Regardless of their cultures or the makeup of the society they live in, people all over the world frequently strive for a decent life. To live a happy life, one must integrate their thoughts, objectives, and aspirations with their daily activities in order to improve the future. I have learned a variety of elements that make up what I perceive to be a happy life through my journey through the Western Culture course. The course has demonstrated to me how similar movie genres, subgenres, and themes are to the components of a successful life. different genres and subgenres are illustrated in different films, and these factors influence the audience's makeup. Since the definition of a good life varies depending on an individual and society, the analysis of the good life in association with films indicates the variations in what constitutes a fulfilling life. The genres and themes include love, drama, hardships among others. The issue of love indicates not only being in love but also doing exciting activities hence contributing to both happy moments and strong attachments. Drama, on the other, relates to the day to day changes in life. The sub-genre of hardship shows the bad things that happen in life. According to the Happiness Hypothesis, bad situations exist for individuals to learn to appreciate good things. The good life of me involves strong relationships with friends and family and making the best of every situation. I firmly believe that every bad situation has a breakthrough as long one is patient.
Enjoy as I lead you on the genres of a good life!
Sincerely,
Jordan Flynn.
The Movie Choice-Foundation
To accomplish a fulfilling life, it is necessary to identify core things fundamental to the good life. The essential elements of a good life are similar to the choice of movie. We may choose a movie with the theme of love, comedy, horror, drama among others. The fundamental aspects of the course involved an evaluation of individual personalities. The pursuit of a good life requires us to know ourselves, our past experiences, our current positions in order to be able to plan for our future. The film choice acts as the foundation of analyzing the genres, sub-genres, and themes that describe a good life.
Core Values
The initial lessons of the course involved the identification of elements that we hold to heart. The identification of attributes that we consider essential is vital in analyzing the type of individuals we are. In my opinion, love, family, and understanding are among the most important values. This is similar to moviegoers who may prefer the genre of drama due to its diversity.
Personal Interests
The progression of the course provided an ample opportunity for us to probe on what our goals and interests are. For practical analysis of what we want to accomplish and experience, we created a bucket list with a detailed time frame. Filling the bucket list questions, I realized I want to perform well while making some extra cash before graduation. I would like to be married and have at least one child before I turn 30. Before turning 40, I want to own a house and a successful business enterprise. Upon turning 40, I would merely like to travel and see more of the world to create more fun and meaningful relationships.
Dedication to Goals
An individual's personality and the foundation of a good life depend on the degree of devotion to their goals. We were requested to perform a "time spent" task in our groups. In the 168 hours in a week, the comparison between the ideal and actual time spent accomplishing certain tasks indicated that I lag in other activities which are important. While I would like to spend roughly 50 hours in a week studying, I only spend 30 hours. The remaining 20 hours I merely spend them being lazy.
Hardship Sub-genre- Adversities
A good life is a complex entity that involves both good and bad feelings. During the course, we insisted on the importance of adversity in influencing an individual's resilience hence the development of morals. Everyday struggles are essential in since they motivate an individual to appreciate the right things. Movies that display the theme of hardship in association with other subjects such as love indicate that despite the lows in life we can overcome adversities for prosperity.
Impromptu Visit to the Jewish Synagogue
While it is advisable to research before visiting a new area, when I visited the Jewish Synagogue, I opted to go unannounced with the intention of achieving the full experience a stranger receives. I was scared that I may experience nerves and fail to take notes that were necessary for my research paper. I requested my friend Cameron to accompany me as my "sidekick" in the event the experience was challenging. However, when we arrived at the synagogue, we were welcomed warmly, and I did not feel uncomfortable about the unannounced visit. The visitation of Temple Beth El was both educational and allowed me to appreciate cultural diversity.
La La Land Movie
La La Land is one of Hollywood's drama hit movies of 2016. The film revolves around the theme of love and hardships. The lead actor and actress, Sebastian and Mia, face career hardships that not only threaten but also tear apart their fragile love. However, in the end, both characters end up happy despite Sebastian being alone and Mia marrying someone else.
Craniosynostosis
I was born in 1996 with a condition medically recognized as craniosynostosis where one or more of the fibrous sutures in the skull prematurely fuse hence ossification. The bone structure formed changes the structure of the head. The condition almost killed me, but through medical intervention, I survived. While I experienced this particular ground-breaking episode when I was merely an infant limiting my memory, I believe the condition has played a positive role in my life.
