Searching for Happiness

What is a song that makes you happy?

Um, "Paris" by Magic Man

[song]

[laughter]

Like Rocky

[song]

[laughter]

Ironic

Timer two minutes

[phone - Siri (?)] Ok, two minutes counting

[laughter]

Just you look, what a coincidence [?]

Ok, can you introduce yourself please?

To you or the camera?

[Camera Person]
To me.

Ok

Um, I'm Mike Thomas, I'm a fifth year CS student

and I just got out of a test

My name is Jeff [unintelligible],

I was just walking around,
because I was here for a conference

Happiness.. is... uh

You need a good place, spiritually

physically, emotionally...

Being at a place you want to be in life.

It's being on a journey to that point where

you feel that sensation of being happy.

Having something to wake up in the morning for

Fulfilment.

Like, not in a material way but a spiritual way.

When I feel something warm

inside of my heart,

like it just spreads out through my body

and then, like, something just releases

in the back of my brain and then

the smile comes out.

When you smile a lot

and when you're, like,

surrounded by people that you love

and that love you.

Spending good quality time with friends.

Family... friends...

and just doing what you love.

Mainly doing what you love.

Doing what you enjoy

for the most amount of time possible.

Finding what you want

and doing what you want.

[unintelligible - background noise]

... a way to improve and move forward.

You're kind of content

with where you're at,

you're no longer constantly

thinking of the past or the future.

[Camera person] Do you guys have a song

that makes you happy right now?

Right now it's probably

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.

[plays song in background]

[Camera Person]
Is there something about, like,

drugs that make you happy?

Um not.. exactly.

It opens up your mind.

Nah really it just makes you [censored].

[laughs]

Makes you see cool [censored]

[song continues]

God.

Having a purpose.

Well, I think that it stems from

serotonine.

The creation of things

and as a computer scientist

I get to do that a lot,

like in a virtual environment.

And, um, it's the release of that

in my brain, or that and dopamine

are what makes me feel happy.

Trail running, climbing, being in the outdoors.

Our startup now.

Doing something that I do well

and being surround by people that

encourage me to do those things.

You gotta have people around you.

[Camera person]
Are you happy right now?

[laughs] Yes.

[Camera person] You are?

Yeah.

[Camera person]
Why? What's going on right now?

Because this is a little absurd to me.

[Camera person]
This is absurd?

In the moment yeah it's a good day.

Um... I'm apathetic.

No.

We went for a walk

and the air outside feels good.

Yeah... I guess, yeah.

No.

[Camera person] Why?

Um, because I'm uncomfortable.

Not currently, not where I want to be.

It's not super cold.

You know, cold is the opposite
of happiness.

And knowing that there is a God
and that we're living here

and make the most of our lives.

[Camera person]
What is a song that makes you happy?

Grace Kelly by Mika.

[Camera Person]
Can you sing a little bit for us?

No.

[Camera person]
Ok.

But you should put it in the background
as I'm speaking, I promise you.

[song]

For me it's to bring value to the world.
the way that I want to do that is by

being an entrepreneur, so any opportunity
that I have to build something, to create

something, and it benefits other people,
it makes me happy, it makes me very happy.

To contribute and help anyone I can
and get to heaven.

Spread the love. I know that's a a cliche
but that's what it's all about, right?

To serve.

God put me on this earth
to make a difference.

To help children.

I don't serve with the intent of making
myself feel good.

I think being happy is one of them,
definitely.

Many of us don't realize that we're
not far from the situations that

we, um, tend to ignore, such as
homelessness.

Somehow, you know, just giving back
to society or the environment.

A gentleman was eating out of a trashcan
at Tech Square and

people, who I'm pretty sure have healthy
bank accounts, were walking past him

but I bought him a meal. It's my
responsibility as a human.

Got a solid education,

so getting a good job,

feeling like I'm making a difference.

I'm in financial planning

so I deal with a lot of individuals

and just make sure that
they have financial security.

I think also being a nurse and working

with, you know, people who are not

- they are not as fortunate, and

it makes you realize what you have and

what you could not have.

Right now, it's like the people you meet

not the grades you make.

What song?

[Camera Person]
Yeah

[Indistinguishable, Latin ] - it's a very good song

it has a lot of like meaning into the song

that brings out my inner happiness.

Should I try singing a little part to it?

[Camera Person]
You can if you want to.

[Off-pitch singing]

[Actual song]

Yeah that's like one little excerpt

I wouldn't consider myself a religious guy.

I think there's no point in life without

a religious explanation, really.

Like I said, my definition of happiness has

nothing to do with religion.

For some it gives them hope.

I was raised Jewish, but I don't --

I'm not extremely religious

but I see how religion really can save somone.

[Camera Person]
Do you think there is a basis for happiness

without religion explanations?

Definitely.

[Camera Person]
Why?

Uh, because I'm Atheist.

Physiologically, happiness relates to

the way the brain interacts with

stimuli from the outside world.

The proposition that that stems from a

religious perspective is to me erroneous.

A song that makes me happy?

Oh, well [laughs]

I enjoy Fork, by 2 Chainz

[Fork - 2 Chainz]

I think you can pretty much completely

control your happiness.

Well you don't react to your environment

you learn how to, how to - it takes years,

but you learn how to move in your environment

You either change with it or you find

what's wrong with it and move out of it

or accept it.

Attitude is the only thing you've got

that you can control yourself.

So I think you have full control over how

happy you are.

Internally I like to meditate, focus.

But it's like the people around me that

really bring out my happiness.

I'm a pretty level person,

so I'm in control of my emotions.

When am I happy enough?

Um

Uh

Hmm

Um

When do I feel that I am happy enough?

Oh, never!

Are you guys engineers?

[Camera Person]
Yeah

Ok

[Camera person]
Or at least I am.

I wouldn't say that it's an "enough" thing.

I don't think you have quantify that.

It's more just like a state of being.

I wouldn't say that there are

degrees of happiness in my definition.

When you like, look at your life and

you're like, ok with it.

I guess when I'm content and in that I can

go to sleep at night and say,

ok that was a good day.

To be honest, I'll never be happy

because I see too much suffering.

When someone else

is also feeling that happiness.

[Indistinguishable]

It perpetuates.

I don't think you ever can be happy enough.

I just don't think so.

[Camera Person]
Why?

Because there's always going to be more.

[Music starts playing]
[Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Home]