Abstract Concepts

One of our vocabulary terms of the week was “abstract”. Abstract concepts are ideas that cannot be explicitly defined and can have multiple interpretations. The first example of an abstract word/concept that came to mind was happiness. Happiness can’t really be defined. At least not in a way that applies to everyone collectively. For example, for the characters in “The Great Gatsby,” happiness might be determined by the money in their bank accounts or the popularity they hold in society. For others, happiness might be placed in their grades in school or their relationships with others. Even the feeling of happiness cannot be defined clearly. What does happiness feel like to you? Butterflies? Warmth? I always used to feel like I was happy when I couldn’t stop smiling and laughing. But recently, my definition has changed. Happiness for me is when I feel content with where I’m at in a specific moment, both physically and mentally. I don’t need to necessarily be physically smiling and I may even be stressed out, but I would still call it “happiness”. This is because there are rarely times when everything I’m feeling is positive, but I still feel my life is a happy life. Because of how abstract the concept of happiness is, it can get hard to understand why someone is feeling a specific way in reaction to an event. It's important to understand that happiness can be sparked by a limitless, yet limited, amount of factors. Ultimately, abstract concepts, like happiness, freedom, and love, allow people to develop their emotional intelligence and allow society to avoid conformity.