Research project part 2 (updated version)

The topic of my research project is how happiness is found more in third world countries compared to developed countries. Many people go from their home land to a well-developed country looking for ways to make more money and be more successful, these people call this the American dream.  This topic is interesting to me because many people say they want to live the “American dream”, but at the same time they then want to go on vacation and/or retire somewhere else. Many people hear happiness and they turn to money, materialistic things and etc. Happiness is not just the possessions you may have, but it is more of what, other than possessions, will make you truly happy. People would fall in love with money and working and forget to give attention to their families. Many people who believe money makes an individual truly happy are the ones who wake up hating their jobs and treating others with a bad attitude. These individuals are not truly happy because they do not take the time off to relax and release stress with their families or close friends. When an individual is truly happy they will be at peace with themselves. To wake up and love what you do throughout the day, love the person oneself is, and love the people who surrounds oneself, is truly being happy.  This interests me and it should interest others as well because it can teach others that happiness is achieved in the smallest matter. In the smallest matter meaning being satisfied with where and how one lives, with the job one has, and being satisfied with the people who spends time with one and etc. Individuals do not necessarily need to have the biggest house nor the newest car in the market. These things are great satisfying goods of course; but as long as an individual has supporting and caring people around them they will be happy.

 

Some of the resources I will be using will be a documentary movie called “happy” and a post from Forbes staff called “The Happiest (And Saddest) Countries in the World”. Both these resources are relevant to my project because it backs up my idea. Some of the questions I will be addressing are Does the “American Dream” really make people happy? What do they do that makes them happy/happier? Who are they mostly around with? Do people in 3rd world countries work harder or less than people in the U.S? Does this contribute to their happiness?

 

Annotated Works Cited

 

Christopher Helman. “The Happiest (And Saddest) Countries in the World” Forbes

C.H. 9 January, 2013 WEB

http://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherhelman/2013/01/09/the-worlds-happiest-and-saddest-countries-2/

http://www.prosperity.com/#!/ (prosperity index)

This post talks about the different countries they have analyzed throughout the years. They use a “prosperity index” by Legatum Institute to figure out and rank the different countries in the world. This index ranks countries according to economy, health, personal freedom and etc. The index shows that small countries like (Norway) can be small and not so developed but have very happy people. It goes to show that happiness is not attained by working more hours but by having more hours with close friends and family.

 

Darius20190, “Developing countries much happier than first world countries” LiveLeak.

Darius0190, 31 July, 2014 WEB

Read more at http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=ccd_1406807536#tSKSxkBIhtm9okot.99

This blog talks about how developing countries are happier than developed countries. It shows that people who are part of countries that are not so wealthy, tend to be happier because these individuals know more than money and materialistic possessions. “People in poor countries can find joy in the moral satisfaction that often is not available to citizens of the developed countries.” (Darius0190)

 

Happy directed by Roko Belic, produced by Eiji Han Shimizu, Frances Reid, Tom Shadyac, edited by Vivian Hillgrove. 2011

This documentary movie asks people from the city what being happy is to them and if they are really happy. It also questions people from third world countries (like India) if they are happy. Some interviews/ documentaries are of how people live in these countries. Also it shows what individuals do and who these individuals surround themselves with. The interviews done explores a variety of people all over the world to be able to come to the conclusion of who are happier. The movie proves how people can have nothing and still feel satisfied and happy with how they are living.