The Pursuit of Happiness

A. In the late 1990, psychologist Martin Seligman of the University of Pennsylvania urged

colleagues to observe optimal moods with the same kind of focus with which they had for so
long studied illnesses: we would never learn about the full range of human functions unless
we knew as much about mental wellness as we do about mental illness. A new generation
of psychologists built up a respectable body of research on positive character traits and
happiness-boosting practices. At the same time, developments in neuroscience provided
new clues to what makes us happy and what that looks like in the brain. Self-appointed
experts took advantage of the trend with guarantees to eliminate worry, stress, dejection
and even boredom. This happiness movement has provoked a great deal of opposition
among psychologists who observe that the preoccupation with happiness has come at the
cost of sadness, an important feeling that people have tried to banish from their emotional
repertoire. Allan Horwitz of Rutgers laments that young people who are naturally weepy
after breakups are often urged to medicate themselves instead of working through their
sadness. Wake Forest University’s Eric Wilson fumes that the obsession with happiness
amounts to a “craven disregard” for the melancholic perspective that has given rise to the
greatest works of art. “The happy man,” he writes, “is a hollow man.” 
B. After all people are remarkably adaptable. Following a variable period of adjustment, we
bounce back to our previous level of happiness, no matter what happens to us. (There are
some scientifically proven exceptions, notably suffering the unexpected loss of a job or the
loss of a spouse. Both events tend to permanently knock people back a step.) Our
adaptability works in two directions. Because we are so adaptable, points out Professor
Sonja Lyubomirsky of the University of California, we quickly get used to many of the
accomplishments we strive for in life, such as landing the big job or getting married. Soon
after we reach a milestone, we start to feel that something is missing. We begin coveting
another worldly possession or eyeing a social advancement. But such an approach keeps
us tethered to a treadmill where happiness is always just out of reach, one toy or one step
away. It’s possible to get off the treadmill entirely by focusing on activities that are dynamic,
surprising, and attention-absorbing, and thus less likely to bore us than, say, acquiring shiny
new toys.
C. Moreover, happiness is not a reward for escaping pain. Russ Harris, the author of The
Happiness Trap, calls popular conceptions of happiness dangerous because they set
people up for a ‘struggle against reality’. They don’t acknowledge that real life is full of
disappointments, loss, and inconveniences. ”If you’re going to live a rich and meaningful
life”, Harris says, “you’re going to feel a full range of emotions." Action toward goals other
than happiness makes people happy. It is not crossing the finish line that is most rewarding,
it is anticipating achieving the goal. University of Wisconsin neuroscientist Richard Davidson
has found that working hard toward a goal, and making progress to the point of expecting a
goal to be realized, not only activates positive feelings but also suppresses negative
emotions such as fear and depression.
D. We are constantly making decisions, ranging from what clothes to put on, to whom we
should marry, not to mention all those flavors of ice cream. We base many of our decisions
on whether we think a particular preference will increase our well-being. Intuitively, we seem
convinced that the more choices we have, the better off we will ultimately be. But our world
of unlimited opportunity imprisons us more than it makes us happy. In what Swarthmore
psychologist Barry-Schwartz calls “the paradox of choice”. Facing many possibilities leaves
us stressed out – and less satisfied with whatever we do decide. Having too many choices
keeps us wondering about all the opportunities missed.
E. Besides, not everyone can put on a happy face. Barbara Held, a professor of psychology
at Bowdoin College, rails against “the tyranny of the positive attitude”. “Looking on the bright
side isn’t possible for some people and is even counterproductive,” she insists. “When you
put pressure on people to cope in a way that doesn’t fit them, it not only doesn’t work, it
makes them feel like a failure on top of already feeling bad.” The one-size-fits-all approach
to managing emotional life is misguided, agrees Professor Julie Norem, author of The
Positive Power of Negative Thinking. In her research, she has shown that the defensive
pessimism that anxious people feel can be harnessed to help them get things done, which in
turn makes them happier. A naturally pessimistic architect, for example, can set low
expectations for an upcoming presentation and review all of the bad outcomes that she’s
imagining, so that she can prepare carefully and increase her chances of success. 
F. By contrast, an individual who is not living according to their values, will not be happy, no
matter how much they achieve. Some people, however, are not sure what their values are.
In that case Harris has a great question: ‘Imagine I could wave a magic wand to ensure that
you would have the approval and admiration of everyone on the planet, forever. What, in
that case, would you choose to do with your life?” Once this has been answered honestly,
you can start taking steps toward your ideal vision of yourself. The actual answer is
unimportant, as long as you’re living consciously. The state of happiness is not really a state
at all. It’s an ongoing personal experiment.
 Depression
A. It is often more difficult for outsiders and non-sufferers to understand mental rather than
physical illness in others. While it may be easy for us to sympathise with individuals living
