Survey Your Friends

Survey

The survey participants were asked the question “If you knew you were dying, what five regrets would you have about your life, about the way you’ve lived your life?” The participants included three males and two females.

Gender

Age

Ethnicity/ race

Respondent 1

Female

21

Caucasian

Respondent 2

Female

21

African-American

Respondent 3

Male

20

African

Respondent 4

Male

22

Non-white Hispanic

Respondent 5

Male

21

Caucasian

Respondent 1 was a female, was 21 a Caucasian having an age of 21 years. The respondent stated that her five regrets include; her inability of enjoying life to the fullest, I wouldn’t have lived to fulfill other’s expectations, unnecessary worry for future, giving more time to work and overthinking. She mentioned I failed to live a happy life due to my attempts of making others happy. If I knew I had little time to live, I wouldn't worry about the future and get rid of my overthinking.

Respondent 2 was an African-American female of 21 years. She expressed her five regrets as; I could be happier, I could work hard, anti-social life, I wish I had worried less and forgiven more. She expressed that I could have been happier if I had a better social life, but I failed to do that because I was unable to forgive people for little things.

Respondent 3 was an African-American male having an age of 20 years. He identified his most important regrets as; I wish I had lived my life, I cared less about people who made me feel bad, I had worried less and lived happily. He mentioned I always bothered people who annoyed me and it made me feel bad. I would have lived a better and happy life if I learned to forgo things.

Respondent 4 was a non-white Hispanic male of 22 years who stated that his regrets include; I wish I had faced my fears, I didn't spend time on wrong things, I could be happier, I could have worried less, and I had been honest. He expressed, I was weak to face fears, and if only I learned to deal with that I would be happier.

Respondent 5 was a 21 years old Caucasian male identified his regrets as; I wish I would have worked less, enjoyed more, stayed honest with others, I would be more friendly and lived happily.

The results of the respondents depict that everyone wished they could have lived a happy life if they knew they had to die. They would worry less about things and give more time to the enjoyment. This show that the art of happiness lies in dealing with the problems and sufferings of the world. People have some goals in life, and when they fail to achieve them, they become unhappy (Burnett 2018). Overthinking and worries discourage happiness, joy and restrain people from living life with its full potential. The results suggest that ethnicity/ race does not influence the thoughts of respondents because everyone wished to live more happily. McMahon states, “the pursuit of human happiness, it would seem, has been with us from the start” (McMahon 2006: 2).

My regrets before dying are; I wish I had worried less, loved people more, worked less, faced fears and lived happily. Bok mentioned that happiness is linked to life’s satisfaction (Bok 2010). I think we lack the art of attaining happiness because we associate it with our goals or things (Davis 2017). When we fail to deal with the problems or sufferings, we become worried and unhappy (White 2017). If I knew I had to die, I would work less and give more time to things that made me feel better (Lama 1998).

References

BIBLIOGRAPHY Burnett, D. 2018. The true secret of happiness? Accepting that there isn't one. Retrieved 02 03, 2019, from https://www.theguardian.com/science/brain-flapping/2018/may/03/the-true-secret-of-happiness-accepting-that-there-isnt-one

Bok, D. 2010. The Politics of Happiness: What Government Can Learn from the New Research on Well-Being. Princeton University Press.

Davis, T. 2017. What Makes You Happy in Life? (And How to Do It) . Retrieved 02 03, 2019, from https://www.berkeleywellbeing.com/what-makes-you-happy.html

Degges-White, S. 2017. The Secret to Happiness. Retrieved 02 03, 2019, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/lifetime-connections/201703/the-secret-happiness

Lama, D. 1998. The Art of Happiness. Hachette.

McMahon, D. 2006. Happiness: A History. NY: Atlantic Monthly Press.