Sharon BegleysHappiness Enough Already - 977 Words

In â€Å"Happiness: Enough Already,† Sharon Begley argues that happiness is overrated and it should not always be a priority in your life. Begley argues that although everyone’s goal in life is to be happy, â€Å"too much happiness might not be such a good thing† (555). Begley believes that happiness is overrated and the media is forcing people to be happy against their will. For example, the media forces people to be happy against their will by advertising their self-help books, magazine articles and motivational speakers. The media also promotes the pharmaceutical companies that claim they are â€Å"working on a new drug to make [people] happier† (556). Begley also states that research has concluded â€Å"that being happier is not always better† and â€Å"the†¦show more content†¦She is an â€Å"award-winning staff writer at Newsweek† and â€Å"has written scores of articles that decode the complexities of science for lay readers† (554). In addition, Begley also â€Å"wrote for the ‘Science Journal’ column for the Wall Street Journal† which  "first appeared on the Newsweek-affiliated Web site the Daily Beast† (554). These credentials are evidence that allow the reader to trust her as a reliable author. Begley’s article is also trustworthy because she introduces sources that have published research on happiness, are psychologists or psychiatrists, and support her argument. For example, Begley mentions Ed Diener, a psychologist â€Å"who has studied happiness for a quarter century† (555). She also mentions the global research that has concluded that the people with â€Å"the highest levels of happiness† tend to put in less effort into improving and changing their lives (556). Begley also supports her article by mentioning several examples of well-known people who used their â€Å"negative emotions, including sadness, to direct [their] thinking† (557). For example, Begley mentions that â€Å"Beethoven composed his later works in a melancholic funk† (557). Begley believes that the ne gative emotions that lead famous people to their critical thinking can also help people such as, college students (557). Begley’s article is mainly directed to college students, their parents and young adults. The article is directed to college students and young adults because