Relativity Is the Key

Could a sunny attitude protect us against flu, hypertension, and diabetes? A study

performed by Dr. Shonkoff and Dr. Richmond has shown the negative effects of toxic stress on

children. Prolonged exposure to neglect or violence triggers physiological stress-response that

can cause increased heart rate, high blood pressure, and jump in stress hormones (Shonkoff).

However, negativity is only a half of the equation. Emotional vitality, characterized by a sense

of energy, positive well-being, and effective emotional regulation, has been hypothesized to

reduce the chances of heart disease (Kubzansky). Currently, there is no scientific evidence to

support the stated hypothesis. Perhaps health and happiness are not as intrinsically correlated as

many think they are. The equation for happiness may contain multiple other variables besides

health. In order to solve for the missing variables we must first understand what we mean by the

term happiness.

One could define happiness as a collage of experiences that bring above the emotions

which vary from content to extreme joy. The key word is the experience. By experiencing

events, such as revisiting a favorite dish or skydiving for the first time, our brain releases

serotonin, the happiness hormone, and forms long-term memories that will aid in the fabrication

of who we are in the future. Thus, the only correlation between health and happiness that can be

formulated is if health disables one from obtaining the desirable experiences. The variables

swiftly become forms of power which illustrate the capacity and the potential to hop over the

cracks on the road to happiness. As Russell Blackford states, Health is a form of power:

possession of good health can assist us to function and act more effectively than if we were

unhealthy (Blackford). Intelligence is another form of power. It leads to increased knowledge

and provides a better understanding of a more realistic prospect of nurturing the experiences. The

list of forms of power goes on. Nonetheless, health does play a major role in determining
happiness. According to Dr. Kubzansky, anxiety and depression or happiness and optimism are

forged by nature and nurture; while a person is born with genetic predisposition there is still a lot

of room to maneuver (Kubzansky). The degree of manipulating of our cognitive and physical

states may be infringed or supported by our parents and society in which we reside. Whether

supreme health is needed to achieve happiness or not being unhealthy, such as avoiding stress, is

enough is all relative to the observer. By participating in the Honors Lecture Series I was able to

listen to great speakers and ponder about a multitude of different perspectives of just how much

health is needed to obtain happiness. The lecturers approaches relating health to happiness

tended to split into two main categories: philosophical and historical.

The philosophical group focused on the theoretical approach to the subject. Dr. Phil

Oliver has proposed a pragmatic way of dealing with health. He defined pragmatism as a wishy-

washy, whatever works in a humanistic sense approach to health (Oliver). Pragmatists look at the

consequences with a goal to maximize peoples happiness and liberty. Theories are not definite;

it is very hard to draw a line between what exactly maximizes the health of the majority. And is

alright to forget about the minority? To conclude his lecture, Dr. Oliver gave three fundamental

reasons to never be unhappy: you were born, you are alive, and you have plenty to eat

(Oliver). Another lecturer, Dr. Ronnie Littlejohn focused on Daoistic lifestyle. His definition of

Daoism was effortless living of life in order to achieve oneness with the processes of the

universe without trying to control, help things alone, or untangle knots along the way

(Littlejohn). Everything is made of vital energy, known as Qi; this energy is transformed into

different things such as our mind and matter. Daoism emphasizes on achieving equilibrium. It is

somewhat of an idealistic view which focuses on transcendence. Even if increased health was a
byproduct of reaching equilibrium, Dr. Littlejohn agreed that Daoists are after being contempt

rather than happiness.

The historical group focused on how medicine was started and the ways it can be

improved based on the past experiences. Early approaches to treat illnesses were based on

assumptions made based on trial and error, religious, or superstitious beliefs, such as yawning

and clapping, using snake oils, and drinking arsenic. Dr. Troncarelli gave an intriguing lecture on

what harmony meant to Ancient Greeks, to whom medicine was both physiological and

psychological. They were one of the first societies to recognize how important gender,

geographical location, and access to nourishment were to development of a strong, healthy body.

As one of the most prominent figures in medicine, Hippocrates of Kos and Aristotle revolved

health around the balance of four humors: blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile

(Troncarelli). This was one of the earliest attempts of seeing how elements and body fluids affect

our health and perhaps the beginning of the western practice of medicine currently known as

allopathic medicine. Allopathic medicine is based around the use of pharmacologically active

agents or physical interventions to treat illnesses (AM). It uses a systematic way of curing

disease by asking questions of how and why the disease was there in the first place. In 1768, the

first allopathic medical school was established in Philadelphia (Woods). Between the time of the

first medical school and the middle of nineteenth century war has dictated the institution of

medicine. As Jeffrey Woods put it, War was an incubator for learning. A post-war period

marked the beginning of a capitalist-based medical industry, which has had incredible advances

in technological revolution such as the use of data mining on the population health. The future of

medicine will be the focus on keeping the patients out of the hospital and possible an

implementation of a reward system to those who choose healthier lifestyle habits (Woods).
 While the lectures were all different in nature, I have learned that staying healthy takes a

holistic approach of satisfying mind, body, and spirit. I was able to bolster my hypothesis that

being healthy does not necessarily bring ultimate happiness. Nonetheless, it is important to be

healthy enough not to stall the acquisition of happiness. And how enough is defined is all

relative to the observer. A person might willingly sacrifice experiences for health that will

eventually lead to happiness and another person might choose to participate in the experiences at

the cost of health. Both personas will live a happy life. The path that is taken is based on

personal appraisal; moreover, the path chosen is predominantly dictated by the society in which

the person has been developing. A good contrast of the life choices can be seen by examining a

religious monk and a casual United States citizen. The monk will limit the engagement in a

multitude of diverse experiences, meditate for hours, and eat a healthy diet. His life choices will

be approved and glorified by his society, perhaps the other monks. The United States citizen is

brought up in a society that glorifies the acquisition of material goods, staying up all night, and

eating fast food. Even those who choose to stay healthy are constantly challenged by the

majority. Health and happiness are the biggest overlooked human virtues that are next to

impossible to be given a one, clear definition. It will always be relative to a specific group of

people with an inherent set of morals and beliefs. As the saying goes, everything is relative only

vodka is absolute.

Works Cited

Shonkoff, Jack. Preventing Toxic Stress in Children. Project-Syndicate (2009). Web. 17 April
 2014.

Kubzansky, L.D. Emotional Vitality and Incident Coronary Heart Disease: Benefits of Healthy

Psychological Functioning. US National Library of Medicine (2007). Web. 17 April

2014.

Blackford, Russell. Humanity Enhanced: Genetic Choice and the Challenge for Liberal

Democracies. Cambridge: MIT, 2014. Print.

Oliver, Phil. Splendid Health, Penultimate Happiness: A Pragmatic Perspective. Middle

Tennessee State University. Murfreesboro, TN. 3 February 2014. Lecture.

Littlejohn, Ronnie. Daoist Instructions for Making Transcendent Bodies. Middle

Tennessee State University. Murfreesboro, TN. 10 February 2014. Lecture.

Troncarelli, Fabio. Health as Happiness of the Body and Happiness as Health of the Soul in

Classical and Late Antique Thought. Middle Tennessee State Unviersity. Murfreesboro,

TN. 17 March 2014. Lecture.

Allopathic Medicine. John Hopkins University (2014). Web. 17 April 2014.

Woods, Jeffrey. Health and Happiness: Reducing Stress. Middle Tennessee State University.

Murfreesboro, TN. 7 April 2014. Lecture.