Forging Happiness

When examining the daily escapades of life, it is an important thing to remember to take the good with the bad. As President Calvin Coolidge once said, “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.” Coolidge understood the concept of accumulation, that a livelihood could not be built around folding under pressure. He goes on “Talent will not…genius will not…education will not…Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘press on’ has solved and will always solve the problems of the human race.” He insinuated that there were no shortcuts or single solutions to the problems in life, and being that “Silent Cal” was a man of few words, he must have believed in his strong declaration. Persistence might be a good happiness boost for many, a mindset where people carry on and have faith that they will progress through the thick and thin. As opposed to prevailing through the hassles altogether, some rely on instant approaches to evade problems. Methods used to create happiness typically contradict their results. When people fall under the trap of placing a veil over unpleasant emotions, they slowly and unknowingly add fuel to their own flame. When investigating research on use of alcohol, overeating, marijuana, and tobacco as a habitual mechanism for forging one’s own happiness, users are found more likely to experience negative emotions and possess a lower well-being than non-user.

Alcohol

There are many opportunities to drink now-a-days. The bars of college towns are packed, empty beer cans line the grassy areas beside highways, and discounted drink specials seem to always be available. Drinking has been a social normality for thousands of years now. People will drink to celebrate, to relax, or just to be social with friends. Alcohol-use is widely broadcasted on television, it is almost a hard subject to avoid. Nights where college kids stay at home while their friends are drinking causes a fear of missing out. Are the ones staying at home missing out on fun or are they the ones who will be better off for not drinking?

The liver can process one standard drink per hour, once users surpass this rate the ethanol begins to build up in the bloodstream. This is the source of intoxication and is where chemical processes in the brain begin influencing behavior. Feeling drunk carries with it a fluctuation of emotions by acting as a stimulant and depressant, this results in a broad range of moods. “As BAC ascends, drinkers report increases in elation, excitement and extroversion, with simultaneous decreases in fatigue, restlessness, depression and tension. Conversely, a descending BAC corresponds to a decrease in vigor and an increase in fatigue, relaxation, confusion, and depression” (Gowin 1) An increase in norepinephrine in the brain heightens excitement and allows drunk people to feel giddy for no reason other than they are under the influence. This is also a source of impulsive behaviors, which can be a source of disaster when combined with the other effects of intoxication (Gowin 1). A study from The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse adds to this dialogue with their study of of 1758 college students, “impulse control deficits appear to increase rates of use among those who drink and frequency of consequences” (Dvorak 128)

Low distress tolerance has proven to be a risk factor for binge drinking (Koazak/Fought 1). People who are unable to handle stress tend to be the ones susceptible to drinking, and when negative emotions are not very well coped with, a night of drinking can be problematic. Altered decision making, slower reaction time, poor memory and heightened arousal are all consequences of drinking as well. This is a source of many emotional difficulties following alcohol use. Users find themselves in situations where they have embarrassed themselves while under the influence due to irrational decision making.

Consequences and depressive states from drinking alcohol come from the mindset one is placed in from consumption. Studies have found the frequency of drinks a week is positively associated with the number of consequences per time of drinking. During drinking, the non-acceptable of emotional responses and impulse control difficulties are what leads to problems. The Brian is dumbed down and reactions are slow and not very well thought out. The problems related to these include difficulties engaging in goal-directed behaviors and lack of emotional clarity. These two play hand in hand. When sober, the thoughts, feelings, and actions one had while under the influence come in full light. Being that the ones who already have a poor time managing their emotions are the ones who are more likely to make poor decisions, it spirals further when an action is done while drunk and now the individual must justify their action. The person might be confused, might feel upset about what they have done or might not understand the way they acted or why they acted like that in-front of a particular person. This puts a certain distress on the brain, the user has difficulty in formulating goal-directed behavior. The stress of their present situations alludes their goals. This accounts for the lower grades among drinkers which also causes stress on one’s life. The more a person drinks, the less they will accept their emotional responses. Meaning drinkers will cut off their reaction to something in order to not think negatively, in doing so they are not listening to their brains and become more at risk for problematic drinking and more and more problems.

Overeating

When trying to grasp the concept of attempting to forge happiness, the topic of overeating due to stress plays a role in illustrating how a typically healthy and necessary part of everyday life can be indulged into furthering and creating emotions adverse to well-being.Overeating is not uncommon for people, many have fallen into an excessive meal or a day where one’s stomach feels to have fallen host to a tapeworm. The type of overeating being described is the systematic binge eating that takes place daily in someone’s lives, as a conscious or subconscious coping mechanism. Stress eating is would be typical to an individual who recognizes their eating habits and weight gain, but are unable to gain control of either. The psychology behind excess stress eating is similar to tobacco. A stressful situation occurs and stress builds to the point that the brain races to try to relieve itself. In doing so, the next time that particular stressed out person goes to eat, they will consume in excess. Dopamine is released and the reward system is at ease once again. Small stressful day to day occurrences happen, and the person finds themselves to crave their food just as highly as when a major stressful situation has occurred. This is due to small stresses signaling for relief combined with the brain receiving high reward from first binge meal, so now the person is urged to eat in excess once again. When repetitively acting on these impulses, users find it harder and harder to exhibit self-control for the brain has now learned overeating as a means for coping.

Marijuana

Marijuana creates euphoria and relaxation while it is being used, but it is ineffective for sustained happiness. The main chemical ingredient in marijuana is THC, a drug whose structure is comparable to the brain’s self-produced chemical anandamide. Due to it’s similar shape, THC is capable of breaking the blood-brain-barrier in order to act as a neurotransmitter, systematically altering brain function when used. The altered brain function due to THC forges happiness by releasing dopamine in the brain, which is accounts for the euphoria users describe while intoxicated. This dopamine release defines the biological essence of being happy, sending the message of pleasure to reward humans (this is an evolutionary adaptation that maintains mankind due to its release during necessary events such as eating, reproduction, and exercise). When activated naturally, dopamine released in the brain alleviates stress and causes positive feelings. Marijuana smokers can generate this release by smoking, but in doing so they lessen its effectiveness overtime. Since frequent smokers are constantly getting large amounts of this chemical at a time, they dumb themselves down to other naturally occurring ways this dopamine could provide a sense of happiness. The marijuana high is alluring to users due to the environment it creates within an under the influence brain which causes a distraction from stress and responsibilities.

Marijuana use impairs thinking in the brain, new information can be discerned but at modest rates compared to while sober. People who are under the influence are no longer worried about the stress that has been weighing them down, the thought of it is off their mind. The impairment of thinking and processing information has been shown to lower the IQ’s of smokers. They are more forgetful and less likely to remember, leading to stress caused by the onset of missed responsibilities. School becomes more of a hassle for users, also due to impaired thinking. Users will find themselves missing deadlines, not retaining information, and unwilling to find motivation. Reaction time is also substantially lowered as a result of being high, which is due to the slow processing of new information, making it difficult (and illegal) to drive. The balance, posture and coordination areas of the brain (cerebellum and the basal ganglia) are also less strong under the influence, a side effect that can leave user’s bodies more relaxed. This plays into the lost motivation aspect of being high, users bodies are relaxed, their muscles are working slower than usual. To drive, to think intently, to workout, to study, or even to get up from sitting down all become hassles that are to be avoided. The effects of using marijuana put a person under control of the drug, nearly forcing them to be laid back and less attentive to the worries of the world.

Tobacco

If a widely popular anti-depressant came out and was found to be responsible for one in five preventable deaths in America, then surely it would be swiped off the shelves, locked up, and the key to it would be thrown far away. Unfortunately, the world is not as black as white as the scenario that has been illustrated, but a similar situation has been occurring since the conception of the early American colonies. Cigarette smoking and tobacco use are single-handedly the leading causes of preventable death in the United States. The high risk of tobacco is justified and largely over-shadowed by the ones who continue to make the multi-billion dollar industry grow, the smokers and chewers themselves. Tobacco plays a peculiar role in the field of widely popular substances due to its lack of mind-altering effects. That is not to say the brain and body of users are not effected by it, but the key ingredient nicotine does not effect motor function or impair judgment as ethanol or THC would.

Cigarettes help play a less obvious position on mood alteration, one that can be characterized by the Paradise Lost Theory. Developed by researchers studying recent quitters, the allure of tobacco has been shown to be a tough cycle to break. Cognitive distortion is the main player in this, once the brain has been stimulated a number of times by tobacco use (researchers have found this number can be less than 10 cigarettes in a lifetime) the reward system of the brain releases the oh-so precious dopamine in response.  This increased dopamine-flow creates a soothing-calm for its short duration of use, allowing a window where a smoke break can be a sweet escape. At this point the reward system has been compromised by the nicotine. Typical responses that would release dopamine from everyday activities slowly become less rewarding. As the brain runs through thoughts and as negative emotions onset throughout the day, the idea of smoking sounds even more alluring than beforehand. This is due to the brain’s stimulation from nicotine being placed on a pedestal within the hierarchy of pleasurable activities, effectively blinding a user’s mind from experiencing the same joys as before. The user falls into a cycle where smoking stimulates the brain, the brain craves more and wants other things less, and once stimulated again the user will not only want cigarettes even more, but they actually have to use more or else they will not get the same experience.

