Pursuit Of Happiness In The Visible Man By Chuck Klosterman

The Pursuit of Happiness

Many people strive to be happy. However, only few succeed to achieve happiness because they have taken the wrong approach to obtain happiness. The truth is, it’s hard to be happy today especially with the present condition of the world. What exactly is happiness, and how can one be at this state? We all have different perception of happiness. Some say that happiness is obtained in helping others, while other people believe that to be happy is to have the contentment in life. In the book The Visible Man by Chuck Klosterman, Y narrates a story about a woman named Valerie whom he observed during his so-called “experiment.” He describes Valerie as a woman in her late twenties who has an addiction to food and marijuana, and is obsessed with her figure. Based on his observation, Y argues that Valerie is unhappy and unaware of “how terrible her life is.” I agree with Y; I think Valerie is unhappy for not having the ability to control her obsessions. I also think that Valerie is confused about the real meaning of happiness. Her perception of happiness is distorted because she is focused on things that she thinks are making her happy but

She’s insecure about her size. She’s unhappy because she cannot reveal her true self even to her closest friend. She uses marijuana to justify her overeating habits and to escape reality. The reality that she’s unhappy with her size and self-destructive behavior. Reality that she does not have control of the things she desires. I believe she’s unhappy because if she was, then she wouldn’t be in a dilemma. Valerie’s character is an exemplary of the “incompetent bottle cap collector,” because she thinks that maintaining her figure and receiving compliments makes her happy, but in reality she’s not. Because even though she’s (her fear of being judged for size is what stops her for doing what she