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(right-hand side = Vocab definitions, synonyms, prompts)

Is Happiness the Beginning or the End?
By Jamie Anderson

Happiness is considered so fundamental to the American way of life that it’s listed as one of only three “unalienable rights" in the Declaration of Independence. The wording used 200+ years ago – “the pursuit of Happiness” – indicated that happiness was to be found only at the end of a chase. Even now, it’s still widely believed that happiness is something you have to work hard for in order to earn.

But there’s a big problem with that viewpoint: we the people are terrible at finding happiness. A 2013 Gallup poll found that only 30% of us are happy at work; fully 70% of Americans, according to Gallup, “are emotionally disconnected from their workplaces and less likely to be productive” (qtd. in Adams). As a general rule, we can’t be happy in life if we aren’t happy in work. It’s where we spend most of our time, and it’s a large part of who we are. So ouch.

How can we get happier at work? It’s no secret that business journals and management courses have long been full of strategies for increasing productivity, which is supposed to lead to success and from there to raises and rejoicing all around. Why aren’t these ideas getting the job done?

Well, it could be because we’ve had things backward all this time, and that contrary to what we (and the Founding Fathers) assume, happiness should not be our destination but instead our starting point. Shawn Achor is one researcher who thinks that’s exactly the case. Achor began his career teaching a happiness course at Harvard and has since become a business consultant. His firm advertises a simple but lofty goal on its website: “to make you happier” (GoodThink).

Achor uses science to show that the formula of success leading to happiness needs to be reversed. As he writes in his best-selling book, “happiness and optimism actually fuel performance and achievement—giving us the competitive edge that I call the Happiness Advantage” (The Happiness Advantage 3-4). Watch his 2011 TED talk, “The Happy Secret to Better Work,” for a rundown:

http://www.ted.com/talks/shawn_achor_the_happy_secret_to_better_work

fundamental (adjective): Describes the most basic and important part of something.; synonym: necessary; prompts: unknown word

unalienable (adjective): Describes something that cannot be taken or given away.; synonym: absolute; prompts: unknown word

rights (plural noun): Principles of freedom that a person is ethically, morally, or legally entitled to have or to do.; synonym: civil liberties; prompts: unknown word

Declaration of Independence (proper noun): A document that announced that the thirteen American colonies were separating from Great Britain and forming their own sovereign state—the United States of America.; synonym: n/a; prompts: unknown proper noun

pursuit (noun): The act of trying to reach or find something.; synonym: search; prompts: unknown word

viewpoint (noun): A particular way of thinking about something.; synonym: perspective; prompts: unknown word

Gallup poll (noun): An opinion survey conducted by the Gallup company that reveals current trends and insights based on polling in a number of countries.; synonym: n/a; prompts: unknown proper noun

disconnected (adjective): Not attached to.; synonyms: separate, isolated; prompts: unknown word

journals (plural noun): Professional or academic publications.; synonym: research-based magazines; prompts: unknown word

management (noun): The practice of directing and controlling a company or endeavor.; synonym: administration; prompts: unknown word

strategies (plural noun): Plans to achieve a goal.; synonym: tactics; prompts: unknown word

productivity (noun): The rate at which goods are produced or that work is done.; synonym: efficiency; prompts: unknown word

rejoicing (verb): Celebrating.; synonym: feeling joy; prompts: proper noun

contrary (to) (adjective): Opposite to what is considered the general belief.; synonym: in contrast; prompts: unknown word

Founding Fathers (proper noun): The men who wrote and signed the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution.; synonym: n/a; prompts: unknown word

assume (verb): To believe something without evidence.; synonym: suppose; prompts: unknown word

researcher (noun): Someone who studies a subject carefully to find new information.; synonym: investigator; prompts: unknown word

consultant (noun): Someone hired to give guidance to others on a specialized subject.; synonym: advisor; prompts: unknown word

lofty (adjective): Describes a goal or idea that may be difficult to achieve.; synonyms: ambitious, high; prompts: unknown word

formula (noun): A scripted plan for reaching a goal.; synonym: blueprint; prompts: unknown word

reversed (verb): Moved in the opposite direction.; synonym: go backwards; prompts: unknown word

optimism (noun): A tendency to think that good things will happen.; synonym: hopefulness; prompts: unknown word

fuel (verb): To provide power to something.; synonym: drive; prompts: unknown word

achievement (noun): A result or goal reached through effort.; synonym: accomplishment; prompts: unknown word

competitive edge (noun): Something that helps a person or business be more successful than others.; synonym: advantage; prompts: unknown word

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(right-hand side = Vocab definitions, synonyms, prompts)

The short version of Achor’s lecture is that our brains are not wired to find lasting happiness from success, because once we achieve a goal, we move the goalposts. If we lose five pounds, we decide we should lose ten. If we get a raise, we soon start thinking about needing another one. In contrast, our brains are designed to respond well to happiness. Happiness stimulates the brain to release a chemical called dopamine, which increases learning and creativity. According to Achor, a happy brain is 31% more productive than an unhappy one.