Love Sub-genre- Relationships, Attachments, and Happy Moments
The course assisted me to take time to appreciate the small moments that bring happiness in our lives. The happy moments such as being in love or doing something we love describe the epitome of the good life. To lead a fulfilling life, one must experience enthusiasm for life. Happy moments compare to the theme of love and happiness in movies.
Flash Writing-Happiness
In my flash writing, I define happiness as something that makes an individual feel awoken on the inside without which one is merely empty. I believe joy should cause an individual to feel alive and enthusiastic about life. I will try to pursue happiness since it impacts one's day to day operations. Haidt's Happiness Hypothesis influenced my perceptive on joy.
Thank You Note
Despite visiting the Temple of Beth El unannounced, Cameron and I were welcomed warmly and received an informative tour from the guides. Appreciating the small things in life influences a fulfilling life. The thank you note sent to the synagogue was evidence that we recognized not only their hospitality but also their culture. While the note is merely a small gesture of gratitude, writing the letter made me feel happy.
First Job
I got my first job back in 2012 when I was 16 at a pawn shop. I had always dreamed of the day I will earn my cash to be able to buy the small things I desired. My first day at the job was one of the happiest days of my life when I got the opportunity to examine the different goods at the shop. When I received my first pay, it was evidence of my hard work and maturity into a responsible young adult.
Drama
The good life is characterized by shock, surprise among other issues in life. Living in a straight line without any changes would ultimately be boring. During the course, the aspect of change was emphasized as a necessity for a good life. The frequent changes reflect drama as a genre in movies. Most drama films portray various themes revolving around the sociopolitical values in society.
Flash Writing-Gossip
In my analysis, I acknowledge gossip as an indication of poor social skills but inevitable in society. Individuals participate in gossip to make them feel good about themselves. In most cases, gossip provides an opportunity for one to voice their opinions without having a face-to-face interaction with the person. In the end, while gossiping may be hurting another individual, it helps us feel better.
Discussion Group
In this course, some tasks were efficiently managed in groups rather than an individual. In our team, all of us have different attributes which while they might not align, we can participate in discussions nonetheless. Emma is very strict and often assumes leadership roles in the group. Rachel is understanding and prioritizes group discussions and acknowledges every person in the team. Despite the varying personalities, we can correlate and work on assignments. The drama associated with various influences mutual interactions that support the good life.
Flash Writing-Hypocrisy
In my writings, I suggest the cure to hypocrisy involves analyzing an individual's experience in the broader view. It is only through being in one's "shoes" can we relate to their actions. It is important to inquire and learn about one's situation before judging. Hypocrisy is a moral dilemma which while it is hurtful, we still indulge in it. Leading a good life involves empathizing to make informed judgments.
Reflective Analysis
In the course, I learned elements that contribute to a happy life. My review of the pursuit of a good life relates to a movie with various themes. Films often display a variety of sub-genres, including love depicted in strong relationships, hardships that build on morals and perception of self, and drama which creates the nature of one's life. The course made me appreciate the role of drama in fostering a good life. While drama may be crucial to the concept of a good life, shock and surprise are essential in encouraging an individual to appreciate life. For instance, while gossip is considered an undesirable social behavior, in many circumstances, it makes an individual feel better. In a realistic world, drama is inevitable and unavoidable. The sociology concept of reciprocity advises individuals on how to handle relationships amongst their friends, families, and associates and learn how to manage problems in the social context. Haidt explains the role of hypocrisy as part of human morality. We often find ourselves judging others without considering their situations. Although we are aware of our undesirable actions, we indulge in drama to avoid boredom, hence motivating us to appreciate life. Indeed, many movies build on the concept of hardships.
In the analysis of a good life, one might avoid the idea of adversities since it indicates difficulty. However, psychologists have emphasized the importance of misfortunes in influencing the motivation for a good life. According to the Happiness Hypothesis, a fulfilling life is achieved when a person learns to appreciate the good as a result of learning from the bad. Adversities are necessary for the construction of the sense of self and the moral values that we hold dear in our everyday endeavors. The theme of love is explored in movies through strong and lasting relationships with friends and life. The pursuit of the good life encompasses the experience of love. Love is not necessarily bound to relationships; it may involve doing something that you love. In many cases, being in love or participating in something that you love brings a sense of goodness and happiness, which is necessary for a fulfilling life. Film sub-genres such as love, drama, and hardships paint the picture of the elements of a good life since they indicate the unpredictability, lows, and highs of life.
