Why Are We Happy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Why Are We Happy - Essay Example In his speech, Gilbert had broken down happiness in two categories: Synthetic and Natural. As he noted, â€Å"Natural happiness is when we get what we wanted and Synthetic Happiness is what we make when we don’t get what we wanted.† (â€Å"TED Talks: Dan Gilbert asks†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). Normally, people will think that synthetic happiness is not true happiness but a defense mechanism to avoid hurting our egos. However, based on the studies that the speaker presented, it is scientifically proven that people tend to accept the end result of whatever decisions that they make no matter how unfortunate it is, and eventually become truly happy about it. To illustrate this, he exhibited a study between the percentage of happiness of lottery winners and paraplegics after a year. The data showed that the level of happiness between the two groups of people was equal. The lottery winners might have a higher level of happiness in the beginning but it evened out during the course of th e year. This is because the mind has the capacity to synthesize happiness thus it can alter the initial response to a situation into a better one. As Gilbert explained, â€Å"The fact is, year after they lose their leg, and a year after winning the lotto, lottery winners and paraplegics are equally happy with their lives†¦ The research that my laboratory has been doing†¦ had revealed something really startling to us. Something that we call the impact bias is the tendency for the simulator to work badly. For the simulator to make you believe that different outcomes are more different than the fact that they really are.† (â€Å"TED Talks: Dan Gilbert asks†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). During the presentation, it can be observed that the speaker connects to the audience and everybody seems to be actually listening throughout the whole time. Noticeably, the three elements of effective arguments or appeals by Aristotle, ethos, pathos, and logos, were essentially delivered. Ethos refe rs to the appeal to the character of the speaker (Kennedy). It further demonstrates that if the speaker is credible, reliable or respected enough, his audience will actually believe the message that he’s trying to convey.