The good news about Achor’s research is that it doesn’t just apply to the optimists among us. We can all train ourselves to be happier, by following a five-part process of gratitude, journaling, exercise, meditation, and random acts of kindness. He claims that real world experience proves that just three weeks of practice yields lasting results. Happiness, he says in his TED talk, is not the end but the beginning:

“It’s not necessarily the reality that shapes us but the lens through which your brain views the world that shapes your reality. And if we can change the lens, not only can we change your happiness, we can change every single educational and business outcome at the same time.”

Now there’s a self-evident truth we can all appreciate.*

Works Cited

Achor, Shawn. The Happiness Advantage. New York: Broadway, 2010. Print.

---. “The Happy Secret to Better Work.” TED. TED Conferences, May 2011. Web. 1 July 2014.

Adams, Susan. “Unhappy Employees Outnumber Happy Ones By Two to One Worldwide.” Forbes. Forbes.com, 10 Oct. 2013. Web. 1 July 2014.

GoodThink. GoodThink Inc., 2014. Web. 1 July 2014.

version (noun): A changed form of something.; synonym: edition; prompts: unknown word

wired (adjective): Set up to work a certain way.; synonym: designed; prompts: unknown word

move the goalposts (idiom): To change the goal or aim of an activity while it is still in progress to keep participants moving toward an increasingly difficult outcome.; synonyms: reconfigure, challenge; prompts: unknown term

in contrast (preposition): To compare two things to show differences.; synonym: unlike; prompts: unknown word

stimulates (verb): Encourages an action.; synonym: triggers; prompts: unknown word

dopamine (noun): A hormone carrying signals from the brain to the body that helps control the brain’s pleasure and reward centers.; synonym: n/a; prompts: unknown word

creativity (noun): The ability to use imagination to come up with new ideas, concepts, or things, such as works of art.; synonym: originality; prompts: unknown word

research (noun): A formal study.; synonym: investigation; prompts: unknown word

optimists (plural noun): People who usually expect good things to happen.; synonym: positive thinkers; prompts: unknown word

gratitude (noun): An appreciative feeling.; synonym: thankfulness; prompts: unknown word

journaling (gerund verb): Writing down daily thoughts or experiences.; synonyms: keeping a diary, reflecting; prompts: unknown word

meditation (noun): The act of spending time in deliberate thought.; synonym: contemplation; prompts: unknown word

random (adjective): Happening without plan or pattern.; synonym: by chance; prompts: unknown word

real world (adjective): Based on actual happenings and events rather than theories.; synonym: real life; prompts: unknown word

yields (verb): Produces results.; synonym: gives; prompts: unknown word

results (plural noun): Positive or negative consequences.; synonym: outcomes; prompts: unknown word

reality (noun): What happens or what is, based on the truth and not on what is imagined.; synonym: facts; prompts: unknown word

shapes (verb): Influences in a noticeable way.; synonym: changes; prompts: unknown word

lens (noun): A perspective that influences understanding or perception.; synonym: viewpoint; prompts: unknown word

educational (adjective): Describes something that is related to teaching and learning.; synonym: academic; prompts: unknown word

outcome (noun): The end product of a program or a project.; synonym: result; prompts: unknown word

self-evident (adjective): Describes something that is so clearly true that it needs no additional evidence.; synonym: obvious; prompts: unknown word

appreciate (verb): To understand the meaning of something.; synonym: admire; prompts: unknown word

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(right-hand side = Vocab definitions, synonyms, prompts)

Your College Major May Not Be As Important As You Think

By Zac Bissonnette

Here’s an excerpt from a letter that an indignant father sent to his son after hearing that he had opted for an impractical major:

I am appalled, even horrified, that you have adopted Classics as a major. As a matter of fact, I almost puked on my way home today. … I am a practical man, and for the life of me I cannot possibly understand why you should wish to speak Greek. With whom will you communicate in Greek? …

I suppose you will feel that you are distinguishing yourself from the herd by becoming a Classical snob. … I think you are rapidly becoming a jackass, and the sooner you get out of that filthy atmosphere, the better it will suit me.