Tobacco can effect well-being in a very intrusive way. Most users did not initially turn to tobacco as a means of relieving their stress. The majority of users tried it out of curiosity or from being pre-disposed to it while around their family. The ones who stick with it and smoke regularly tend to be ones with anxiety or depressive emotions. They are at risk for smoking because of their low-distress tolerance, meaning negative emotions of everyday life (or from mental illness) weigh down a smoker and the safe place they have found to escape stress and to pick oneself up is to use tobacco to stimulate their brains. Well, at least smokers believe their usage is relieving them of stress. In reality, tobacco use makes a perfect storm for more negative emotions. When the British Medical Journal cross-referenced twenty-six studies, they found both smokers with and without mental health-disorders show “reduced depression, anxiety, and stress and improved positive mood and quality of life compared with continuing to smoke” (daily mail). These harmful to well-being traits illustrate the running-nowhere-fast effect tobacco has on happiness. While the users think they are ridding themselves of stress, they are actually building it up. Alongside dopamine levels decreasing overtime, users also habitually use cigarettes as a means to “fix” problems they have, and in doing so they are holding on to negative emotions without expelling any energy to fix the actual root of their problems.

Putting It All Together

An aspect not listed within each subcategory is the physical health effects. While these might seem to be the more obvious problems with the poor habits listed above, their presence does not undermine the severity of the mental health concerns. Health risks of each different addiction include a variety of cancers, heart problems, stroke-risks, and high-blood pressure (drugabuse.gov/ cdc.gov). This brings about added worries, something worth avoiding in persons having to abuse substances to cope with emotions.  Not only do users have to deal with the health problem themselves, but the costs for doctor’s visits, surgeries and medicines will add further to the list of new life stresses.

Users fall in the category of low-distress tolerance, meaning in fight or flight responses the later is chosen to provide an escape route from their issues. They tend to be impulsive in nature, and coincidentally tend to become more impulsive from use. One theory behind this is the brain’s heightened need/want for chemical reward. Users engage more often in risk-taking behaviors because the brain of a user has learned high reward to be the goal, so the ends justify the means. Not thinking through decisions, especially if that is while under-the-influence of marijuana or alcohol, can lead to negative consequences both physically and mentally.

 

It is interesting to see how the four approaches for attempted happiness all fall under similar patterns. Prior contact with the substance leaves an impression on the brain. Following an onset of stress, the brain will remind the user of the good feelings the substance once provided. Users who take “advice” from this little devil in their ear tend to develop a taste for its effects. After subsequent usage, the reward system diminishes in ability, calling for more use to create the same end result the next time around. The reward system has been compromised, lower levels of dopamine are available, and the user has unknowingly made their usual pleasures weaker. The mental and physical side effects of each group begin to accumulate more stress. When coped with in the same manner as before, it can and will lead to a dangerous/unfulfilling cycle. The problems that made a user begin smoking, dipping, drinking or overeating never get resolved. These “stress relievers” only temporarily suppress negative emotions, rather than becoming a solution to a problem. Through conscious decision making and being informed, one can realize their time would be better spent without attempts to unnaturally alter their mood.

 

Annotated Bibliography for Forging Happiness

Bello, Nicholas T., et al. “Binge-Like Eating Attenuates Nisoxetine Feeding Suppression, Stress Activation, And Brain Norepinephrine Activity.” Plos ONE9.4 (2014): 1-11. Academic Search Premier. Web. 7 Apr. 2016. Four researchers from Rutgers University (involved in the Department of Animal Sciences, the Graduate Program in Endocrinology and Animal Biosciences, and the New Jersey Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health) explore deeper into binge eating and what effects it has on an individual’s stress levels. To analyze the aftermath of binge eating, the researchers tested four separate groups of rats. The data is reliable because animal experts have teamed up with health experts for this case, rat behavior and brain function is an applicable test for comparison with humans. The data will illustrate what factors influence a poor habit such as overeating, and what the aftermath on a rodent’s behavior correlates to as far as human behavior is concerned.

Dvorak, Robert D., et al. “Alcohol Use And Alcohol-Related Consequences: Associations With Emotion Regulation Difficulties.” American Journal Of Drug & Alcohol Abuse40.2 (2014): 125-130. Academic Search Premier. Web. 7 Apr. 2016. This study from the Department of Psychology at North Dakota State and is headed by Dr. Robert D. Dvorak alongside five students who have graduated with their bachelors of science degree. This study questioned 1758 college students and looked at risk factors for emotional distress enhanced by alcohol consumption. The data is reliable because it compares data from students of the same school, which decreases variables and it also tests drinkers and non-drinkers alike. This study shows the broad effects of alcohol consumption as it relates to a person’s day-to-day life, a key component of accurately accessing the emotional fluctuations as a result of the negative habit of drinking. I will be able to show what difficulties present themselves as far as regulating emotions goes, and I will be able to provide my reader with a sample of data that illustrates just how much drinking can impact emotions even while not under the influence.

Filbey, Francesca M., et al. “Long-Term Effects Of Marijuana Use On The Brain.” Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America111.47 (2014): 16913-16918. Academic Search Premier. Web. 7 Apr. 2016. Seven researchers from the Center for BrainHealth at the University of Texas studied 110 participants to better understand the effects of marijuana usage on brain function and structure. This information is presented alongside the emotional irregularities reported by the participants. This data is reliable given that a control group is involved, it is done at the Center of BrainHealth, and that physiological effects of the brain are coincided with each participant’s emotional factors. This study gives more information on what emotions are negatively effected by a marijuana user, but it goes further in processing what brain structures have been altered by usage. The CT scans have been analyzed and their results have been graphed, this allows the study not to only rely on emotional testing, but it is able to also present hard physical evidence. I plan to use this information to show the long-term effects cannabis use can interplay on emotions and to show my reader what exactly has changed in the brain that allows for these emotions to show themselves.

Gage, Suzanne H., et al. “Associations Of Cannabis And Cigarette Use With Depression And Anxiety At Age 18: Findings From The Avon Longitudinal Study Of Parents And Children.” Plos ONE10.4 (2015): 1-13. Academic Search Premier. Web. 7 Apr. 2016. This study was conducted by six individuals affiliated with five different medical departments across three universities in the United Kingdom. The authors backgrounds are diverse with four of the researchers being from the University of Bristol, one from University College London, and one of the researchers being involved in both the University of Bristol and Cardiff University. To get an understanding of the effects between cannabis and/or cigarettes with depression and/or anxiety, this study followed 14,541 pregnant women and later settled on sampling 4,561 of the women’s children after their children had completed questionnaires at age sixteen and eighteen. This data was deemed reliable based on how previous behaviors observed prior to marijuana or nicotine use were omitted to reach an unaltered conclusion. Being that this study presents and tests all of the variables that could cause depression or anxiety, the information will be able to help my essay IV be able to clearly connect the effects of smoking on happiness. In relaying information to my reader, this study will allow me to have a solid sample size to show just how much cannabis or nicotine use can alter emotions. The variables presented will also allow me to explain to my reader the different occurrences in one’s life that could also lead to depression or anxiety aside from the cannabis or nicotine use alone.

Isomura, Takeshi, Joji Suzuki, and Toshiya Murai. “Paradise Lost: The Relationships Between Neurological And Psychological Changes In Nicotine-Dependent Patients.” Addiction Research & Theory22.2 (2014): 158-165. Academic Search Premier. Web. 7 Apr. 2016. Three researchers from different organizations,(the Reset Behavior Research Group, the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Harvard, and the Department of Psychiatry at Kyoto University, respectively) study the effects of patients after quitting nicotine use. This study uses multiple other studies in order to cross-analyze their results for a bigger picture. The data is reliable because of the references it has which connects other studies to this larger study. This data will be used to shown what changes happen within a person once they quit. It shows what moods are altered, what areas of the brain are changed, and what reactions are changed. This information is crucial because it gives us an understanding of what emotions are changed when nicotine is no longer in use rather than the perceived change in emotions while using.