with the burden of a physical illness or disability, there is often a stigma attached to being
mentally ill, or a belief that such conditions only exist in individuals who lack the strength of
character to cope with the real world. The pressures of modern life seem to have resulted in
an increase in cases of emotional disharmony and government initiatives in many countries
have, of late, focused on increasing the general public’s awareness and sympathy towards
sufferers of mental illness and related conditions.
B. Clinical depression, or ‘major depressive disorder’, a state of extreme sadness or
despair, is said to affect up to almost 20% of the population at some point in their lives prior
to the age of 40. Studies have shown that this disorder is the leading cause of disability in
North America; in the UK almost 3 million people are said to be diagnosed with some form
of depression at any one time, and experts believe that as many as a further 9 million other
cases may go undiagnosed. World Health Organisation projections indicate that clinical
depression may become the second most significant cause of disability’ on a global scale by
2020. However, such figures are not unanimously supported, as some experts believe that
the diagnostic criteria used to identify the condition are not precise enough, leading to other
types of depression being wrongly classified as ‘clinical’.
C. Many of us may experience periods of low morale or mood and feelings of dejection, as a
natural human response to negative events in our lives such as bereavement, redundancy
or breakdown of a relationship. Some of us may even experience periods of depression and
low levels of motivation which have no tangible reason or trigger. Clinical depression is
classified as an on-going state of negativity, with no tangible cause, where sufferers enter a
spiral of persistent negative thinking, often experiencing irritability, perpetual tiredness and
listlessness. Sufferers of clinical depression are said to be at higher risk of resorting to drug
abuse or even suicide attempts than the rest of the population.
D. Clinical depression is generally diagnosed when an individual is observed to exhibit an
excessively depressed mood and/or ‘anhedonia’ – an inability to experience pleasure from
positive experiences such as enjoying a meal or pleasurable social interaction – for a period
of two weeks or more, in conjunction with five or more additional recognised symptoms.
These additional symptoms may include overwhelming feelings of sadness; inability to
sleep, or conversely, excessive sleeping; feelings of guilt, nervousness, abandonment or
fear; inability to concentrate; interference with memory capabilities; fixation with death or
extreme change in eating habits and associated weight gain or loss.
E. Clinical depression was originally solely attributed to chemical imbalance in the brain, and
while anti-depressant drugs which work to optimise levels of ‘feel good’ chemicals –
serotonin and norepinephrine – are still commonly prescribed today, experts now believe
that onset of depression may be caused by a number, and often combination of,
physiological and socio-psychological factors. Treatment approaches vary quite dramatically
from place to place and are often tailored to an individual’s particular situation; however,
some variation of a combination of medication and psychotherapy is most commonly used.
The more controversial electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) may also be used where initial
approaches fail. In extreme cases, where an individual exhibits behaviour which Indicates
that they may cause physical harm to themselves, psychiatric hospitalisation may be
necessary as a form of intensive therapy.
F. Some recent studies, such as those published by the Archives of General Psychiatry,
hold that around a quarter of diagnosed clinical depression cases should actually be
considered as significant but none-the-less ordinary sadness and maladjustment to coping
with trials in life, indicating that in such cases, psychotherapy rather than treatment through
medication is required. Recovery as a result of psychotherapy tends, in most cases, to be a
slower process than improvements related to medication; however, improvements as a
result of psychological treatment, once achieved, have been observed in some individuals to
be more long term and sustainable than those attained through prescription drugs. Various
counselling approaches exist, though all focus on enhancing the subject’s ability to function
on a personal and interpersonal level. Sessions involve encouragement of an individual to
view themselves and their relationships in a more positive manner, with the intention of
helping patients to replace negative thoughts with a more positive outlook.
G. It is apparent that susceptibility to depression can run in families. However, it remains
unclear as to whether this is truly an inherited genetic trait or whether biological and
environmental factors common to family members may be at the root of the problem. In
some cases, sufferers of depression may need to unlearn certain behaviours and attitudes
they have established in life and develop new coping strategies designed to help them deal
with problems they may encounter, undoing patterns of destructive behaviour they may
have observed in their role models and acquired for themselves.
 Depression
Which paragraph contains the following information?
1. Details of treatment alternatives for worst case scenario depression.
2. Information regarding cases where drug treatment is inappropriate.
3. Details of how those diagnosed with depression may be more vulnerable than other
members of society.
4. Information about society’s attitudes to depression and similar illnesses.
5. Information regarding why estimates of incidence of future growth in cases may be
overly exaggerated.

