PREVIEW ACTIVITY 1 Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2022. For use only with license.

2 Critical Misconceptions About Happiness (B2 - C1)

Work with a partner, group, or your teacher. Do the activities below together.

PART 1 Discuss the questions below about happiness.

1 What is happiness? Try to explain it in your own words.

2 What do you think are the keys to happiness?
3 Do you believe that happiness is life’s ultimate goal? Why or why not?
4 What would you say is the difference between happiness and pleasure?

Discuss whether you think the following actions/things are more associated with
PART 2
happiness (H) or pleasure (P).

H P
1 Eating ice cream
2 Maintaining good relationships with others
3 Intellectual development
4 Going to the beach
5 Overcoming life’s hardships and traumatic experiences

PART 3 Match each adjective below with its correct definition.

1 B traumatic a. certain to happen; unavoidable

2 A inevitable b. psychologically or emotionally stressful
3 C superficial c. on the surface; not serious or deep
4 E interdisciplinary d. empty; lacking; or being without something
5 D devoid e. involving multiple academic fields of study

PART 4 Tick () and discuss whether you agree (A), disagree (D), or partially (P) agree /
disagree with the two statements below about happiness. Explain why.

A D P
1 A happy life is a life devoid of painful emotions.
2 There should be an academic subject in schools dedicated to the
study of happiness.
2 CRITICAL MISCONCEPTIONS
ABOUT HAPPINESS
Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2022. For use only with license.
2 Critical Misconceptions About Happiness (B2 - C1)

PREVIEW DISCUSSION: Read the discussion topic

below and discuss it with your partner or teacher.

What do you think are some misconceptions

(false ideas/beliefs that people commonly have)
about happiness?

VIEWING ACTIVITY

PART 1 Discuss/Write short answers according to the information in the video.

0:12 1 What main question does Tal explore in the beginning of the video? Where was he
when this question first came to mind?
To learn lesson of hapines at school.

1:07 2 According to Tal, what are the two main misconceptions/critiques of happiness?
1:49
People think that happiness is superficial. Happiness it's the life devoid of painful emotions.

2:22 3 According to Tal, why is the science and study of happiness important? What can it
teach us?

Because it can give us concepts like post-traumatic growth. It can teach us what conditions we can put in
place in our homes organizations schools.

Below is a list of some actions that Tal says can lead to happiness. Choose the
PART 2
gerund that fits each. One is not used! If needed, watch the video again from 1:33.

Cultivating Growing Healing Dealing Finding

1 Dealing with painful experiences

2 Finding a sense of meaning and purpose

3 Cultivating healthy relationships

4 Growing stronger as a result of hardship

POST-VIEWING ACTIVITY 1 Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2022. For use only with license.
2 Critical Misconceptions About Happiness (B2 - C1)

PART 1 Discuss the questions below.

1 If you’re comfortable sharing, discuss a time when you feel that you
grew stronger as a result of hardship.

2 What kinds of conditions can we create in our homes, organizations, schools,

or countries to help people deal with and grow from hardship?

PART 2 Finish writing the missing parts of the adjectives as they were used in the video.

EX. Tal says that growing stronger as a result of hardship is an example of

post- traumatic growth.

1 Tal wonders why there isn’t an inter field for the study of
happiness.

2 Tal says that one misconception of happiness is that it’s super .

People often equate happiness with pleasure.

3 Tal says that the second misconception about happiness is that a happy life is
a life de of painful emotions. Part of a happy life is the
vicissitudes of daily life.

4 Tal says, “Hardship is in . What we do with our hardship, well,

here we have a choice.”

PART 3 Read Tal’s quotes from the video below out loud and then discuss the questions.

“ What we do with our hardship, well, here we have a choice.”

When people say, ‘Oh, I went to the beach. I was so happy,’ or, ‘This ice cream just
“
makes me happy,’ well, that’s not happiness. That is pleasure.’”

