Comparative Essay on Rick Hanson's and Martin Graham's Perspectives on Happiness and Mindfulness, Respectively
Introduction
Happiness and mindfulness have for a long time been at the center of psychotherapists' to-do list of managing by means of stabilizing, or perhaps, healing individuals diagnosed with a specified form of mental disorder (s). Debatably though, behavioral psychologists continue to grapple to understand whether or not the human brain-- which is at the center of Central Nervous System (CNS)--can effectively control positive response, herein referred to as happiness without a sense of oneself--mindfulness. Basing on reports of two independent works of unquestionably very knowledgeable and extremely experienced researchers; Rick Hanson and Martin Graham have sought to study key aspects influencing human well-being--happiness and mindfulness, respectively. Therefore, in the context of psychological well-being and mental health, this paper aims to compare and contrast between Rick Hanson's 'Hardwiring Happiness' and Martin Graham's Mindfulness.
Similarities
In Rick Hanson's informatively convincing write-up, the audiences can literally perceive the relationship between happiness and having a sense of self-mindfulness. In fact, Rick Hanson asserts that happiness does not exist in a vacuum (Xiao, Q., et al., 33). Reading Rick Hanson's Hardwiring Happiness in relation to how the brain, the main part of human Central Nervous System; it becomes easily adducible how the brain is construed to respond to different stimuli within the surrounding. The first very conspicuously evident aspect highlighted in Rick Hanson's Green Brain, Red Brain similar as well as in Martin Graham's mindfulness is a common area of study: neuropsychology. Broadly, both Hanson and Graham have spent the better part of their career lives differently studying various aspects of functionalities of the human brain, dealing with the neuroscience of an evolving brain (Martin, Graham, 209). In the very beginning of Rick Hanson's attempt to comprehend the underlying factors in 'Green Brain, Red Brain' mode of operation, the human brain is shown to have three operating systems, working within two settings to accomplish a common practice--taking in the good. Human beings naturally feel relaxed whenever their plans seem to be working out for them. It, however, becomes a point of concern if things go wayward.
Actually, it is this practice of taking in good, which, definitely leads to happiness. In this context, an individual cannot be happy without appropriately engaging brain to interpret the presence of a peacefully contented and confident mindset (Goldstein, E, and Hanson, R, 34). Arguably, happiness and mindfulness in this context strive to make sure that the human brain achieves a common goal--take in what is good, and let go of what is potentially harmful to the body. Ideally, Hanson, Rick's 'taking in what is good for the body and avoiding what is potentially harmful to the body underpins the three operating systems of the human brain: avoiding the threat, approaching reward and attaching to a connection (36). The three surely contain aspects of happiness and mindfulness they require having an appropriate mindset. Alternatively, Campos et. al. argue that happiness cannot necessarily exist without mindfulness because for you to lead a happy life, which in itself is relative; you need to properly engage your brain to always be on the lookout for both good and bad experiences in your life. It can effectively be argued that mindfulness is an antidote to happiness (5). On the same note, mindfulness, like happiness, practically and effectively makes people remain focused in life their day-to-day activities. In effect, individuals who, on a regular basis practice healthy mindfulness are more likely to experience enhanced mental stability, calmness and reduced stress thereby are becoming happy.
Another aspect in which mindfulness may help in facilitating happiness is through choosing to remain positive even if things seem impossible. It is largely argued that positive thoughts make a man. Meditation is a healthy process (Tan et al., 10). However, there is a need to avoid negative thoughts as much as possible. This is because negative thinking often gets in the way to happiness, a situation that may compromise the way people interact with the surrounding. In order to lead a life filled with happiness, individuals are encouraged to know their environment by acknowledging the nature of the mind and become aware if the mind is caught up in unimportant patterns of thoughts. Worth noting, in this case, is the mind's ability to disengage from unimportant thoughts which are likely to deter happiness and focus on things that have positive impacts on life. Alternately, mindfulness is attributable to Rick Hanson's Green Brain, Red Brain's three operating systems analogy.