6 – 8. Which THREE of the following statements are true of depression?

A. Governments have generally failed to take action to educate the general public about the
condition.
B. The highest reported number of cases are in the USA.
C. In Britain, it is likely that there are more individuals who live with the condition without the
help of a doctor than those being officially treated.
D. Clinical depression may be triggered by divorce.
E. Lethargy may be one of the symptoms of depression.
F. Prescribed pharmaceuticals have radically changed over recent years.
G. Approaches to treating depression are not universal.

Complete the summary of paragraphs F and G with the list of words A-L below.

Whilst recovery through counselling rather than medicine may be more 9 …………………. ,
results once achieved may have more 10 ……………………. with some patients.
Counselling sessions are geared towards improving the subject’s relationship with others
and their own 11 ……………………. , encouraging sufferers of depression to take on a more
12 ……………………. outlook. The extent to which genetic disposition and sociological
factors impact on state of mind is 13 ……………………. .Many people undergoing
counselling therapy do so with the purpose of unlearning negative behaviour and reactions.

A. gratifying D. optimistic G. inconclusive J. unequivocal

B. longevity E. pessimistic H. self-image K. immediate
C. ambition F. difficulty I. gradual L. categorical
 The Pursuit of Happiness
Which paragraph mentions the following?
14. the need for individuals to understand what really matters to them
15. tension resulting from a wide variety of alternatives
16. the hope of success as a means of overcoming unhappy feelings
17. people who call themselves specialists
18. human beings’ capacity for coping with change
19. doing things which are interesting in themselves

20 - 21: Which TWO of the following people argue against aiming for constant happiness?
A. Martin Seligman
B. Eric Wilson
C. Sonja Lyubomirsky
D. Russ Harris
E. Barry Schwartz

22 - 23: Which TWO of the following beliefs are identified as mistaken in the text?

A. Inherited wealth brings less happiness than earned wealth.
B. Social status affects our perception of how happy we are.
C. An optimistic outlook ensures success.
D. Unhappiness can and should be avoided.
E. Extremes of emotion are normal in the young.

Complete the sentences. Choose NO MORE THAN ONE WORD from the passage.

24. In order to have a complete understanding of how people’s minds work, Martin
Seligman suggested that research should examine our most positive ……………………. as
closely as it does our psychological problems.
25. Soon after arriving at a …………………… in their lives, people become accustomed to
what they have achieved and have a sense that they are lacking something.
26. People who are ………………….. by nature are more likely to succeed if they make
thorough preparation for a presentation.
 What Makes Us Happy?

Do you seriously want to be happy? Of course, you do! But what does it take to be happy?
Many psychologists are now using scientific methods to try to understand the nature and
origins of happiness. Their results may surprise you.

Surprisingly, happiness has been shown to be a constitutional trait. The study of different
types of twins; identical and non-identical, has enabled scientists to calculate that 50-60% of
self-identified happiness – and what other sort is there? – is down to genes. Of course, there
is no one specific gene that determines happiness, but a great many and they tend to
overlap with the genes that determine personality. People who are emotionally stable,
sociable and conscientious, tend to be happier according to the research.

Now, many people believe that money makes us happy. However, there is no clear
relationship between wealth and happiness. Once out of poverty, increases in wealth do not
automatically turn into relative increases in happiness. For example, winning the lottery may
give a rush of joy and excitement but does not ensure long-term contentment. In fact,
studies have shown that lottery winners take less pleasure in everyday events following their
win. It seems that they soon get habituated to their money, while at the same time they have
distanced themselves from their former lives and identities by leaving jobs, friends and
lifestyle.

Nor does a steady increase in income make for greater happiness. The more we have, the
more we seem to want, so we are always stuck at the same level of
satisfaction/dissatisfaction. The perception of wealth is a relative thing: we are discontented
when those who we compare ourselves with are better off than ourselves. This goes some
way to explain why, in most Western countries, average incomes have increased
considerably but without any increase in the average levels of happiness.

If wealth does not bring happiness, what about spending it? There is no doubt that shopping
gives us a short-lived burst of pleasure – but very little more than that. The only type of
shopping that might provide longer-term happiness is when we buy things for other people.
Nor does happiness come in liquid or tablet form. A couple of drinks at a party may lighten
our mood and be good for us medically and mentally, but alcohol abuse destroys our body,
mind and relationships. Similarly, drugs like cocaine and ecstasy give brief bursts of joy but
there is a massive price to be paid when the high is over.