The reaction of Ted Turner’s father, who wrote that letter₍₁₎ to his son, years before he founded CNN, is pretty typical.

Many students encounter tremendous pressure from their parents to adopt “practical” majors, and I’ve talked to a handful of students whose parents flatly refused to provide for their educational expenses unless they majored in something career-oriented.

With less than half of recent college graduates₍₂₎ landing jobs that require a college degree, this concern is understandable. But it’s misguided. In recent years, research into the importance of choice of major has led to a surprising conclusion: it’s really not all that important.

To wit: A University of Texas at Austin professor, Daniel Hamermesh, researched career earnings data sorted by choice of major and concluded that:

Perceptions of the variations in economic success among graduates in different majors are exaggerated. Our results imply that given a student’s ability, achievement and effort, his or her earnings do not vary all that greatly with the choice of undergraduate major.

A study conducted by PayScale Inc.₍₃₎ found that history majors who pursued careers in business ended up earning, on average, just as much as business majors.

Ramit Sethi, a blogger and the author of “I Will Teach You to Be Rich” is also a fan of “impractical majors.” He studied in the Sciences, Technology, and Society₍₄₎ Program at Stanford.

“I never thought of my university education as technical training. If it was, why wouldn’t I just go to ITT Tech?” he said in an e-mail, adding:

Where else will you get four years to intellectually challenge yourself and learn subjects in university-level depth? In fact, pair a ‘weird’ major with summer internships and interesting projects and you’ve got a leg up on the typical 3.5-G.P.A., by-the-book student. I majored in an obscure major — S.T.S. — and I use my background in social influence, persuasion and behavioral change every day of running my own company.

excerpt (noun): A portion of a larger reading.; synonym: passage; prompts: unknown word

indignant (adjective): Describes a feeling of anger due to unfairness or wrongness.; synonym: offended; prompts: unknown word

opted (verb): To decide on something; select.; synonym: chosen; prompts: unknown word

impractical (adjective): Describes something that is not sensible.; synonym: unrealistic; prompts: unknown word

appalled (verb): To be shocked or disgusted by something.; synonym: horrified; prompts: unknown word

Classics (noun): The study of ancient Greek and Roman history, philosophy, and literature.; synonym: n/a; prompts: unknown word

puked (verb - slang): To vomit.; synonym: threw up; prompts: unknown word

distinguishing (gerund verb): To set one thing apart from another.; synonym: differentiate; prompts: unknown word

the herd (noun): Other people, especially those who behave like everyone else.; synonym: group of people; prompts: unknown word

Classical snob (noun phrase): A snob is a person who looks down on others, especially those from a lower social class or who have less education. In this reading, "Classical" refers to the recipient's chosen major, the study of classical literature, and suggests that he is being accused of setting himself apart from and looking down upon people who have not studied the Classics.; synonym: n/a; prompts: unknown term

jackass (noun - slang): An impolite term that means a person who is foolish or stupid.; synonym: jerk; prompts: unknown word

filthy (adjective): Morally unacceptable.; synonyms: obscene, very bad; prompts: unknown word

suit (verb): To be acceptable to someone.; synonyms: satisfy, please; prompts: unknown word

Ted Turner (proper noun): Famous billionaire, media entrepreneur, businessman, and philanthropist.; synonym: n/a; prompts: unknown proper noun

typical (adjective): Describes something that is normal or characteristic of a person or group of people.; synonym: usual; prompts: unknown word

encounter (verb): To experience or meet something.; synonym: come upon; prompts: unknown word

adopt (verb): The act of accepting something (an idea, appearance, practice) and using it as one's own.; synonyms: adapt, implement; prompts: unknown word

majored in (verb phrase): To study a main academic subject in college. Most courses a college student takes will be related to their major.; synonym: received a college degree in; prompts: unknown term

graduates (plural noun): People who have completed their education. In this case, those who have finished college.; synonym: alumni; prompts: unknown word

landing (gerund verb): To achieve or obtain.; synonym: attaining; prompts: unknown word

