Health Sci 1111- week 5-7

What is happiness?

• Happiness can refer to:

1. A state of mind, or;

2. A life that is going well

Havard Study of Adult Development background

One of the longest longitudinal research endeavours to investigate adult development, happiness, and flourishing

Harvard Study of Adult Development has been following two groups of men for the past ___ + years to identify the _____ predictors of healthy _____ and wellbeing

80, psychological, aging

The Harvard study started with two studies: The _____ study which composed of 268 Harvard graduates from the classes 1939-1944, and the _____ study, made up of 456 men who grew up in ____ Boston neighbourhoods

Evaluated regularly throughout their lives, using questionnaires, medical ______, observational research, and ______ interviews

• The study was later expanded to includes the ____ of participants and their children of original participants is over _____ people in their 50s and 60s

Grant, Glueck, urban, data, personal, wives, 1300

Using data from the Harvard study, Vaillant identified 6 factors he argued predicted health aging:

1. Physical activity

2. absence of alcohol abuse and smoking

3. having mature mechanisms to cope with life’s up and downs

4. Having a healthy weight

5. Enjoying a stable marriage

6. Education

• The more factors the participants had, the better the odds they had for living longer, happier lives

“When the [Harvard] study began, nobody cared about empathy or attachment. But the key to healthy aging is relationships, relationships, relationships"“

Vaillant’s findings

Good relationships keep us happier and healthier period

Waldinger

Three lessons about relationships and happiness

1. Social connections are good for us. Loneliness kills. 

2. Quality of relationships matters

3. Good relationships don’t just protect our bodies, they protect our brains

The loneliness epidemic?

Some stats show Gen Z is the loneliest population

components of happiness

external goods, character virtues

Who wrote the “Harvard Gazette, Good genes are nice, but joy is better”?

Mineo

Who wrote “Is a happy life different than a meaningful one”

Suttie & Marsh

Who wrote “The Hapiness Agenda: The Next 10 Years. In a World Happiness Report 2023.”

Helliwell et al

the activity of the soul according to virtue

Helliwell et al definition of eudaemonia

Greek word translated to mean “human flourishing” or happiness

Eudaimonia

The good life- eudaimonia- requires 

virtue

Virtues

a set of valuable, firmly held character traits

Virtues can be

cultivated

Types of happiness, Suttie and Marsh

Eudaimonic happiness, hedonic happiness

Eudaimonic happiness

the happiness that comes from meaningful pursuits

Hedonic Happiness

The happiness derived from pleasure and enjoyment.

Some researchers argue that although happiness and meaning often go hand in hand, we can separate them. Some have suggested the 5 major differences (Suttie & Marsh)

1. Happy people want their wants and needs satisfied, but that seems irrelevant to a meaningful life

2. Happiness involves thinking about the present; meaningfulness focuses on the past, present and future and their connections

3. Meaningfulness is derived from giving to other people; happiness comes from what you receive

4. Meaningful lives involve stress and challenges

5. Self-expression is important to meaning but not happiness

Some researchers argue in favour of a “global picture” of happiness, one that includes both _______ elements, like _______, and hedonic elements, like ________ emotions

endeudaimonic, meaning, positive

What does science say about the overlap between happiness and meaning?

• One study suggest that people with greater self-reported eudaemonic happiness had stronger ______ systems than those who self-reported more _____ happiness

• Another study found several positive health associated with eudaemonic happiness, including less _____ resistance, higher levels of good cholesterol, better sleep, less reactivity to ____, and more

immune, hedonic, insulin, stress

What does Helliwell say the role of society and its institutions in all this is?

The central task of institutions to promote the behaviours and conditions of all kinds are conductive to happiness

How do societies/institutions promote happiness?

• physical and mental health

• human relationships

• income and employment

• character virtues

• social support

• personal freedom

• lack of corruption

• effective government

Helliwell et al: on society and happiness

The objective of every institution should be to contribute what it can to human well-being

Helliwell says institutions should promote happiness by keeping in mind a) the ____ _______ of happiness b) the well-being of future _______

fair distribution, generations

Is a Happy Life different than a Meaningful One? (Suttie & Marsh)- thesis

although happiness and meaning in life are closely related, they are distinct constructs — and research suggests that pursuing meaning (through purpose, contribution, and self-expression) may lead to deeper, more enduring well-being than simply pursuing pleasure or happiness alone.

