Smile? Colorado State University Has a New Happiness Class
The pursuit of happiness is ongoing and challenging, but do you need to learn how to be happy? Colorado State University thinks so.
According to a press release, CSU is offering a new course in happiness as part of the Teagle Foundation/National Endowment for the Humanities planning grant.
Taught by Associate Professor of Philosophy Ashby Butnor, the class will analyze the works of philosophers Aristotle, Epictetus, and Confucious — as well as concepts like good, evil, justice, and war — to get closer to the meaning of happiness.
Butnor hopes these lessons will help students cope with the difficulties of college, especially since they're catered toward undergraduates who are still unsure of their educational paths.
"I think today's students struggle by seeking validation and happiness through external sources, especially entering college," said Butnor in the release. "But we're looking at the foundation of a deep and robust sense of happiness needed to flourish as a human being to live a meaningful human life in this one opportunity that we have."
Along with their philosophical studies, students in the class will explore happiness with activities like farming, yoga, meditation, and journaling.
It appears these happiness experiments are working — student Ryan Thompson told CSU that he believes the class has paid off.
"I've been using it to think about how to go about my daily life and focus on my relationships," said Thompson. "It's gotten me closer to the people around me and brought me a lot of happiness along the way."
If only this class was available to everyone.