Kozak, Andrea T., and Angela Fought. “Beyond Alcohol And Drug Addiction. Does The Negative Trait Of Low Distress Tolerance Have An Association With Overeating?.” Appetite57.3 (2011): 578-581. Academic Search Premier. Web. 7 Apr. 2016. Angela Fought of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Northwestern University and Andrea T. Kozak of the Department of Psychology at Oakland University teamed up to understand the link between stress and overeating. 225 participants, ages 18-20, were analyzed in order to understand their levels of handling stress alongside their eating habits and body mass index. The data was deemed reliable as a result of the two researcher’s credentials in medicine and psychology. The information presented also focuses on a key topic in my essay IV, the inverse relationships between negative habits and negative moods. This information is applicable to my topic because of the way it has been presented alongside the basis that low tolerance for stress does not only play a hand in drug and alcohol addiction, but also in food addiction per se. I plan to implement the study’s findings to show the relationship between the negative emotion of stress and the overeating factors involved. This data will be shown alongside more data involving obesity and negative emotion in order for my reader to get the full picture the bad habit of overeating alongside increased poor emotion.

Mann, Robert E., et al. “Relationships Of Alcohol Use And Alcohol Problems To Probable Anxiety And Mood Disorder.” Contemporary Drug Problems39.2 (2012): 247-263. Academic Search Premier. Web. 7 Apr. 2016. Seven researchers funded by the Networks of Centres of Excellence, analyze 16,918 respondents of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Monitor about alcohol usage and mood disorders. This data is reliable because of the large case study size and because of the variables removed from the research such as income, education, and number of drinks per day. The study connects not only mood changes that are consistent with alcohol consumption, but also further reiterates what specific moods cause a likelihood of broader emotional abnormalities such as depression or anxiety. This will allow me to give a wide range of emotional traits associated with drinkers, and it will allow me to show which of those traits are in line with causing an even greater disorder.

Spillane, Nichea S., et al. “Emotion-Based Impulsivity, Smoking Expectancies, And Nicotine Dependence In College Students.” Addiction Research & Theory21.6 (2013): 489-495. Academic Search Premier. Web. 7 Apr. 2016. Two researchers from the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences at Brown University team up with two researchers from the Department of Psychology at the University of Kentucky to study impulsive emotions that are expected as a result of nicotine use. This study samples 131 participants with an average age of nineteen to show the correlation between smoking and impulsivity. The data has been deemed reliable as it portrays not only what behaviors are consistent with smoking, but also what smokers expect from smoking. This allows for the negative consequences of smoking to be presented alongside the expectancies of the smokers themselves, which can play a role in painting the picture of mood alteration and show what moods are unknowingly being shown. I plan to use this data in essay IV to further my argument that bad habits can result in bad emotions. This data will also be used to show what smokers think is happening versus what actually happens as a result of smoking.

Effectively Relaying Happiness, (a logos, ethos, pathos perspective)

The pursuit of happiness is that of trials and tribulations. The search to obtain it has compelled a tremendous number of people on a level comparable to the urge of the Crusaders to find the mythical Prester John. Ironically enough, many of those same lost souls have found their journey to be just as unsuccessful. However, what these hopelessly aimed Crusaders did not have was a map, they had no route to take. Lucky enough for the masses of those seeking joy, self-help books have laid out maps that allow even the most misguided to find the road that leads to peace. The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living andEngineering Happiness: A New Approach for Building a Joyful Lifeare two books with the goal of lending a hand to the ones looking for which step to take next. The Dalai Lama and Dr. Howard C. Cutler use each delicate stroke to paint a picture of what a fulfilled life looks like. The engineers/authors Manel Baucells and Rakesh Sarin lay out a manual for it instead, focusing on the more concrete aspects of happiness so that readers can build it effectively. The Art of Happinessfocuses on deep-reflection, queuing emotions through the pathos appeal while Engineering Happinessrelies on the logos side of their writing to take the rhyme and reason approach, allowing readers to logically endeavor into a positive-minded structure.

The pathos and logos appeals define the audience for each book, but their use of ethos is prevalent nevertheless. From the cover of The Art of Happiness, the readers learn His Holiness, The 14th Dalai Lama is a “spiritual and temporal leader” and Dr. Howard C. Cutler, is a Psychiatrist and “a diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology”. (Back Cover) Baucells and Sarin of Engineering Happinesscultivate trust by explaining research can best be mapped out by the ones who cookie-cut information as a way of life, engineers themselves. “As any good, curious engineers would do, the two of us set out to define, measure, and discover the properties of happiness in a systematic and analytical way” (PrefaceX) These are straight-forward examples of how the four authors develop assurance using their life work as grounds for credibility, however some references may not be as obvious. At the end of Dr. Cutler’s explanation of love being a “powerful force”, Howard presents reliable information such as, “Psychologists call this the collapse of ego boundaries” and “Evidence suggests that newborn infants do not distinguish between themselves and the rest of the universe.” (105, 106, 107) When explaining why happiness is “too complex to be bought with mere lottery winnings,” the engineers interject the story of Andrew Jackson Whittaker, Jr. and tell of how his winning of the lottery brought destruction and depression into his life as a result. (Baucells and Sarin 1) Although most would agree winning the lottery would make them happier, the engineers give a true representation as to why happiness goes deeper than that, at the same time their credibility develops further. The ideological-minded readers of The Art of Happiness, and the logic seekers of Engineering Happinessalike still need a base in order to place their belief in. These interjections subconsciously allow the reader to digest their information, free of a grain of salt.

With the readers’ trust established, the authors can further develop their pieces. Logos is relied upon heavily by Engineering Happiness, butThe Art of Happinessstill puts it into play as well. Engineering Happinessopens up explaining how Benjamin Franklin himself had daily virtues, that he reasoned would help his daily temperance as long as he took note of when he fell short. (194) The authors use this approach to be the foundation to their “thirteen pillars of happiness.” Logos is found the most often within Engineering Happiness’ explanations for each specific pillar. (194) When discussing the pillar “Relationships” the engineers show a Gallup poll which says Americans are happier when they spend even modest time “socializing” and furthers as to just how spending time with family and friends makes people happy, as long as there is not confrontation. (200) This trend ensues pillar after pillar, leading readers in the right direction and then furthering to reason out how one could obtain happiness that way. Dr. Cutler and The Dalai Lama takes a different approach, their reasoning is found more prevalent in Dr. Cutler’s line of questioning and afterthought more so than The Dalai Lama’s answers. “You mention that there are thousands of different states of mind. What would be your definition of a psychologically healthy or well-adjusted person? We might use such a definition as a guideline in determining which mental states to cultivate and which ones to eliminate.” (40) These examples illustrate just how Dr. Cutler provides the reason through his questions, allowing The Dalai Lama to provide the pathos in his answers. Both sets of authors establish good sense in their course of thought. While the engineers hold all the trumps with their logos cards, The Dalai Lama and Dr. Cutler do not shy away from showing their hand confidently.

Credibility and Logic both play heavy roles into how persuasive information is processed, however with a topic such as happiness, a key component such as the pathos appeal must be established. As stated before, pathos is used in great depths in The Art of Happiness. Engineering Happinesstouches more on logic and still equates a necessary amount of emotional aspects in order to stay well-rounded. By its set-up, The Art of Happinessis already leaned towards emotions. The Dalai Lama infuses thought into Dr. Cutler’s questions, he provides extensive deep-reflection. When His Holiness explains himself to Dr. Cutler, he does so in a way that would make a reader think of a personal instance where anger has affected them. “In the case of human beings, however, there is a different level, where you have a kind of self-awareness that allows you to reflect and observe that when anger arises, it hurts you.” (50) This puts the reader in a position where their thoughts are cumulated with their emotions, this tactic is used again by Dr. Cutler when describing passionate love, “It recreates that magic feeling, a feeling of omnipotence, as if all things are possible. A feeling like that is hard to beat.” (108) Dr. Cutler perfectly invokes emotion with this line, the readers might find themselves daydreaming about a particular time when they too had that omnipotent feeling. The Dalai Lama makes himself a humble and true source for the meditative thought he has used his whole life to be one that the reader indulges in just by seeing his perspective on life’s obstacles. Engineering Happinessis less direct with its pathos appeals and still stays true to evoking emotion to help with their reasoning. Examples can be found throughout their reasons behind each pillar. “Recall the times when you were furious because your daughter spilled the orange juice, the plumbing in your house clogged, the bagel was burned, the car was not finished being repaired when promised, or you got a parking ticket.” (202) This quote from Engineering Happinessis a prime example of how the engineers were able to incorporate pathos, letting the readers also have the opportunity to feel that emotion. Pathos is important for a subject such as emotion and its usage can fluctuate from writing to writing. The authors differing capacity of pathos in each piece prove that it is not the quantity of which it is used, rather it’s quality is that which makes it necessary.