In these sentences, “well” functions as a discourse marker. “Discourse” means

communication in speech or writing.

1 In general, why do you think we use discourse markers in English?

2 What do you think the discourse marker well expresses in the sentences above?
3 Can you find the other discourse marker used in the example sentences above?
4 Do you use discourse markers in your native language?
 POST-VIEWING ACTIVITY 2 Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2022. For use only with license.
2 Critical Misconceptions About Happiness (B2 - C1)

PART 1 Study the example and usage of the discourse marker well.

When discussing happiness in the video, Tal says...

“ Hardship is inevitable. What we do with our hardship, well, here we have a choice.”

When people say, ‘Oh, I went to the beach. I was so happy,’ or, ‘This ice cream just
“ makes me happy,’ well, that’s not happiness. That is pleasure.’”

In these sentences, well functions as a discourse marker. Discourse markers are words or
expressions that link ideas and help to organize sentences. They usually express some kind of
emotion, attitude, or tone in written or spoken conversation. In the context of the sentences
above, well is used to make a point or express an opinion.

MORE EXAMPLES Defining happiness is hard. Finding it, well, that’s even harder.

When people say “Happiness is psychological,” well, that’s not wrong, but
there’s a lot more to it than just that.

PART 2 Rewrite the sentences below with the discourse marker well in the correct position.

EX. Hardship is inevitable. What we do with our hardship here we have a choice.

Hardship is inevitable. What we do with our hardship, well, here we have a choice.

1 Happiness is something we all want. How we reach happiness that’s up for debate.

2 When discussing what happiness is some say it’s an emotion, and others say it’s a choice.

3 When people say, “Happiness is a choice,” that can actually depends on a few things.

4 Many people agree that happiness is life’s ultimate goal. Why that it is it’s tough to say.

5 When people say, “Money doesn’t buy happiness,” not everyone would agree with that.

POST-VIEWING ACTIVITY 3
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2 Critical Misconceptions About Happiness (B2 - C1)

SPEAKING TASK:

Discuss the topics with your teacher or partner. In your discussion, explain your ideas in
detail.

1 Other than hardship, what things would you say are

inevitable in life?

2 What kinds of resources are available to help people grow

from hardship or heal from post-traumatic stress?

3 Tal says that activities like going to the beach and eating
ice cream are examples of superficial pleasures. What do
you think are some other examples of superficial
pleasures in life?

INTERVIEW TASK:

Write 2 questions to ask your partner/teacher. In each question, use at least two of the
verbs, adjectives, and nouns provided below. Use them in any order. Then ask each other
your questions.

VERBS ADJECTIVES NOUNS

deal with devoid of relationships

grow from interdisciplinary purpose
find inevitable growth
cultivate traumatic emotions
equate painful hardship

EX. Other than hardship, what things would you say are inevitable in life?

2
QUIZ & REVIEW ACTIVITY Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2022. For use only with license.
2 Critical Misconceptions About Happiness (B2 - C1)

Work with a partner. Complete the quiz and review activities below.

PART 1 Questions. Answer the questions below about the video.

1 What question Tal explore in the beginning of his video?

2 What are two misconceptions about happiness according to Tal?
3 According to Tal, why is the science and study of happiness important? What
can it teach us?

Vocabulary: Write a list of at least 3 actions that Tal says can lead to happiness. Use
PART 2
a gerund + noun collocation for each.

PART 3 Vocabulary: Write the adjectives that fit the sentences from the video below.

1 Tal wonders why there isn’t an field for the study of

happiness.

2 Tal says that one misconception of happiness is that it’s .

People often equate happiness with pleasure.

3 Tal says that the second misconception about happiness is that a happy life is
a life of painful emotions. Part of a happy life is the
vicissitudes of daily life.

Grammar: Write two sentences below using the discourse marker well. Make your
PART 4
sentences about happiness. They can be actual sentences from the video, or your own.