The Happiness Agenda (Helliwell et al)- thesis

focuses on the importance of promoting happiness in society through policies that enhance well-being and quality of life for all individuals. It advocates for a balanced approach that addresses both subjective happiness and underlying social factors.

Good genes are nice, but joy is better (Mineo)-thesis

The thesis argues that while genetic predispositions contribute to well-being, cultivating joy through experiences and relationships is more crucial for a fulfilling life.

Who wrote “Is it OK to make art?”

Southan

Who wrote “The role of Creativity in models of resilience: Theoretical exploration and practical implications”

Metzl et. al

Aeon: is it OK to make art?- thesis

The thesis explores the ethical implications and societal impacts of art creation, questioning whether art's purpose justifies its existence.

Journal of Creativity in Mental Health: “The role of creativity in models of resilience: Theoretical exploration and practical implications”- thesis, Metzl and Morrel

This paper examines the relationship between these two constructs, suggest what role creativity may play in current models of resilience

creativity

a human pursuit

creativity requires novelty (or originality) and usefulness (or effectiveness)

standard definition of creativity, (Signa et al)

creativity redefined: Dr. Sandra Russ

the ability to come up with original ideas; to put Ideas or images or experiences together in new ways and synthesizing in an original way using fantasy

play, creativity, children (Singha et al)

• The criteria of usefulness cannot be the most important. This is because, for children, play is the creative product

• intrinsic and instrumental value

Who argues that play is not just for children, but for adults as well, thesis

Singha

Landmark work that changes a field or something in the world. E.g., Picasso’s cubism, Einstein’s theory of relativity

Big-C creativity

Experts’ creativity or insights that are useful in specific domains, that make a difference. E.g., a new teaching technique that gives instructors another option for how they work

Pro-c Creativity

smaller but important for our lives; “everyday creativity that may make a solid contribution.” E.g., art belonging to an important movement, a change in a workplace that results in improvements

Little-c Creativity

Intrapersonal creativity that is a part of someone’s individual learning process. E.g., creativity concepts maps to study, practicing one’s creative pursuits; children’s imaginary play

Mini-c Creativity

a loosely structured form of play that may involve non-literal behaviour, object substitution, and role-playing; play at ages 2,3 and beyond; a right to play

pretend play

The effects of children’s play

creativity, cognitive development, affective development, physical development, learning, and more

finding the single most correct solution

covergent thinking

multiple solution, finding as many solutions as possible

divergent thinking

Play is a state of mind that one has absorbed in an activity that provides enjoyment and a ______ sense of time. And play is self-motivated so you want to do it again and agin

suspension

How many characteristics of play

5

a mental state where a person performing an activity is fully immersed in the enjoyment of the process of that activity

flow state

Metzl & Morrell- Csikszentmihalyi’s 9 elements of flow

• clear _____

• Immediate ______

• _______ between challenges and skills

• Merging between _____ and awarness

• Exclusion of ______

• No worry of ________

• Loss of self- consciousness

• distorted sense of _____

• experiencing the activity as intrinsically valuable

goals, feedback, balance, action, distractions, failure, time

4 areas of creative expression that have significantly positive effects on health

music engagement, visual arts therapy, movement-based creative expression, creative writing

4 areas of creative expression can also generate _____ for people

meaning

music engagement or music therapy

listening to music

• music engagement sometimes involves choosing music that aligns with ______ preferences and ______ needs

• This approach encourages active listening and paying _______ to different elements of the music

individual, emotional, attention

• Study recruited 29 cancer patients (aged 21 to 68)

• Methods: Listening to recorded music in a relaxed state and music improvisation in a group music therapy session

• Results: Improvements in well-being and relaxation, reductions in serum cortisol levels

Music therapy and cancer care (Burns et al 2001)

What does Metzl and Morell argue?

they argue that could be an inherent predictor and facilitator of resilience

Creativity and resilience share these qualities:

openness, flexibility, divergent thinking

Southan reading: provocative questions:

• is your self-expression more important that human lives and suffering?