Essentially, Martin Graham's mindfulness of mental health can make happy individuals who feel rewarded in life tend to be connected to others through attachment. Human beings are "social animals by nature, and thus feel the need to be in a healthy relationship" (Hanson, R., 44). Conversely, leading a lonely life without feeling connected to other people has been termed as being a risk factor which can lead to contracting of lifestyle diseases, right from cardiovascular to Alzheimer. In essence, this may deprive the affected persons of happiness which they so much require to not only flourish in life but the lack of it thereof can lead to unnecessary depression.
The Difference
On the other hand, Rick Hanson's hardwiring happiness and Martin Graham's Mindfulness show significant differences. Whereas the latter unravels what mindfulness entails as far as positive self-awareness is concerned, the former seeks to understand how personal contentment, peace of mind, and confidence may determine the measure of happiness in an individual's life. However, unlike Rick Hanson, Graham argues that through bad experiences, the brain is capable of recognizing the need to stabilize by outrightly installing a message of healing in the memory (Martin, G., 211). And, this, in itself, is self-mindfulness thus further reiterating the interdependence of Rick Hanson's Hardwiring happiness and Martin Graham's mindfulness. However, it can confidently be argued that happiness and mindfulness largely involve positive thinking. For example, if Buddhist teaching is anything to go by, then mindfulness may be "viewed as a fundamental pathway through which a person becomes aware of the causes and sources of suffering" (Xiao et al., 23). In this aspect, mindfulness meditation is an important tool used by the human brain to end suffering and instill some sense of wisdom through enlightenment.
On a different perspective, whereas mindfulness is an important aspect of contentment, calmness, and confidence, but it cannot implicitly replace happiness in an individual's life. Rather, sometimes the human brain needs to experience just more than happiness. Mindfulness sometimes leads to real pain; emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual. Therefore, unlike happiness, it is through embracing mindfulness the human Red Brain can effectively recognize and be able to respond accordingly in an attempt to appreciate both the good and bad.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Rick Hanson's Hardwiring Happiness and Martin Grahams, though differently, tackle one and the same aspect of human behavior--neuroscience. Generally, the psychology of every person does wish to lead a happy and fulfilling life. This ordinarily means that the world as well as frequently is always constantly in search of peace and since there can literally be no happiness anywhere around the globe in the absence of the former. Similarly, there is literally no person who can claim to be leading a happy fulfilling life without a sense of personal accomplishment in terms of peace of mind, contentment, and confidence--broadly defined on the basis of mindfulness and mental health.
Works Cited
Campos, Daniel, Quero, Soledad, Cebolla, usiàs and Baños, Rosa. “Meditation and Happiness: Mindfulness and Self-Compassion may Mediate the Meditation–Happiness Relationship”. Personality and Individual Differences 93, September 8, 2015, pp. 1-18, doi: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2015.08.040.
Goldstein, Elisha and Hanson, Rick. “Happiness: Rethinking Mindfulness and the Science of Psychological Well-being, Oct. 17, 2015, pp. 1-143. http://www.wisebrain.org/media/slides/Happiness_2.0_UCLA_10.17.15.pdf
Hanson, Rick. “Green Brain, Red Brain.” Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence, Harmony Press, 2013, pp. 32–64, doi: http://doi.org/10.4236/psych.2015.68096.
Martin, Graham, editor. “On Mindfulness and Mental Health: Advances in Mental Health.” EBSCOhost, vol. 11, no. 3, June 2013, pp. 208–212., doi:http://doi.org/10.5172/jamh.2013.11.3.208.
Tan, B. Lucy and Martin, Graham. “Mind full or Mindful: A report on Mindfulness and Psychological Health in Healthy Adolescents”. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth vol. 21, no. 1, August 2012, pp.1-13, doi: http://doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2012.709174.
Xiao, Qianguo, Yue, Caizhen., He, Weijie, and Yu, Jia-yuan. “The Mindful Self: A Mindfulness-Enlightened Self-view”. Frontiers In Psychology, Oct. 13, 2017, pp 1-40, doi: http://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01752.