So, what can we do to improve our sense of well-being? First, we need to realise that we
are not passive victims of external events. We can and should take control of our life to
make it rewarding and satisfying. We should adopt a positive attitude, and overcome
feelings of worthlessness and build our own self-confidence and self-esteem.

We should try to reduce the burden of unnecessary worry. If there is something that can be
done about a problem we are worrying about then we should do it, and stop worrying. And
of course, there is no point in worrying about things we can’t change. A sense of humour is
good protection against adversity and a strong antidote to depression. One of the key
symptoms of depression is the loss of the ability to laugh.

A key feature of happy and contented people is that they have a sense of meaning and
purpose in life. Rather than just drifting through life, they have a clear set of values and
goals that they are trying to achieve. This could be associated with faith, humanitarianism
and family values, artistic or scientific aspirations and career ambitions. All these things
provide a sense of identity as well as something to work towards or look forward to.

Happiness is a positive by-product of keeping active. But not just being busy, we need to be
doing things that raise self-esteem and bring us satisfaction; controlling our own schedule
and prioritising activities that satisfy our own needs. And saying ‘no’ to other people if
necessary. Of course, this doesn’t mean we have to be selfish. Being active members of the
community or volunteering for a charity or helping your family can all create happiness –
particularly for older people.

So, should we actively pursue happiness? Curiously, the happiest people seem to be those
who do not actively see it – indeed the ‘pursuit of happiness’ may be counterproductive. To
a large extent, happiness emerges as a by-product of who we are and what we do.
Conversely, people who focus on making others happy usually make themselves happy in
the process.
 
 The Upside of Feeling Down
A. Over the past couple of decades, public imagination has been captured by the notion of
‘happiness’ in an unprecedented way. There is now a Journal of Happiness Studies, a
burgeoning field of study known as ‘happiness economics’, and everyone from self-help gurus
to sociological researchers to public policy makers is trying to understand what happiness is and
how everyone can get more it. The main shows no sign of abating - during a three-month period
this year, over one thousand books on the subject were released. In our frantic pursuit of good
feelings, however, some researchers worry that we may have overlooked the flipside of the coin
- sadness. By framing sadness as solely a negative condition, a fetter to free ourselves from,
these scholars believe that we may be neglecting an important facet of the human experience.
B. Much evidence suggests that sadness plays an important and constructive role in our lives.
Firstly, in some very fundamental respects, humans perform better at a range of functions when
they are feeling down. In a University of New South Wales study, Professor Joe Forgas
discovered that people experiencing negative moods are less gullible, and less likely to make
judgmental errors than their happy counterparts. He also found that sad people had better recall
of past events and feelings, were better able to communicate their thoughts, and were less likely
to judge someone based solely on their appearance. Why would this be so? Primarily, because
moods are linked with our evolutionary needs - they effectively tell us how to process any
information we receive. Forgas notes that a positive mood indicates comfort and familiarity,
whereas a negative mood alerts the brain to be vigilant. As a result, he believes, sadness
encourages a ‘more attentive and externally focused, information - processing style’ whereas
happiness prompts us to switch off, making us prone to deception. In other words, bliss is
ignorance.
C. In other contexts, sadness allows us to cope with traumatic occurrences and, ultimately,
move on from them. Unlike other negative emotions such as anger or fear, which temporarily
spike energy levels and impel the person experiencing them to act decisively, sadness drains
energy. In doing so it draws the sufferer away from the activities of other people and
encourages them to reflect on their feelings and the importance of what caused them. This
process, known as grief, serves an important role in helping humans to adjust to loss and to
integrate it into their lives. In an editorial in the esteemed medical journal The Lancet, deputy
editor Dr Astrid James warned that psychiatrists are in danger of pathologising normal human
experiences by prescribing anti - depressant pills instead of acknowledging the superior role of
prolonged sadness in naturally rehabilitating sufferers.
D. Aside from acting as a coping mechanism, sadness may also play a more proactive role in
encouraging people to improve their lives. According to Jerome Wakefield, clinical social worker
at New York University,“one of the functions of intense negative emotions is to stop our normal
functioning, to make us focus on something else for a while”. In this way, the memory of
sadness - and of taking time out to be sad - imprints itself on our mind as a psychological
deterrent for the future. One can see how, for example, young adults learn to become more
guarded and less cavalier with everything from their money to personal relationships after
suffering one agonising loss too many. Without the prodding of sadness upon our memory of
these situations, we might endlessly repeat these follies with no reason to alter our behaviour.
E. Finally, what of the notion that sadness is powerfully linked with great artistic expression?
Some evidence suggests this is far from a cultural myth. A researcher from Harvard University,
Modupe Akinola, experimented with the connection between depression and creativity. She
asked depressed people to perform creative tasks and gave them feedback that was designed
to reinforce their negative feelings. Akinola speculates that this feedback encouraged research
participants to dwell on their negativity, and this unearthed hidden feelings and bolstered their
negativity, and this unearthed hidden feelings and bolstered their creative output. Laura Young,
a researcher at Boston College, has found that adolescents or young adults who participate in
arts programmes are more likely to experience sadness than their peers, a finding that is also
true for older adult artists. Young emphasises, however, that painting and drama are not
themselves catalysts for depression. Rather, she suggests, they are a chance for some people
to vocalise their anger and can provide a therapeutic space for those with emotional troubles.
F. With an array of studies indicating that sadness plays a constructive and significant role in
human affairs, what are we to make of the current fervour surrounding the pursuit of happiness?
Are we being led toward an illusion by false prophets of positivity? According to Steven Hayes,
a psychology professor at the University of Nevada, we are. He believes we need to set aside
the idea of happiness altogether, or at least any notion of ‘pursuing’ it. “What people mean by
happiness is feeling good,”Hayes says. “[But] there are many ways to feel good. And many of
the ways we feel good actually limit the possibilities for living the way we want to live our lives.”
What is more important than experiencing the transient flush of happy feelings, he suggests, is
moving through life in accordance with our core values. This expanded notion of good living
does not limit itself to happiness, but embraces sadness, and at times, fear, anger and suffering
too.
 The Upside of Feeling Down
Match each statement with the correct person.

