Happiness And Its Effect On Our Nation s Declaration Of...

Happiness cannot be reached when it is being searched for, it can only be achieved by focusing on things other than your own happiness. 1. â€Å"The right laid out in our nation’s Declaration of Independence- to pursue happiness to our hearts’ content- is nowhere on better display than in the rites of the holiday season† (McMahon). 2. â€Å"Sociologists like to point out that the percentage of those describing themselves as â€Å"happy† or â€Å"unhappy† has remained virtually unchanged in Europe and the United States since such surveys were first conducted in the 1950’s† (McMahon). 3. â€Å"And yet, this January, like last year and next, the self-help industry will pour forth books promising to make us happier than we are today. The very demand for such books†¦show more content†¦ii. This piece of evidence can be considered both a fact and an opinion. This piece is a fact because it states that happiness is written in the Declaration of Independence, but it is an opinion because not all people feel that the holidays are a happy time. iii. The fact part of this quote is a statistical fact because it can found in the Declaration of Independence. iv. The opinion part of this quote is credible because it can be shown in many cases around the holidays. Although not everyone believes that the holiday is the best display, it can be shown on many accounts. v. This evidence is persuasive because it incorporates both fact and opinion into this quote; therefore, it covers both the statistical based audience and the opinion based audience. vi. The rhetorical purpose for this quote was well reached through logos. This quote uses a statistical fact to appeal to logic, and it uses the example of the holiday season to appeal to reason. b. â€Å"Sociologists like to point out that the percentage of those describing themselves as â€Å"happy† or â€Å"unhappy† has remained virtually unchanged in Europe and the United States since such surveys were first conducted in the 1950’s† (McMahon). i. This quote does not relate as strongly to my thesis, but it is a very important thing for the reader to consider. This statement causes the reader to consider what we have changed through time and how it has had