misguided (adjective): Describes something, usually an idea, that is mistaken.; synonym: erroneous; prompts: unknown word

to wit (adverb): A saying that means "namely." It is used to introduce an example.; synonym: for example; prompts: unknown term

career earnings (plural noun): The amount of money a person earns over the entire course of a career, usually including bonuses and other monetary benefits.; synonym: lifetime income; prompts: unknown word

perceptions (plural noun): How something is viewed or understood.; synonym: considerations; prompts: unknown word

variations (plural noun): Changes or differences between things.; synonym: diversities; prompts: unknown word

economic success (noun): How much money a person has made and how well his or her finances have been managed.; synonym: prosperity; prompts: unknown word

exaggerated (past participle): Something that is described as being greater than it really is or having more importance than it really does.; synonym: over-emphasized; prompts: unknown word

achievement (noun): The act of working to complete a goal.; synonym: accomplishment; prompts: unknown word

vary (verb): To be different.; synonym: differ; prompts: unknown word

pursued (verb): To work toward an achievement over a period of time.; synonym: sought after; prompts: unknown word

technical training (noun): Instruction that focuses on teaching specific knowledge and skills needed in the workforce.; synonym: job training; prompts: unknown term

intellectually (adverb): Relating to the mind (as opposed to the body or emotions).; synonym: mentally; prompts: unknown word

weird (adjective): Describes something that is strange or out of the ordinary.; synonyms: odd, unusual; prompts: unknown word

internships (plural noun): Short-term jobs, either paid or unpaid, that give students hands-on experience in a career or field.; synonym: apprenticeships; prompts: unknown word

leg up (colloquialism): To have a better chance than others.; synonym: advantage; prompts: unknown term

by-the-book (idiom): Describes someone who follows the typical rules or does things the way most people do them.; synonym: correct; prompts: unknown term

obscure (adjective): Describes something that is not well known.; synonym: unusual; prompts: unknown word

S.T.S. (acronym, noun): An acronym that stands for Sciences, Technology, and Society, which is a college major.; synonym: n/a; prompts: unknown word

social influence (noun): In psychology, the study of how individuals' thoughts, feelings, and actions are affected by society.; synonym: n/a; prompts: unknown word

persuasion (noun): The act of influencing others to conform to a belief.; synonym: argument; prompts: unknown word

behavioral change (noun): Transformation or modification of actions due to an internal or external influence.; synonym: n/a; prompts: unknown word

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(right-hand side = Vocab definitions, synonyms, prompts)

To be sure: if a student wants to be an engineer or an accountant, those are fine majors. But don’t think that you are doomed to a life of poverty if you pick the wrong major. There are at least four great reasons to pick a liberal arts major:

Most people will graduate with higher G.P.A.’s if they study something they are passionate about. High G.P.A.’s help graduates land jobs, and there is a fairly strong correlation₍₅₎ between class rank and career earnings. Great grades also help with graduate school admissions, and the rigors of liberal arts often lead to better performance on the G.M.A.T. and L.S.A.T. than other majors.

One study₍₆₎ found that economics majors achieve the best scores of anyone on the G.M.A.T., meaning that students interested in M.B.A.’s are probably better pursuing an economics major than a finance major.

There is a disconnect between students’ perceptions of what employers want and what employers actually want, according to a survey described in an article in Canadian HR Reporter₍₇₎, which reported: “Most employers cite communication skills as the most important skill for a candidate to possess, while generation Y (aged 18 to 35) believe employers are looking for experience, found the survey by Toronto’s George Brown College.”

If your goal is to develop written and verbal communications skills, a finance major may not be the best bet.

Transferability of skills. It’s become a cliché that the best jobs of tomorrow don’t even exist today. Such is life in a rapidly changing, technology-driven global economy. Remember all those television ads for training in VCR repair that suddenly stopped running a few years ago? That’s the potential risk of a major that places job training ahead of mind development.

Most importantly, majoring in something that interests you is just the obvious thing to do. You’ll have more fun, have a richer experience and be less likely to drop out if you are actually passionate about what you’re studying.

Now, here’s my message for parents: Relax about your children’s choice of major, and realize that their abilities, work ethic and passion will ultimately lead them to a fine destination.