The target audiences are the variables in which each author decides what direction to go in when it comes to logos, ethos and pathos. Ethos seems to be the common ground writers have, whether or not they are leaning towards the logos side of writing or the pathos side. The authors have laid out the direction of happiness, having their maps be made of fabric and their directions taking seemingly different routes. The one key component the possess is a will and a way. The logic and reasoning logos way in Engineering Happiness might be best fit for some, the emotional pathos way in The Art of Happinessmight be better for others. Altogether the beauty of rhetorical analysis is the uncovering of what differences in works of writing capture the minds of audiences. Whether the audience needs self-reflective thought, or whether the audience needs structure, differences in the framework of self-help books allow readers of different preference to all find true happiness.

 

Works Cited 

The Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living. New York: Riverhead-Penguin Putnam, 1998.

Baucells, Manel, and Rakesh Sarin. Engineering Happiness: A New Approach for Building a Joyful Life. Berkely: University of California P, 2012.

The Dream Drug: The Sleep Benefits on Well-Being

If a new drug undeniably proven to increase the quality of life hit the shelves, imagine the attention this would bring. Attractive slogans offering “Chronic-disease prevention,” “Substantially lowered-rate of mental illness,” and maybe the most alluring of all, “Effective for sustained happiness. “Taken daily and as prescribed, any human would have the best possibility for long-standing well-being. The possibility of some almighty, knock-out punch to stress and illness seems more interesting than plausible.This miracle drug is well within reachand it is free of charge. To reap said benefits, sleeping is the only requirement. Yes, sleep is the most powerful and misunderstood component to well-being; it plays more deeply of a hand in lives than feeling tired without it. Quality of life is attributed to a better quality of sleep. As quoted in research from correspondents of the European Sleep Research Society, “Sleep impairments have been show to disrupt emotional processes involving the amygdala and prefrontal cortex” (Kouros and El-Sheikh 29).Parents advising their kids to go to sleep on time has proven to be no gimmick. Doubters note the interplay of effects between sleep deprivation and negative emotions are still being understood as a whole. The question of whether or not sleep benefits are misinterpreted is sways belief from some. Examining 171 individuals, correspondents of the European Sleep Research Society found: “affective symptoms of depression and anxiety uniquely influence certain nocturnal and daytime symptoms of insomnia” (Kalmbach 642). The argument is that a bad mood creates an environment for bad sleep, and not the reverse. To understand the full scope of benefits, one must see the variety of positive aspects sleep bring to happiness. Overall, quality sleep increases happiness associated with daily life through emotional and health-related benefits. Better sleep promotes better well-being.

Getting the right amount of sleep is a key to well-being. In a 2-week study of young women (as previously stated), four researchers in partnership with the European Sleep Research Society studied 171 women with a median age of 20.07 years. “When examining sleep-predicting affect, [the researchers] found that women experienced greater positive affects following a night of quality sleep” (Kalmbach 643). Human bodies renew themselves after a good night’s sleep. Happiness can be associated with the lack of worry, the lack of stress, and the positive effect of good health. From a cross-county study of 10,800 individuals from Poland, Finland, and Spain, researchers found that “health status correlated the strongest with well-being, even stronger than income.” (Health and happiness 722). Muscles repair during sleep, bones build and rebuild, the epidermis repairs itself from damage to main elasticity (Park 55). The effects of sleep are tremendous on happiness in the simplest level by promoting better health. A hard day of work is countered by a night of restful sleep, making the inhibitions of stress a non-factor to unnecessary health consequences. Stress relief from sleep promoting a happier human can be sleep promoting a healthier human.

On the contrary however, when humans do not get the necessary amount of sleep, the days are a concoction of unsustainable health and mental dilemmas. That feeling after a restless night, where one may seem forgetful, is no coincidence. Author Alice Park sits alongside Dr. Nedergaard, co-director of the Center for Translational Neuromedicine at the University of Rochester in “The Power of Sleep” to investigate further. “[When we eventually fall asleep] the sleeping brain’s cells shrink, making more room for the brain and spinal cord’s fluid to slosh back and forth between them. ‘It’s like a dishwasher that keeps flushing through to wash the dirt away,’ says Nedergaard. This cleansing also occurs in the brain when we are awake, but it’s reduced by about 15%, since the glial cells have less fluid space to work with when the neurons expand” (Park 57). These glial cells do not have enough room to work without efficient space, meaning the buildup that would be cleaned nightly is slowing becoming more and more to the point where it affects brain function. “And like any growing pile of trash, the molecular garbage starts to affect nearby healthy cells, interfering with their ability to form and recall memories or plan even the simplest tasks” (Park 57).While the morning and days after nights of bad sleep might feel foggy, it’s the human brain that is clouded in the literal sense. Antioxidants can not properly do their job and day-to-day functions suffer as a result.Park also discusses sleep with a leading sleep researcher and a Professor at the medical school at University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Sigrid Veasey. “after short periods of sleep loss, ‘the cells are working hard but cannot make enough antioxidants, so they progressively build up free radicals and some of the neurons die off.’ Once those brain cells are gone, they’re gone for good” (Park 54). Permanently inhibiting the wiring of the brain’s functions. This is why sleep loss causes lapses of memory and creates depressive thoughts. In the two-week study of young women from earlier, “diminished [sleep quality] predicted greater anhedonia and self-doubt, which is consistent with sleep disturbance constituting to a vulnerability of depression” (Kalmbach 643).

The nay-sayers of sleep benefits are less of nay-sayers and more of realists. There must be a balancing act maintained in proper sleep, human sleep-wake cycle must be uniformed and not indulged. In the journal “Preventive Medicine,” sleep was was studied in 856 children. “They found that those sleeping > 10 [hours] engaged in greater physical activity and spent less time sedentary than those sleeping< 10 [hours]” (Stone 11). The risks associated with obesity and lost sleep show up again when their is too much sleep. The body is not able to carryout its regular metabolic activities with an overuse of sleep, this goes to show again in a seven-year case study of 7,444 women over 65. The Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study found “a 35% increased risk [of cognitive decline] in those who said they slept longer than eight hours” (Harvard 8). (It is in the reader’s best interest to note the recommended amount of sleep is eight hours in adults compared to ten hours in children). The same study found that when it comes to sleeping too little the same risks are on par to that of too much sleep, with a 36% increase for cognitive decline. It is an act of balance. One must be in tune with signals their body is sending them, when someone is tired, they should rest, when someone wakes up, they should begin to be productive.

A disagreeable concept is the process in which many basis of research is done and the variables involved. “Rodent research on the proposed paradigm has provided contradictory results, with some studies pointing to an increase in anxiety behavior, while others point to a decrease in this behavior” (Pires, Tufik, Anderson 622). The authors point at the methods of rat research, indicating too many factors are involved in sleep deprivation to accurately make claims based on a rodent’s behavior. The fear is that rodent research can not only mislead the current direction of sleep research, but that the true human psyche can not be translated from such an animal. However, this study fails to incorporate the broad scope of present research available. Studies have evolved to eliminate the bulk of variables that would skew findings. With that change came studies focused strictly on examining human behavior, staying away from rodent inclinations. Lastly, researchers wonder just how much depression and other feelings of sadness affect sleep, and not the other way around. “Upon examining the influence of negative affect on sleep, individuals experienced delayed sleep onset following elevated fear and sadness, and experienced worse [sleep quality] and spent less time asleep following increased feelings of sadness” (Kalmbach 242). The truth lies somewhere in-between, according to some researchers. This domino effect starts as the negative feelings during day can cause bad sleep and then the bad sleeps can cause more negative feelings during the day, the same would be true in reverse. Researchers hold more thorough studies need to be done to truly estimate the effects of too little or too much sleep, and variables such as research method and original source of sad feelings must be known.

There is no miracle drug out there with that alleviates skin, bone, and muscle damage. There is no miracle drug to cleanse the brain to prevent chronic neurodegenerative illnesses, alongside promoting and creating happiness. Truth be told, the miracle is the miracle of life. The human brain has developed emotions to allow themselves to be all the way taken care of. It is ignorant to think a necessity such as sleep is an expendable luxury. When the body talks, it is time to listen. The evolutionary development of humans as a species has far surpassed all other mammals, humans are engineered better by design. Civilization will be happier and healthier when it comes into line with the most basic instincts that have brought them thus far. The professionals agree, eight hours of sleep a day keeps the worries away.

 

Works Cited

Kalmbach, David A., et al. “The Interplay Between Daily Affect And Sleep: A 2-Week Study Of Young Women.”Journal Of Sleep Research23.6 (2014): 636-645.Academic Search Premier.Web. 3 Mar. 2016.

Kouros, Chrystyna D., and Mona El-Sheikh. “Daily Mood And Sleep: Reciprocal Relations And Links With Adjustment Problems.” Journal Of Sleep Research24.1 (2015): 24-31.Academic Search Premier.Web. 3 Mar. 2016.

