversation -> Discussion

Activity 3:

Change at least two sentences from active into passive from any of your causes or effects.

The first example is done for you:

Example: You should set realistic goals more often ----------> Realistic goals should be set more often.

Active
Happiness lowers our levels of stress.
Passive Levels of stress are lowered due to increases in Happiness.

Active all religions in the world teach humanity

Passive Humanity is taught by all the religions in the world

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 Activity 4:

Paraphrase those sentences using your own words.

Remember to use synonyms, passive, change the order of the words, or change nouns to verbs:

Reading 1 Reading 2

Causes - Place aims and fulfil them. - Being content.

- Spending valuable time with - Perceiving stressful conditions as obstacles to

acquaintances and household. overcome and learn from.

- Drawing smiles of joy on the faces of - Kindness.

friends and family members.

- Those accomplishments bring joy and - Decreases amounts of stress.

Effects optimism into your life.
- This state of mind Improves solution and
- Real joy. coping mechanisms.

- Making another person feel happy. - Improved sleep.

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Activity 5:

Write a synthesis /summarized paragraph on the “Causes and Effects of Happiness”.

Make sure to:

 Start with a topic sentence.

 Use three causes & effects from each of the readings.
 Paraphrase the information.
 Use the three in-text citations styles by taking the information from the provided references.
 Use any similarity or difference between the sources.
 Organise the cause and effects details using either the (Point by Point or Block style).
 Write between 300-350 words.

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 Causes and Effects of Happiness

In this life nothing is truly guaranteed else life’s highs and lows, anything can change in life. Joy and sorrow are not eternal,
regardless of how many challenges we face in our day, there is always light at the end of the tunnel. Moreover, chasing
happiness is a valuable instinct that exists in everyone regardless of their ethnicity, racial background, or any difference.
However, everyone has their personal meaning of happiness.

Firstly, success is not only related to financial attainments; it is also about setting aims and accomplishing them. Setting aims
such as Revising and acing quizzes, losing 5lbs in 5 weeks, working harder to earn bonuses, achieving these aims would
improve optimism and a person joyful. Therefore, if you want to feel the pleasure and joy by accomplishing success, then
you must place do-able aims more frequently and work hard to actualize them. Typically, a person gets most happiness out
of the process to achieving these aims rather than the result. Attainment and victories improve people’s happiness and
happy people are more likely to be successful.

Daniel Gilbert, a Harvard happiness specialist states that sharing valuable moments with one’s household and acquaintances
triggers real happiness. Also, he mentions that everything in life that makes us happy is linked to acquaintances and
household. Consequently, playing games with them, heartfelt conversations, or just having a walk with them could make a
person happier. Additionally, being the reason behind their smiles can make a person feel happiness, which relates to
celebrating events such as arranging birthdays for them or making them proud throughout a person’s life.

On another hand, conflicting with Daniel Gilbert stating that happiness is linked to acquaintances and family, a 2009
research study reports that joyfulness and serenity improves by having a purpose to one’s life, which is also obtained via
spirituality. Similarly, every religion that exists on earth teaches compassion, encourages lenience, reflection, generosity,
and aiding others in need. Subsequently, abiding by these teachings bears fruits of increased self-esteem, gratefulness, inner
harmony, empowerment, and a sense of fitting in. In conclusion, these factors help develop a happier mentality.

Reference: Kahneman, D. (1999). Objective happiness. Well-being: The foundations of psychology

350 Words (title not included)

Post Writing Checklist

Checklist
Done Not Done + Correction
1. Did I introduce the paragraph with a clear topic I tried my best
sentence (topic and controlling idea?

2. Did I discuss more than one source in the supporting Yep, I used two
sentences? from what I could
find in Reading 1

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3. Did I paraphrase my ideas using (synonyms/word yep
order/passive or change noun to verb)?

4. Did I discuss at least one similarity/difference between Yep, last

the different sources? paragraph

5. Did I mention the three in text citations in the Yep

supporting sentences? States LINE 11
Mentions LINE 12
Reports LINE 17
6. Did I use the (point by point or Block method)? Im not familiar
with the
terminology but
im assuming I
used the latter
7. Did I use variety of linking words? yes

8. Did I use vocabulary related to causes and effects? yes

9. Did I end the paragraph with a concluding sentence yes

which rephrases the topic sentence?

10. Did I write between 300-350 words? yes

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