• Is it acceptable that artists paint the beautiful landscape in front of them while the rest of the world burns?

a movement that aims to reduce suffering as much as possible, and work to increase peoples’ happiness and lifespans as much as possible, and as effectively as possible 

effective Altruism

Is all hope for creativity lost? The reading by Southan gives two possibilities, keeping with the effective altruist framework, for seeing creativity and artistic endeavours as permissible:

• If you’re already a successful creative, you can find ways to give back and do good

• If you’re not, perhaps you can use your creative capacities to build support for effective altruism and doing good

What is one of the ways Metzl and Morrel suggest we can cultivate resilience by

fostering peoples’ creativity

Who wrote “Playing with Creativity across a Lifespan”

Singha et al

Bloom’s taxonomy lowest to highest (red to purple)

remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, create

Who wrote “What Makes work Meaningful?”

Veltman

Who wrote “Fuck Work”

Livingstone

Rather than reducing the multidimensionality of meaningfulness to a single definition, I would like to highlight four primary dimensions of meaningful work that emerge upon reflection

Veltman’s thesis

subject matter expertise, math and statistics expertise, data and technical skill

hard skills

problem solving, storytelling, curiosity, communication, creativity

soft skills

Veltman argues that _____ is a primary avenue of life for the development and exercise of human ________

• Therefore, work provides us with opportunities to lead _____ lives

work, capabilities, meaningful

One important aspect of a meaningful life and our wellbeing is the development of our capabilities, ____, and ______

skills, talents

Work is a predominant venue for a range of virtues, including honour, dignity, pride, dependability, industriousness, cooperativeness, self-discipline, and self-reliance

quote from Veltman

Even though Veltman argues that work is meaningful, what does she say to contradict this?

Not all work brings virtues of honour, pride, and dignity

Virtues are a set of valuable, firmly held ________

character traits

Some of these virtues attach to many jobs, especially when doing one’s job well provides a _____ to one’s ________

service, community

“Work is a characteristically purposeful activity: it creates something of value for others (or or oneself), and in creating something that is valuable for others, a person herself becomes valuable to others” (____ 2018)

quote from Veltman

When we think about lives that are meaningful, we often think of examples where someone had a ______ in their life

purpose

Often, people’s ____ creates that purpose 

work

Veltman: Work is meaningful when it _____ or reflects ______ with people, animals, or places we love 

builds, relationships

Another way work can be meaningful is when it reflects personal values, including relationships. “A meaningful life is lived in relation to others”

Veltman supporting evidence

• For Veltman, work can be meaningful even if only one of these aspects are met 

• Perhaps work is best when one of these aspects are met 

• But some work may not meet any of these aspects of meaningfulness

skill, virtue, value, purpose

Work isn’t always meaningful…

• Work can drain and damage people

• work can also be degrading

• Workplace policies can limit people, what people can do

• In these ways, Veltman is alive to the fact that some forms of work undermine the wellbeing of the people working those jobs ex) amazon delivery drivers

To challenge the common view that work gives our lives meaning

Main point of Livingston’s article

How do we view work? How should we view work?

Questions Livingston asks

Livingston argues that the belief that work is meaningful, part because it builds character…

is no longer plausible

Livingston says work is facing a ____ crisis (as well as _____ crisis)

• Central to our view of work that it builds character

• Livingston: Does hard work build _____? ______, but high levels of income inequality being to raise questions about this aspect of work

moral, economic, character, sometimes

Work and oppression

Livingston: Work reinforces gender and racial hierarchies

Aren’t people worth more than what markets think they’re worth?

Livingston’s question

Some researchers , like Dr. David Graeber, have argued many jobs ….

are bullshit

What is a bullshit job? What does the data suggest?

• One study (Walo 2023) analyzed the perceived social uselessness of peoples jobs, using data from the 2015 American Working Conditions Survey

• In total, more than 19% of all respondents in the 2015 AWCS sample perceive their jobs as socially useless

What about “full employment,” where unemployment is as low as possible? Two issues:

• assumes that any and all kinds of jobs are valuable

• Income inequality is higher than ever, even when there are low unemployment rates

Income inequality hit record high at start of ______, Statistics Canada says

2025

Will a $15 minimum age help? Livingston argues…

no

The minimum amount of pay necessary for a worker to afford and meet their basic needs

living wage

Minimum wage Ontario, BC, Quebec

$17.60, $17.85, $16.10

Minimum wage Sask, Alberta, Manitoba

15.35, 15, 16

Minimum wage Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut

$17.94, $16.95, $19.75

Minimum wage: Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia

$16.50, $15.65, $16, $16.50

Income and employment are what types of health

social determinants of health