1. Print out the following three items:

Values survey: What I want out of life
Values survey: Personal characteristics I consider important
Happiness questionnaire: Sources of life satisfaction

2. Do and bring to class but do not turn in: Fill out each of the above items according to the instructions. Bring them to class to be used in group discussion.

NOTE 1: these will be used for group discussion. I will want to know that you filled them out, but you will NOT be asked to turn them in and you do NOT need to share anything you do not want to share with others. These will be confidential and for you alone. It will be most useful for you if you try to fill them out as honestly as possible.

NOTE 2 (on the use of these questionnaires and surveys): You may want to use more than one copy of these so you can give one to a friend, spouse, or partner. They can be used in several ways:
- rate your values as stated on the surveys.
- have someone else rate you and compare what they think about you to what you think about yourself.
- make two columns. In the first one rate your stated values, and in the second rate your actual behavior. (For example: you might rate “being calm” as very important in theory, but not something you do well in practice.) Then look back and see the items with the greatest discrepancy between theory and reality.
- Circle and think about the values and characteristics that have changed most for you in the past few years, or that you expect might change for you in the future.

3. Do and bring to class and turn in for this assignment: After completing the surveys and thinking about them, write your answers to the following three questions. Be brief: the purpose of this it to get you thinking and to have you share just some central conclusions with me. You will submit this one item as your written homework, so only write what you want to share. (This homework will be submitted directly to me, not to the TA.) Please use your code name.

Title: Thoughts on happiness and life satisfaction

1. Look at the “What I want out of Life" survey and the "Personal Characteristics” survey. List a few items (2-3) that have changed for you over the past few years, and write a very brief statement about how each one changed (e.g. more important now, less important now, etc.). You can use the surveys to trigger your thinking, but you do not need to limit yourself to the items on the surveys.

2. Consider areas where your ideal self differs from your real self (i.e., your stated priorities differ from your actual behavior). Describe each in a sentence. (For example: I say it is a priority for me to read historical novels; actually I hardly ever read historical novels.) Again, you can use the surveys to trigger your thinking, but you do not need to limit yourself to the items on the surveys.

3. After you have completed the happiness questionnaire, answer the following questions: What thoughts do you have about the things that are important or necessary for personal happiness? Do you have any new insights or realizations as a result of this exercise?