List of people
A. Joe Forgas
B. Astrid James
C. Jerome Wakefield
D. Modupe Akinola
E. Laura Young
F. Steven Hayes

14. Modern ideas about happiness are not helpful.

15. Medication is being used unnecessarily.
16. Sad people can remember things better.
17. Art can help teenagers to express their feelings.
18. Sad people are more careful and alert than happy ones.
19. People should focus on what is important to them.
20. Sadness can stop us repeatedly making bad decisions.
21. Thinking about sadness can help people produce original material.

Do the following statements agree with the information? Write YES    NO     NOT GIVEN   

22. People are becoming less interested in happiness.

23. Sadness is an undesirable state.
24. Sadness makes it easier to deal with events that cause psychological pain.
25. People feel more energetic when they are sad.
26. Grief is not experienced very often in most people`s lives.
27. Sadness is a necessary and important part of human experience.
 What Makes Us Happy?
1   The main topic discussed in the text is:
A   the danger of worrying about things beyond our control
B   the difficult task of identifying what makes us happy
C   key indicators of depression
D   activities which can make us happy
2   A study of different types of twins suggests
A   happiness is mostly a genetic trait.
B   ‘happiness’ and ‘personality’ are not related.
C   identical twins are more emotional than non-identical twins.
D   scientists are not happy people.
3   According to the text, a steady rise in income
A   increases anyone’s level of happiness.
B   creates a steady decline in happiness.
C   happens frequently in Western cultures.
D   does not necessarily lead to greater happiness.

Complete the sentences below. Choose NO MORE THAN TO WORDS from the passage.
4. Observation of lottery winners suggests that there is no relationship between happiness
and………………………..
5. When we compare ourselves to others we discover that the concept of ‘wealth’ is ……….
6. The types of purchases which are most likely to provide us with happiness are those
purchased for……………………… 

Do the following statements agree with the information? Write YES    NO     NOT GIVEN   
7   We are all unwilling participants in events beyond our control.
8   A crucial determiner of happiness is starting each day by writing a ‘to-do’ list.
9   ‘Happiness’ has a strong relationship with our actions and attitudes.

Complete the summary using the list of words, A-I, below.

A. lifestyle      D. related G. scientific
B. important E. independent H. selfish
C. by-product F. relevant I. exclusive
In this article, the author gives us a discussion of ‘happiness’ from a 10 …………………
perspective. The investigation into the influence of money on happiness suggests that the
two are not 11…………………. We should be able to say ‘no’ to other people, but this
doesn’t require us to be 12………………….. The author concludes that happiness is
the 13 ………………… of activity focused on making others happy.