References:

1) The Lost Tycoon, by Ken Auletta: http://www.kenauletta.com/2001_04_23_thelosttycoon.htmly

2) Recession’s toll: Most recent college grads working low-skill jobs, by Tony Pugh: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2009/06/25/70788/recessions-toll-most-recent-college.html

3) Ivy Leaguers’ Big Edge: Starting Pay, by Sarah E. Needleman: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/pf_article_105499.html

4) I Will Teach You to be Rich, by Ramit Sethi: http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/

5) Economic Scene; Children smart enough to get into elite Schools may not need to bother, by Alan B. Krueger: http://www.nytimes.com/2000/04/27/business/economic-scene-children-smart-enough-get-into-elite-schools-may-not-need-bother.html

6) Econ Majors Score Well on the GMAT Too!, by Terry D. Monson and Paul A. Nelson: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=960088

7) Canadian HR Reporter: http://www.hrreporter.com/userlogin?article=8246-employers-and-gen-y-have-different-skills-expectations-survey

doomed (verb): To be certain to fail.; synonym: destined; prompts: unknown word

liberal arts (plural noun): The study of subjects such as literature, languages, history, and arts that are designed to teach general knowledge as opposed to technical skills.; synonym: n/a; prompts: unknown word

G.P.A.'s (acronym, noun): An acronym that stands for grade point averages, which is the combined average of all the grade points a student obtained over a grading period.; synonym: overall performance; prompts: unknown word

passionate (adjective): Describes very strong feelings.; synonym: enthusiastic; prompts: unknown word

correlation (noun): The relationship between two things that change or occur together.; synonyms: connection, association; prompts: unknown word

class rank (noun): A statistic that summarizes a student's academic record as compared to other students in the same class: first, second, fifteenth, etc.; synonym: n/a; prompts: unknown word

admissions (plural noun): The act of allowing a student to attend a school, especially college.; synonym: acceptance; prompts: unknown word

rigors (plural noun): Difficult tasks or experiences.; synonym: hard work; prompts: unknown word

G.M.A.T. (acronym, noun): An acronym that stands for the Graduate Management Admission Test, which assesses skills necessary to be admitted into graduate-level management programs.; synonym: n/a; prompts: unknown word

L.S.A.T. (acronym, noun): An acronym that stands for Law School Admission Test, which assesses the skills necessary to be admitted into law school.; synonym: n/a; prompts: unknown word

M.B.A.'s (acronym, noun): An acronym that stands for Master of Business Administration. Graduate students working toward an M.B.A. take courses in business such as operations management, finance, accounting, and marketing.; synonym: n/a; prompts: unknown word

disconnect (noun): A situation when understanding no longer exists, when the relationship between one thing and another is not clear.; synonym: separation; prompts: unknown word

cite (verb): To refer to something as an example or as evidence to support an idea.; synonyms: point to, give credit to; prompts: unknown word

candidate (noun): A person who is being considered for a position.; synonym: applicant; prompts: unknown word

verbal communications skills (plural noun): The ability to talk with others—especially in a business setting—in a clear, concise, and confident manner.; synonym: n/a; prompts: unknown term

finance major (noun): A specific area of academic study that is related to accounting and the science of money management.; synonym: n/a; prompts: unknown term

transferability (noun): The quality of being able to move or change from one thing to another.; synonym: exchangeability; prompts: unknown word

cliché (noun): An overused phrase that is no longer interesting.; synonym: adage; prompts: unknown word

technology-driven (adjective): Describes something that is influenced by modern technological advancements.; synonym: n/a; prompts: unknown term

global economy (noun): Intertwined economic activity, including money, stock markets, and trading, among various countries across the world.; synonym: globalization; prompts: unknown term

VCR repair (noun): A job of fixing broken video recording devices (VCRs).; synonym: n/a; prompts: unknown term

potential (adjective): Describes something that could happen in the future.; synonym: possible; prompts: unknown word

ahead of (idiom): Something that comes first or takes precedence over another thing.; synonym: before; prompts: unknown term

mind development (noun): Intellectual education and growth.; synonym: cognitive learning; prompts: unknown term

obvious (adjective): Describes something that is easy to see or understand.; synonym: apparent; prompts: unknown word

richer (adjective): Describes something that is interesting and has many facets.; synonym: fuller; prompts: unknown word

drop out (verb): To quit something, usually school, before you have completed it.; synonyms: leave, give up; prompts: unknown word

work ethic (noun): The virtue of hard work, diligence, and attention to detail.; synonym: n/a; prompts: unknown term

destination (noun): The final place, literal or figurative, where a person is going.; synonym: goal; prompts: unknown word