Miret, Marta, et al. “Health And Happiness: Cross-Sectional Household Surveys In Finland, Poland And Spain.” Bulletin Of The World Health Organization92.10 (2014): 716-725. Academic Search Premier. Web. 3 Mar. 2016.

Park, Alice, Alexandra Sifferlin, and Mandy Oaklander. “The Power Of Sleep.” Time184.11 (2014): 52-58.Academic Search Premier. Web. 3 Mar. 2016.

Pires, Gabriel Natan, Sergio Tufik, and Monica Levy Andersen. “Sleep Deprivation And Anxiety In Humans And Rodents–Translational Considerations And Hypotheses.” Behavioral Neuroscience129.5 (2015): 621-633.Academic Search Premier. Web. 3 Mar. 2016.

Silva-Costa, Aline, Rosane Härter Griep, and Lúcia Rotenberg. “Associations Of A Short Sleep Duration, Insufficient Sleep, And Insomnia With Self-Rated Health Among Nurses.”Plos ONE10.5 (2015): 1-11.Academic Search Premier. Web. 3 Mar. 2016.

Stone, Michelle R., Daniel Stevens, and Guy E.J. Faulkner. “Maintaining Recommended Sleep Throughout The Week Is Associated With Increased Physical Activity In Children.”Preventive Medicine 56.2 (2013): 112-117. Academic Search Premier. Web. 3 Mar. 2016.

“Too Little–Or Too Much–Sleep Linked To Dementia Risk.”Harvard Women’s Health Watch 23.1 (2015): 8.Academic Search Premier.Web. 3 Mar. 2016.

 

Behind the Smoke and Mirrors (A pre-2016 analysis)

A haze of American flags dominate the landscape. Arms of eager crowd members rapidly sway American flags back and forth in celebration. A man and his family all hold hands as they approach center-stage with gratification gleaming off their smiles. The crowd’s cheering and applauding amplifies as the red, white, and blue covering the tops of the audience dissipates in favor of flashes of white light from cell phones and cameras. Campaign chants blaring from the fanatics become an a-cappella background music. The thousands of attendees continue their uproar as the man and his family wave to acknowledge the audience. The new president elect has taken the stand for his victory speech. The monumental goal of being elected to office has been achieved and history has been made. The president elect is confident and altogether eager to bring about the change he believes will be brought. Little does the soon-to-be president know, the attached strings of donors involved in the campaign process will haunt him for the rest of his political career. Political puppeteers and business executives have their poster child right where they want him. Looks like the white-collared donors have their personal and work-related interests once again ensured for four more years.

In modern America, politicians live and die off donations. This is especially true on the biggest stage of government elections, the campaign for presidency. One can not start a campaign without collecting funds for it. Candidates have to fund their campaign in order to pay for advertising, hotel rooms, flights, and all other things that would go into traveling across the country to garner support. With the average cost raised for the two candidates of both the major parties toppling over a billion dollars a piece in 2012 alone, it is easy to see how important money is to the election (elections.nytimes.com). The root of all evil is what stands in the way of politicians and their dreams. As Mike Lux of the New York Times points out, congress members constantly have to monitor what they are voting for in order to ensure they do not displease any organization or company who possibly has an interest in pouring money into their future ventures. (Confessore, nytimes.com) This constant fear of losing money holds true in presidential campaigns as well. In a not too distant past, before July 2010, presidential candidates were limited by the amount of money they could accept per donor. This limit had the positive consequence of campaigners being OK with antagonizing special-interest groups and corporations because the aftermath would only be the loss of small chunks of cash at a time. Political Action Committees or known simply as PACs allow for donors to donate $5,000 to a candidate per election, whether that be a general, primary, or special election. PACs are then given to the candidate in order to fund their campaign in whatever way they deem fit. The PACs have a closely associated purpose with a new type of political committee that was born in 2010 following the ruling of the federal case SpeechNow.org v. Federal Election Commission. The PACs more powerful and influential relatives are the Super PACs. Formally known as independent expenditure-only committees, Super PACs authorize any given donor to contribute unlimited amounts of money to groups that support a specific candidate. (opensecrets.org) This money is barred from being given directly to a candidate and is instead allowed for use only by the independent committees the money was received by. These independent groups that advocate a specific person use their raised money and sphere of influence to run ads beneficial to the candidate of their liking and ads detrimental to candidates they might feel threatened by. (Overby, npr.org) Starting during the 2012 election process, Super PACs have become vital and have drastically increased the money thrown into elections. Winning the Super PAC war between opposition is a new battle ground for candidates.

The “win at all costs” competitive nature of presidential campaigning mixed with these money-generating machines has proven to be reckless. Super PACs can not run by the candidates or their current staff, but beyond that the surrounding regulations become lenient. Per example, Super PACs for Obama and Romney from the 2012 election were run by former top aides for each candidate. Candidates are even allowed to host fundraisers benefiting their respective Super PACs as long as they only ask for donations to their own Political Action Committee and not to the Super PAC that endorses them. (sunlightfoundation.org) While candidates can not directly coordinate any Super PAC, their indirect influence on them is unmistakable. A culture of politics has been created where integrity is a façade and playing by the rules only hurts the candidate involved. By law, any donor contribution to a Super PAC has to be disclosed alongside the donors’ information. This, in theory, prevents illegal undisclosed deals to be carried out by candidates through these independent committees. With the names disclosed to the public, it would be relatively easy to see if the candidate has changed views or policies to benefit a specific donor. Of course, there are simple loopholes to get around this. The corporations that donate are what ultimately become disclosed, meaning the real names behind these contributions can remain anonymous since they are hidden behind a corporate body instead of a single individual. Also, there is no legislation on candidates’ private conversations with potential donors. This lack of government intervention, coincided with the pre-existing cracks in the system, opens the floodgates for the backdoor deals that continue to dominate American politics.

The American business class elite have not risen to the top on luck, they are masters of carefully planned moves. These moves are what have made them the multi-millionaires and billionaires they are today. It is a no brainer for politicians in need of money. For all intents and purposes, Mega-donors have values on par with their respective political parties’ agenda. Their party affiliation validates the donations in the public eye, however the underlying lobbying efforts remain carefully concealed. The Koch Brothers, owners of Koch Industries, and their panel of approximately 300 recruited donors have organized an $889 million budget through for the 2016 presidential election. (Confessore, nytimes.com) The Koch Brothers interests in politics span far beyond moral or cultural driven initiatives. Koch Industries have a large hand in petroleum, foreign trade, and other various business pursuits. Their well documented endeavors, executed in Washington D.C. by at least the 30 registered lobbyists that the Koch Industries employs, include fighting against any tax or public interest that stands against them making more money. (Farrell, publicintegrity.org) It is no coincidence that the Koch Brothers’ Super PACs are primarily made up of non-profit corporation donations, which hinders disclosure laws and allows the multi-million dollar donations to remain being from an anonymous source. (Confessore, nytimes.com) Big business owners of this kind are the same people shelling out the big bucks to the candidates that play their cards right. Candidates who reform their views to fit what these business executives want are the same ones receiving the checks, and votes, in the end.

Integrity in government affairs is something every American expects. The behind the scenes reality of presidential elections has long caused fear in the minds of informed voters. The reality is that politicians do not have the means to fund their own election, it has to come from an outside source. The wave of the Super PAC era has many it’s many downfalls, downfalls that the government does not deny, but also does not currently know how to fix. Until the Super PACs become a fair and honest method of bringing in money, then elections will continually have candidates whose agenda is altered indirectly or directly by campaign finance money. Once it is all said and done, someone will be on the stage smiling and waving to the crowd to accept their victory and another person will be on stage elsewhere congratulating their opponent on their win. Maybe the only difference between the two is not how much support they have acquired through their campaign, but rather how much money.

 

Works Cited

Confessore, Nicholas. “Koch Brothers’ Budget of $889 Million for 2016 Is on Par With Both Parties’ Spending.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 26 Jan. 2015. Web. 2 Oct. 2015. <http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/27/us/politics/kochs-plan-to-spend-900-million-on-2016-campaign.html?_r=1&gt;.

Farrell, John Aloysius. “Koch’s Web of Influence.” Center for Public Integrity. 6 Apr. 2011. Web. 2 Oct. 2015. http://www.publicintegrity.org/2011/04/06/3936/kochs-web-influence?utm_source=publicintegrity&utm_medium=social_media&utm_campaign=twitter&gt;.

Huq, Husna. “Election 101: Five Basics about ‘super PACs’ and 2012 Campaign Money.” The Christian Science Monitor. The Christian Science Monitor, 27 Oct. 27. Web. 2 Oct. 2015. <http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Elections/2011/1007/Election-101-Five-basics-about-super-PACs-and-2012-campaign-money/What-do-super-PACs-aim-to-do-How-might-that-influence-the-2012-vote&gt;.

