Jacob+Tyles+RP+Post+1

I. Presentation of research findings
 * The research paper I am leaning towards writing is a position paper on the concept of what we call happiness. While my paper will centralize happiness and synthesize many sources and documents, I would also like to angle my paper, much like the position paper should, on the nuances pertaining to the connections between knowledge, ignorance, and bliss.
 * I want to write this type of paper because I believe that happiness is best considered not only as a definition but also as an application through our daily lives. While I originally wanted to do an extended definition paper on happiness, I wanted to dig deeper as to the relationship of knowledge and happiness, rather, to what extent does knowledge influence happiness?
 * It is key to first define happiness, but doing so briefly and purposefully. The bulk of the paper will examine the causation of obtaining knowledge and the relationship with happiness, and end with a sound conclusion based on the evidence explored. If I were to do a purely extended definition, I find that I would both run out of something to write about, as well as find meaningful and applicable content to explore. This paper is going to be fun to write, and the research will hopefully provide more baggage to my idea of happiness.

II. The pursuit of new knowledge
 * To what extent does knowledge influence our happiness?
 * Is ignorance truly bliss? (a good title in my opinion)
 * What is the impact on our happiness by obtaining knowledge?

III. Background & early knowledge
 * I know that happiness, or our concept of happiness, may will differ from person to person. Every individual’s bliss is tailored to his or her own meaningful existence. I also know what makes me happy. I know that the pursuit of knowledge rests at the core of mankind’s existence. Yet learning new things can often open up knew problems and more questions than answers. It truly is a voracious cycle.
 * I have read the Allegory of the Cave by Plato. This will be a key player in my paper, as it extends a stance on the whole ignorance and bliss theme (and also dives into the awareness of existing and what we call a “reality”), this piece of writing will certainly play a part into both the knowledge and happiness part in my position paper.

IV. The rationale
 * This question is rooted in all of us. Happiness is life-or rather why we live another day. I am only a speck, a mere particle of dust attempting to scratch the surface of a rather prodigious, perpetual quandary.
 * My motivation is solely based off of personal interest. I want to further my understanding of happiness and knowledge.
 * I can foresee the array of routes I can take on this path of knowledge and happiness. I will certainly be able to delineate the two.
 * I only worry that I wont be able to define happiness. I want to combine both an extended definition paper and a position paper, but I want to angle the concept of happiness with that of the concept of knowledge. I only hope that I do this successfully.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">I surround myself with people who are leaps and bounds above my own intelligence. I am not happy with the way I am, and I want to explore why. I feel as if knowledge, or the acquisition of knowledge, plays a part in my happiness. I love to learn, and in turn I learn to love all that makes up the world around me. I ask myself many times whether or not I am in a good place, and often the answer is “yes”. But the few times I answer “no,” it is usually the result of a friend out performing me on an SAT, or the amount of work I put into in order to “stay afloat” in a class. Happiness and knowledge are related, and I intend on finding out how so, to the very end.