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Individual Satisfaction, The Best Tasting Apples, and The Pursuit of Happiness?

Individual Satisfaction, The Best Tasting Apples, and The Pursuit of Happiness?

Can a Nation's GDP determine individual satisfaction. How does the best tasting apple teach us about counseling practices? Is main character energy a good thing?

Zachary Nailon
December 12, 2022

Psychology

A Nations GDP Can Determine a Person's Well-Being?

Developed in 1972, Amartya Sen's Theory of Human Development looked to identify how significantly countries with different amounts of wealth and access to resources contributed to "valuable human achievements". To answer this question, Sen observed countries with different GDP's (A known metric for determining a countries financial position) to see what their people's overall satisfaction was. Before Sen's Theory, it was commonly believed that the wealthier the country was, the more access they had to resources, and thus, the higher it's people's satisfaction would be.

Amartya Sen was able to identify that a countries wealth does in some part impact the countries people, it cannot be the stand alone metric in which to determine that countries citizen's overall satisfaction. Sen believed that there were still a variety of other factors that needed to be looked at as well such as life expectancy, education, income and gender inequality, and political freedom.

What's interesting about Sen's theory however, is how it's principles can be individualized as well. Many people today believe that the wealthier an individual is, the better their well-being and satisfaction is. While wealth is certainly a benefit, and provides some impact to an individuals satisfaction, there are still a variety of other factors humans need to be aware of to truly improve and manage their well-being.

What are the main factors that impact your own satisfaction? Read more here!

Getting Ahead and Falling Behind A Sociological Elaboration of Sen's Theory

https://drive.google.com/file/d/19qlVKnenHM8pVh83e8q3uyoAfl9pONI3/view?usp=sharing

"The two most important days in your life are the day your born and the day you find out why"

Mark Twain

Education

A new model for Educational Counseling?

The justification for both educational and clinical mental health counselors to adopt an evidence-based practice (EBP) is made in a study conducted at Southern Connecticut State University. Evidence-based practice is a style of counseling that utilizes techniques and strategies grounded in scientific research. In comparison to a field-based approach (FBP), it is argued that EBP provides better transparency, and in turn more effectiveness.

Suppose you are at the grocery store wanting to find the best tasting apple to buy. Let's observe two different companies apples found on the hypothetical shelf.

Company 1 has a label that says "#1 BEST TASTING APPLE" while Company 2 has a label that says, "Voted Best Tasting Apple by over 100 Farmers"

Company 1 in this case would be executing a Field-Based Approach. It is much more general, and is thus subject to reader interpretation. How the individual perceives the apple taste determines it's success.

Company 2 is using the Evidence-Based approach. The value of the apple is grounded in research by professionals in that respective field. This provides the reader with a much more clear understanding of how tasteful that apple will be to the field-based approach of Company 1.

So which companies apple do you think has a higher likelihood of actually tasting better?

barriers to evidence based counseling practices a counselor educator training model.pdf

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vqBMwy9IqefqozgLEhoFNMrmmCsLHKo8/view?usp=sharing

BONUS!

Main Character Mindset

A recent tiktok sound has gone viral. This particular sound showcases a brief statement from a soft spoken feminine sounding person advising to view your life as if you are the main character. Paradox Politics developed an article based off this sound, making the argument that,

"happiness is linked to the PURSUIT of happiness rather than the HAPPINESS itself"

To break this down, main character syndrome is an ideology in which an individual views their specific journey from where they are in the present, to their perceived peak form they have yet to become. Due to this, the individual dedicates all their time, resources, and energy pursuing that peak form believing that is when happiness will be achieved rather than dedicating that very time towards activities that will bring them happiness in the present.

Furthermore, main character syndrome is often connected to "capitalist realism" in the sense that social media today constantly broadcast fictitious realities that any individual could in turn view as a potential future self. TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram, provide a platform focused on maintaining individual engagement on their platform. To do this the app algorithm is constantly suggesting content meant to encourage people to stay online. The dilemma however, is maintaining engagement does not always align with happiness, or even a pursuit of any happiness. It is argued social media platforms only provide an unbelievably saturated volume of potential "future selves" without contributing to any growth in happiness whatsoever.

From The Founder

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