“Nine Things You Need to Know about Super PACs.” Sunlight Foundation Blog. 31 Jan. 2012. Web. 2 Oct. 2015. <http://sunlightfoundation.com/blog/2012/01/31/nine-things-you-need-know-about-super-pacs/&gt;.

Overby, Peter. “Attacking Super PACs Fueled By Anonymous Donors.” NPR. NPR, 5 Jan. 2012. Web. 2 Oct. 2015. <http://www.npr.org/2012/01/05/144698884/attacking-super-pacs-fueled-by-anonymous-donors&gt;.

“PACs.” Opensecrets RSS. Web. 2 Oct. 2015. <https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacfaq.php&gt;.

“Super PACs.” Opensecrets RSS. Web. 2 Oct. 2015. <https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/superpacs.php&gt;.

“The 2012 Money Race: Compare the Candidates.” The New York Times. Web. 2 Oct. 2015. <http://elections.nytimes.com/2012/campaign-finance&gt;.

 

The Road to Super PAC Reform

The Super PAC was given birth following the subsequent court cases of Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission and the SpeechNOW.org vs. Federal Election Commission. This overturned the previously held Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, in which it was ruled corporations could not privately gather funds to run ads to support or to stand against a candidate. Following the two court cases the Super PAC was born. Unlike it’s counterpart, the Political Action Committee (or known simply a PAC), who can only only accept $5,000 per individual per election, the Super PAC can accept unlimited sums of money from any corporation or individual. Super PACs (formally known as independent-expenditure only committees) cannot directly contribute to a campaign like PACs can, but their influence through running ads is as important of an asset as any direct campaign contribution. These unlimited sums of cash to these groups has caused underground back-lash, but as the controversial campaign finance reform progresses, the big companies are still-for the time being- getting the last laugh. The Super PACs and their side effects have to be reformed to allow citizens, not companies, to be the ones to build up campaign donations.

Who can vote in United States government elections? Well that answer seems simple enough, American citizens are the only ones with the power to vote. Why is it that citizens are the ones with the power to vote, but that corporations are the ones with the power to fund campaigns of the ones that are getting voted on? Evan Osnos of The New Yorker explores this idea when he quotes Lawrence Lessig in his article Embrace The Irony where he examines the political movement Lessig, a law professor at Harvard has coalesced “’the government is dependent on the few and not on the many.’ He cites The Federalist No. 57: ‘Madison told us that ‘the people’ meant ‘not the rich more than the poor,’’” (Osnos)

There is a core misconception that private companies, non-profit and for-profit alike, can lead the American populous to who We The Peopleshould vote for. Who benefits from Super PAC money? Are citizens empowered through this system? The short answer to the latter question is no. The ones that reap the benefits throughout every election cycle are the special-interests donors that use their inside lane with authority figures to influence power. In order to fix this issue, we must amend the Constitution to allow campaign voters to have the sole power to fund elections, without the influence of corporations. When it comes to Super PACs, we should “hate the game, not the player.” All in all, until the government rids itself of the campaign finance loopholes that cause a realm of organized crime, the politicians will continue to work with the avenue they have. When it comes to politicians using their Super PAC money, its similar to a saying of my former football coach Chad Eads, “No one is a thieve, until the are given the opportunity to steal.” And in government ventures, the opportunities are bountiful.

Even if a politician running for office can get by without Super PAC money for their campaign, they still feel the pressure to play the cards they were dealt. Former Indiana Senator Evan Bayh states that in his experience he has found that “the single greatest fear of any incumbent is that thirty days before an election, some anonymously funded Super PAC will drop $1 million against him.” (Lessig) Politicians have to game-plan, they work within the bounds of the system they are placed in.

Since the dawn of mankind, humans have allied themselves with other groups when entering into combat and traditionally, successful militaries have kept powerful allies. Super PACs act as allies to politicians, while the politician him/ herself might be capable of winning the head on head election alone, the playing field would turn lopsided if only the opposition only used Super PAC money. In order to compete, everyone must be involved. “Whether or not members of Congress ever engage in any quid pro quo bribery, at an institutional level, our Congress is corrupt.”(Lessig) This is also another reason politicians can not be the ones standing out against Super PACs, because if they come out against Super PACs then good-luck to them trying to make up lost donor money. When entering into “political warfare” it is no different. Their opposition has rounded up support, only the naïve would believe they can be victorious without similar action. When Lawrence Lessig compares asking a small number of people for big donations compared to asking for thousands of people for small donations, he points out the “rational strategy” as “Hunt the whale, and leave the shrimp.” (Lessig)

Super PACs kill the concern of the common man (i.e. the voters), and replaces it with the voice of big corporations (i.e. the funders). Donors are the whale, each kill adds up tremendously. Voters are the shrimp, and while the shrimp is important to eat as well, it is much more efficient to go after the Whale instead. Corruption ensues as a concept, not by design. “93% of the itemized funds raised by Super PACs from individuals in 2011 came in contributions of at least $10,000, from just twenty-three out of every 10 million peoplein the U.S. population.” (Lioz, Bowie) That means roughly 734 individuals were responsible for 93% of the individually donated money in 2011. Forget the 1%, we are talking about the 0.00023% that has the money and the will to donate to government elections. Out of the over 18 million businesses in the US, only 566 chose to donate to Super PACs in 2011. (dmdatabases.com) (Lioz, Bowie) Again this figure is way lower than the cliché 1% theory, given only 0.00311% of businesses have exercised their means to donate.

What’s the big deal? Many Americans assume the ones with the will to donate must really care about politics, while most would rather just vote, considering that is the free way to be democratic. A key issue is missed through this thinking; it is not the corporations or individuals with a political ideology in mind who make up the majority of Super PAC donations. It’s the ones with something to gain in return. For instance; unemployment, currently a major problem in the USA, has yet to come to a bi-partisan medium to help continually lower the unemployment rate. A study from the Russell Sage Foundation concluded that wealthy correspondents were two-fifths less likely to list unemployment as a major problem. Imagine what issues could be resolved if the general public were the ones who found, funded and elected an official to government office. Instead of big names getting free pre-mature exposure, long before their announcement of candidacy, The US could have a political system in which merit and good deeds propel them to the top. With no money or outside influence, a nominee would be able to preach their true agenda. Their true intentions towards any given legislation would not be contested due to an outside corporation’s influence. The general public was one-third less interested in US National Deficit then the wealthy correspondent were. It is important to note that the lower the deficit equals higher quality of life, which equals more spending. (Lioz, Bowie) It is a never ending circle of strategically placed congressman, senators, and executive officers who, through the campaign finance support of big business, time and time consolidate those cash-guzzlers along the way.

What politicians in their right mind would stand up and preach higher taxes on big business? Who would sacrifice their political career to stand up against big business? Well very few politicians do and/or follow through with promises that would effect major corporations because of the sobering fear that their motivation on key issues that has gotten them thus far is no longer acceptable if they wish to run any kind of successful campaign in the future. Clean energy laws and incentives, what a moral obligation. An obligation to save the world and to promote clean-renewable energy. Who owns the oil market? That’s right, the same major corporations that donate these large sums of money. Even if their profits are indirectly related to oil, corporations would rather keep their ways intact than to dare try a modify to renewable energy. These corporations, who also do public lobbying, are the ones behind the scenes donating money to ensure no part of their business can be affected.

A system in place that allows anonymous donors, what a concept. People writing five to seven figure checks towards the politician of their choosing must be shy and want to remain anonymous to hide their passion, right? Wrong. 6.4% of funds cant be easily traced back to the source. (Lioz, Bowie) David Weigel argues that through the empowerment of Super PACs “we know more about those (donors) than we know about the bundlers, who’ve been passing money under the table for years. So which of those systems is worse for our democracy?” Yes David, instead of making politicians do “under the table” deals, we now make them do it out in the open. Instead of having them risk federal jail time, not to mention their entire career, we allow our politicians to funnel money in a system of publically announced bribes.Not only is big business winning, but also it makes common issues become drowned out. “In the largest empirical analysis of policy decisions to date by government, Martin Gilens and Benjamin Page conclude that ‘economic elites and organized groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on U.S. governmental policy, while average citizens and mass-based interest groups have little or no independent influence.’” (Lessig)

In order to find the solution for this version of this “cash for bribe” business, we must first find the core misdeed the Super PAC entails. The majority of Americans have a few bucks to spare for elections, but would rather the big-wig culture of donation money just continue to be dominated by the 0.00023% that our nation’s politicians invest so much mutual exchange in. A public funded political election system would take out Wall Street/big businesses with their secret motives and would create a landscape where every small contribution counts, just as a vote does. If Super PACs become reformed through public funding, then maybe one day a small voice will have the power to make his or her platform just as level as their rich opponent. Super PACs empower the rich and drown out the voice of the poor. The rich by consequence of design take full advantage of money-levering opportunities. How can the government effectively intervene and reverse a decision that has already had a major impact?

