A Unified Approach to Achieving Fulfillment and Happiness: A Guide to Self-Awareness and Understanding at Individual and Societal Levels

By Martin Skeer

This academic treatise provides an analytical construct and associated methodology for evaluating the potential for fulfillment and happiness at both individual and societal levels, encompassing race, religion, nationality, and political systems.

Through included case studies and hypothetical examples, Martin Skeer explores how individuals are best able to recognize what events shape their lives, and, in the process of this exploration, he reveals a key question: To what extent has actual fulfillment and happiness been realized in relation to the potential for them both over time? As Skeer details why possible potential and actual potential are interconnected yet fundamentally different measurements of fulfillment and happiness, he also reveals why, on the societal level, these principles are applicable to wide-ranging aspects of human behavior.

The objectives of this dissertation are threefold: to enable the quality of life for individuals and societal groups to be gauged in quantitative terms, either alone or in contrast to one another; to provide a basis for measuring how well individuals are faring with regard to maximizing their quality of life; and to offer a systematic approach for establishing strategies and priorities to enhance the quality of life for both individuals and societal groups.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Aug 2, 2010
• ISBN: 9781450231053

Martin Skeer

Martin Skeer, Ph.D., M.B.A, has been an independent management consultant for over thirty years, leading others to set achievable goals, establish sound implementation processes, cope with external environments, and manage risk. He has three children, five grandchildren, and lives in California with his wife of over forty years.

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Dedication

In memory of Freda Skeer

My beloved mother whose infinite sweetness and thoughtfulness

Has been a source of inspiration

To do something special

To honor her life

To Margie Skeer

My wonderful daughter

Whose sweetness and wisdom

Has profoundly influenced the thoughts developed in the ensuing discussion

And helped shape the conceptual framework

To Susan Skeer

My beautiful wife

Whose deep love and devotion

Are a continuing source of strength

And enriches my life

CONTENTS

Dedication

1.0 Prologue

2.0 Introduction

3.0 The Conceptual Framework

3.1 The Value System

3.2 Establishing the pfh

3.3 Understanding the Value System

3.4 The pfh Variability and pfh Curves

3.5 The Relationship Between afh and pfh

4.0 Some Real-Life Examples

5.0 The State of Well-Being

5.1 Destructive or Pathological Behavior

5.2 Perspectives on Risk-Taking and Impact on Business and Family Relationships

5.3 Business Risk

5.4 Divorce

5.5 Coping with Vital but Unhappy Relationships

5.6 Transient Phenomena—Actions That Increase pfh and afh in the Short Term

6.0 Quality of Life

6.1 The Musician and the Postal Worker, a Study in Contrast

6.2 The Need to Reinvent Ourselves Over and Over Again

6.3 Perspectives on Religious Belief and Zealot Behavior

7.0 Comparison of pfhs among Individuals and Societal Groups and Application of pfh Principles to Racial Discrimination, Nations, and Political Systems

7.1 Perspectives on Racial Discrimination

7.2 Cultural Impact

7.3 Perspectives on the Status of Underdeveloped Nations

7.4 Perspectives on Despotism

7.5 Perspectives on Terrorism

8.0 Value System Temporal Regimes

8.1 Contrasting Past, Present, and Future Societies

9.0 Conclusions

10.0 Epilogue

Appendix

Quantitative Representation of Rules Governing a Unified Approach to Achieving Fulfillment and Happiness

NOTES

List of Tables

Table 1—Value System Measures 3

Table 2—Example: Simone’s Value System 5

Table 3—Value Measure Scores for SB Relative to SA 11

Table 4—Subject’s pfh and afh Characteristics 13

Table 5—Subject Population’s Modified pfh and afh Values 14

Table 6—Possible Relationships Between pfh and afh 22

Table 7—Value System at Societal Level 45

Table 8—Modified Value Measure Scores for Disadvantaged Population 48

1.0 Prologue

We are confronted by—and struggle with—life’s challenges and adversity. But a gauge of how well we are doing or what’s reasonable to expect of ourselves under the circumstances is elusive. My attempts to come to grips with these and related imponderables stimulated extensive thought-provoking discussions and analysis over a period of years. This has culminated in development of a conceptual framework that has sought to bring heretofore abstract ideas related to human behavior into a much sharper focus. This conceptual approach, analytical construct, and an assortment of applications are the subject of this book.

By way of example, no two lifestyles are more divergent than those of the musician and the postal worker. These are explored in the following (hypothetical) scenarios:

The Musician’s Life—The extremely talented musician performs to appreciative, adoring audiences. His work is a source of gratification and deep personal satisfaction on a day-to-day basis. But, after playing his tune, when each gig is over, the musician returns to his lonely apartment, which only serves as a base of operations or sterile hotel room while on tour. Intense dedication to his work and the need to travel has precluded his having a family or establishing a real home. After a long and gratifying career, during the course of time, interest in his music wanes, and with increasing age his professional skills noticeably decline. Although the income was very good while it lasted, savings have been meager, and the complex logistics consumed day-to-day planning efforts just to keep things under control, with little time to even think about preparing for the future. Now, with virtually no demand for his services, the future unfortunately appears especially bleak and devoid of contingency plans that should have been in place years ago.

The Postal Worker’s Life—In contrast to the musician, the plodding postal worker has very limited skills. Nevertheless, he has been fortunate to have found a secure job that affords protection from the cruel outside world and is accompanied by substantial health and retirement benefits. The job itself is menial and repetitive, and the days drag