Happiness Research Paper

The Pursuit of Happiness

Research Project

Choosing your person...

Choose a person who has achieved a form of happiness.

This person could be a humanitarian who has done something for the greater good, an athlete, a politician, an actor/actress, a service member, etc.

*Your person does not necessarily have to be famous or well known, however it may make your research process a bit easier if they are.

Paper structure �Introduction with thesis

�Body: Section 1- Introduce and discuss the person you chose as your focus. Provide background information about them prior to them achieving their happiness. What lead them to the point where they embarked on their road to success/happiness?

�Body: Section 2- Discuss their achievement of happiness. What did they do, how has it affected them or other people in their lives? Has it affected society in any way?

�Conclusion

Checklist of research supports ____ A. 1 quote from a 1 piece of literature or text that reflects the aspect of

happiness

____ B. 2 quotes from these multi-media sources (news source articles, personal internet blog, Tedtalk, database or professional journal)

____ C. 1 quotes from the person you chose as the focus of your paper

Sample Introductory Paragraph “I have noticed that most people in this world are about as happy as they have made

up their minds to be” (Marden 74). This famous quote, said by former president Abraham

Lincoln, still holds true in today’s society. While happiness is not necessarily a conscious

choice, orientation of the mind and one's surroundings are influential on this cornerstone

of the human condition. Happiness in general is an elusive subject, as it is subjective. It

seems relatively impossible to gauge something so fluid, but through social

experimentation and research, scientists have made some progress about possible

motivations. Achieving a form of happiness can have many positive effects on the mind,

body, and overall quality of life; however, the journey to happiness can often include many

trials and tribulations as it did for insert person’s name here as he pursued his own form

of happiness.