The answer is reform through public funding. Voting is supposed to be a constitutional right to citizens, so why isn’t funding the same way? If campaign finance was regulated to small donors only, then the voice of the common man could prosper. Getting rid of outside funders can make our future election styles be compliments of the people, and not the puppet-master shows hosted by campaign-donors. With finance caps, like the ones already in place for PACs, the election process can rid itself of Super PACs. Declaring that the voters of elections have the only power to fund campaigns makes the voters’ issues the ones that will be acknowledged. Awareness of this topic is all that America needs to realize how toxic the “Free Speech” of independent campaign finance can be.

 

“The consequence of this decision, of course, was to weaken the right of association. But that right — like every right within our constitutional scheme — is not absolute. It instead must compete with other more fundamental rights, including the truly fundamental right to an effective representative form of government.”-Professor Lawrence Lessig

 

 

Works Cited

Lioz, Adam. “Auctioning Democracy: The Rise of Super PACs and the 2012 Election.”                               Auctioning Democracy: The Rise of Super PACs and the 2012 Election. N.p., 8 Feb.                   2012. Web. 20 Nov. 2015

Explanation:. The Democracy Is for People Amendment (n.d.): n. pag. Web.

“Bernie Sanders on Political & Electoral Reform.” FeelTheBernorg. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov.                      2015.

“News Releases.” 20111006postcarey. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2015.

What Did the Court Decide in Citizens United? – Free Speech for People.” Free Speech for                         People. N.p., 27 Nov. 2009. Web. 21 Nov. 2015.

Weigel, David. “Why Super PACs Are Good for Democracy.” N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2015.

“Lawrence Lessig v. Citizens United – The New Yorker.” The New Yorker. N.p., n.d. Web. 21                     Nov. 2015

Is The Grass Greener On The Other Side?

Heinrich Heine takes on the desires people feel in the most abstract way imaginable. In his poem, “A pine is standing lonely,” stylized as “[A pine is standing lonely],” Heine uses the cliché concept of the grass always seeming greener on the other side. The narrative of the pine is one that can be seen as a story of considering all outcomes, before making a regretful decision. Heine sets up this poem to force the reader to retrospect on their own desires to see whether or not their wants are like the pine’s envy: misplaced. Heine speaks of the emotions of a lonely pine tree that is personified as being envious of a palm tree:

1                        A pine is standing lonely

In the North on a bare plateau

He sleeps; a bright white blanket

Enshrouds him in ice and snow.

 

5                       He’s dreaming of a palm tree

Far away in the Eastern land

Lonely and silent mourning

On a sunburnt rocky strand.  (1, page 991)

The pine longs to get away from his icy confinements and to live like the palm tree, who gets to sunbathe in the warm weather. In this poem, Heine is using the source domain of a pine’s envy, to represent the target domain of humans falsely believing the grass is greener on the other side. Every detail of this poem enshrines the theme of misplaced desires. The first note is that the “pine is standing lonely.” (line 1) This relates to how human nature tends focus on the qualities that seem less than ideal foremost. It is not until the last two lines that the poet notes the negatives of the palm. This is much like how people tend to overlook the downsides of the things they desire. This is because the want for change is greater than a logical examination to how change would actually effect the person.

The “bare plateau” referenced is a symbol of living a stagnant lifestyle. (line 2) Aside from the literal geographical definition of a plateau, which is “An elevated tract of comparatively flat or level land,” Oxford English Dictionary also defines it as “In extended use: a state or period of little or no change following a period of activity or progress.”_2,3 The plateau of the pine represents a state of being where no uphill, or positive, progress is being made. Instead of living this way, the pine dreams of escaping to the “strand” that is in the “Eastern land.” (line 6) Strand, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is “the land bordering a sea, lake, or river.”₄ The bodies of water that a strand references are the same bodies of water that many people use as a place of comfort and luxury. Instead of living a boring, non-progressive lifestyle, the pine is longing for the comfort of a place such as the strand where he can get away from the realities of life. (line 5)

Ironically, the reader finds out that the palm tree is also lonely and “silently mourning.” (line 7) This relates to contemporary times. In a world of Instagram and Facebook, people judge others based off of the “likes” they acquire while presenting examples of the best their life has. In some saddening cases, people will become anorexic trying to obtain the body type they want. On the surface, they get the outcome they desire, which is the “likes” and the admiration of others. However, just like the palm tree, there is a silent mourning behind the scenes. This says something about the things people want and how it actually feels to have those things. The pine, who wishes to break free from his “bright white blanket” of snow, is taking for granted that his lifestyle, albeit seemingly not lavish, provides the necessary cushion to be able to sleep and dream. (line 3) The palm tree does not have this luxury of comfort, even though it seems that the palm basks in glory. Much like a famous celebrity having a breakdown from their overwhelming lifestyle, the palm tree has been in the sun far too long, to the point of diminishing returns. These longings the pine has are the same types of longings that causes people to become addicted to drugs and alcohol. Instead of appreciating what they have, people will binge drink to feel better. Their sober-self desires the feelings of drunkenness so much that they do not consider the destruction unfolding due to the same things they are trying to feel their emptiness with. While aiming for comfort, people can become victim to a “rocky” lifestyle, as exemplified by the palm. (line 8)

The structure of the poem is broken up evenly so, half is about the pine, and half is about the palm. The mirror style of this unique structure allows the reader to think about the mirror situations that both trees are in. It is fair to say that the palm most likely dreams of changing his or her conditions and location as well, since he or she is in mourning. This furthers the ideal that the desired outcomes might not be in line with what the reality of the situation is, especially in this example. Heine is warning the reader to appreciate what they have and not to wish their life away. Just as they do not see the positives in their own lives, and dwell on the negatives, the mirror is also true. They overlook the negatives in the lives they desire and only dwell on the positives.

Heine uses figurative comparisons in his work which allows his readers to question their desires, without giving a concrete difference between what is right and wrong. “[A pine is standing lonely]” causes the reader to reflect and analyze the things they seek after. Heine does not say to stray away from one way of life over another, but wants the reader to examine whether a change to a particular lifestyle would truly manifest happiness. Instead of giving an answer on how to escape the dreams the reader might have, Heine invokes a situation where the desires are misguided, making the reader ponder on their own unhelpful longings. This allows the reader to introspect on what could undoubtedly fulfill themselves. Heine begs the question, “is the grass greener on the other side?” One might find out that when the superficial concerns are out of the equation, the grass could be even darker on the sought after side.

 

 

 

 

 

Works Cited

1. Heine, Heinrich. “[A pine is standing lonely].” The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Gen. ed. Martin Puchner. 3rd ed. Vol. 2. New York: Norton, 2012. (991)
2. “plateau, v.1.” OED online. Oxford University Press, June 18. Web. 15 June 2018.
3. “plateau, v.3.” OED online. Oxford University Press, June 18. Web. 15 June 2018.
4. “strand, v.1.” OED online. Oxford University Press, June 18. Web. 15 June 2018.

Listening to The Song of Walt Whitman

When analyzing the mind and works of an ambiguous poet, many considerations must be made. Walt Whitman, the “Father of Free Verse,” created his own lane to relate his wonder at the divinity of nature and life around him. His most famous work, Song of Myself, is an epic poem that is a semi-continual train of thought in which Whitman carefully notes the important and unimportant interactions that guide his life. To mimic Whitman, it takes an outlook focused on mindfulness and associations between all distant portions of life. When viewing the world like Whitman, the metaphors, imagery, and symbolism do not have to be forced. Instead, the world view through Whitman’s eyes causes one to see connections, to appreciate surroundings, and to comprehend the broadermeaning of life. His transcendentalist themes are not coerced upon the reader in whole; instead Whitman’s perceived relationship between his soul and physical existence guide to the discovery of transcendentalist ideals. In order to express his vantage point of the world, Whitman wrote of his own life muses, with hopes the reader would apply his thought process to his or her unique reality in order to distinguish the physical from the soul and to emulate the fairness of nature.

In order to convey his vantage point, Whitman made his intentions known early on in Song of Myself. His work was to celebrate his soul and every atom of his body, for in his eyes what is his belongs to everyone. He believed his perception of existence was to the benefit of others and that his consciousness could be a guide on how to maximize the acknowledgement of genuine good. His imagery allows others to conceptualize his self and surroundings. Whitman’s initial observations include descriptions of breathing and sweating, smells of green and dry leaves and the hay in barns, sights of rocks from the sea, and the sounds of his own heartbeat and voice (1). These descriptions are important, because people from all walks of life can relate to many of those same sights, sounds and smells. This furthers Whitman’s ideal that we are all one and the same, experiencing the same things, albeit in different ways. He caps off his second poem with one of the most straightforward calls to action within Song of Myself: “You shall no longer take things at second or third hand….nor look through the eyes of the dead….nor feed on the spectres in books, You shall not look through my eyes either, nor take things from me, You shall listen to all sides and filter them for yourself” (Whitman 2). Notice that he does not wish for the reader to take him at his word, instead he wishes for the reader to use his vantage point to form his or her own conclusion. Whitman furthers this ideal of wanting the reader to understandhis thinking by saying, “These are the thoughts of all men in all ages and lands, they are not original with me, If they are not yours as much as mine they are nothing or next to nothing” (15). Whitman confirms that it is not his life and mind capturing these ideals, but rather that many generations of people before him thought in this transcendental manner.

Once the reader has begun envisioning the world through the transcendentalist lens, he or she must also come to differentiate what humans do to survive, versus what humans do to live. This differentiation can be described as the battle of the physical existence versus feeding the soul, or as the needs of the body versus desires of the heart. Whitman begins to shape the difference between these two realms in order to distinguish the worthwhile from empty fulfillment. Whitman brings up news of current events, companions he keeps, books he reads, impressions left upon him by others throughout his life, family illnesses, his own illnesses, his depression, and intermediate money hardships (3). All of these wide-ranging topics are brought to light for one simple reason: none of these topics divulge into the content of his everlasting soul. Whitman says of these things: “They come to me days and nights and go from me again, But they are not the Me myself” (4). Myself is a metaphor for his soul, his true self. He believes the two must be separated, as to not interfere with the function of the other, he says, “I believe in you my soul….the other I am must not abase itself to you, And you must not be abased to the other” (Whitman 4). This line represents living for the body versus living for the mind, a mixture of such should be like oil and water. Whitman wants the reader to waste no time convoluting the two. The reader must tend to his or her curiosities, separate from physical survival, and must fully believein his or her own self-worth, in order to give his or her soul the adequate attention needed. Speaking on death, Whitman speculates, “The souls moving along….are they invisible while the least atom of stones is visible?” (7). This sentence is deeper than face value. He separates two worlds in this line: the physical and the spiritual. Just as the reader might see and admire nature (smallest atoms of stones), they should also take time to comprehend the spirit (the invisible). Although it is unseen, the soul is the most important aspect of life as Whitman knows it.

Whitman views the natural world of plants, animals, earth and oceans as the purest form of the soul, the embodiment of all that is serene. Whitman focuses a great deal of time to describe the tranquility of nature. Humans originated from nature by design, but as any good transcendentalist knows, these natural instincts have been flushed out by societal values and manmade institutions. The impartiality that nature possesses has been around since before the readers’ time and will continue to exist once the readers pass. When questioned by a child about what blades of grass were, Whitman begins to investigate where this grass could originate from. Was it a reminder from God? Was it the former atoms of another human? To Whitman it was both. Nonetheless this grass had a unique quality for American life in the 1850’s, because the grass was “growing among black folks as among white” (Whitman 5). Whitman continues his equality in nature theme in poem seventeen by proclaiming: “This is the grass that grows wherever the land is and the water is, This is the common air that bathes the globe” (15). While lying in nature, Whitman longs to be one with nature. Whitman invites an unknown companion to “loafe” with him on the grass, and wants to hear from them (4). However, he does not want to hear them speak nor sing, all he wants is to hear is “the hum of (their) valved voice” (Whitman 4). Just as listening to the birds who sing and the wind that brushes through the trees, he wants to hear the sounds that have no verbal meaning but have tremendous connotation and emotion nonetheless. The types of sounds that cannot be differentiated by education or dialect, these sounds are common amongst all races and represent the unadulterated form of emotion that nature portrays.

Whitman’s formula to guide his readers is to get them to take a look from his view, to compartmentalize living to exist against living for the soul, and to let nature be the overarching model. Whitman is as much a disciple to the transcendentalist movement as he is an author. His aspirations are to challenge the common ways of thinking, and this challenge can still be applied today. Whitman views himself as just like anyone else, and his plight to redefine human existence is that of a cooperative effort between himself and the reader. The concept of uncovering truths is Whitman handing the reader the flashlight, instead of just shining a light. Whitman wants the reader to understand the distinction between what one sees, hears, and does versus what one feels, thinks and loves. To Whitman, the physical has its place, but the soul has needs of much greater importance. One hundred and sixty odd years later, humans are still living unfulfilled lives based on the necessities of jobs and food, rather than based on passions. Lastly, Whitman wants us to take nature for what it is and to find the deeper connection between humans and all the other inhabitants of the earth. If only humans could learn from nature, instead of continually taking away from it, then a sustainable environment and peace amongst all nations could be attained.

 

Works Cited

¹Whitman, Walt. Song Of Myself. Dover Thrift Editions ed., Dover Publications, Inc., 2001.

Black, Barren Land (Inspired by Walt Whitman)

[1]

Fury within, Volcanoes erupt.

The tongue releases, The lava destroys.

Words in the open, ash reigns down.

Salt-water hardens the new black, barren land;

No shovel nor digger, can forge this new earth.

The reality of life, it crumbles to sand.

No escape from the purge;

The black, barren land is what is deserved.

Though new life may arise among the dark rock,

The time bomb awaits: tick-tock, tick-tock.

 

[2]

Opportunity in the mineral rich fields;

The singers of the sky, become the planters of below.

Time and nurture, rain and sun,

Untouched green growth creates new homes.

Fisherman discover this isle between the salt domains,

Amongst them are builders, brute and stout.

Touched growth now creates new homes,

Crowding the land of the ensemble.

A dock arises, bringing new audience members.

[3]

Strangers in the neighborhood of the opera.

The best friends of man, they come accounted for.

Their companionship warms the hearts of the fishers and builders.

Little do they know, more than accounted for,

The hitchhikers of the stow, underneath deck boards.

First came the rats, who scurry amongst the grass,

White droppings leaving a track.

Slitherers join, curled up inside crates,

Aromas hinting at the feast that awaits.

Amongst all, the singers sing their songs,

No dialogue, but their hums speak all.

Who can we thank for this isle of bliss?

The rats feed, the snakes feed, the dogs patiently sit.

Fresh air, fresh fish, the trees available for supplies,

Should we be thanking the singers of the skies?

Contingent on man, this place shall flourish;

Contingent on man, this place will remain harmonious.

Are the singers wishing the fishers and builders away?

Are their songs the prayers of surrender?

May the divine intervene man’s will;

May the circle of life remain turning still.

The gift of nature, it is one with all.

The dark sand of the shores is a token of the past,

For if it were up to man, balance wouldn’t last.

What would happen if the isle became owned by man?

This place would return to black, barren land.

 

 

“Heart Burn” and “The Wrong Pipe”

That feeling many people across the world struggle with: Heart Burn. How is it that the common term to describe the feeling of indigestion and an acid burnt throat came to be known as “heart burn”? Also, what is going on when people refer to that choking feeling of food going down the “wrong pipe”? Taking a look at the anatomy of the digestive system paints the full picture.

Upon consuming food the stomach, which is the primary site of pepsin and HCl, breaks down proteins with pepsinogen, has parietal cells that serve as a defense, and absorbs acidic drugs. This pathway from mouth to stomach proceeds as:  mouth -> pharynx -> epiglottis -> esophagus -> cardiac sphincter -> stomach, and then leaves through the pyloric sphincter to enter the small intestine.

Just this small portion of the digestive system can answer our two questions above.

The before reaching the stomach, the cardiac sphincter is in place to prevent acidic back flow of stomach acid into the esophagus. The pyloric sphincter prevents acidic flow from the stomach to the small intestine. The name-sake of the cardiac sphincter is it’s relative closeness to the heart. When experiencing “heart burn” it simply means your cardiac sphincter has failed it’s job, allowing stomach acid to enter the esophagus. Cardiac sphincter allowing stomach acid to burn your throat = heart burn. There is no function of the heart associated with this except for the name-sake given to the primary sphincter.

The pharynx is associated with the digestive and respiratory system, the esophagus is only a part of the digestive system. To separate these two systems, the epiglottis decides whether to allow in-take to travel to the lungs, as with breathing, or whether to allow the consumption to travel to the esophagus and to the stomach, as with eating. When someone is choking on food, and it is attributable to “going down the wrong pipe,” the phrase has a literal meaning. The wrong pipe means something meant for the digestive system has entered the respiratory system, due to failure of the epiglottis.

 

Two commonly used phrases explained by a simple overview of the digestive system routes.