On the Pursuit of Happiness

Over the course of human history, the attainment of “happiness” has been among the few constant goals which most, if not all, people have shared across the millennia. Although it has often been paralleled by numerous other objectives, achieving happiness has remained the constant. What must be done to gain happiness, however, has changed immeasurably. In the early days of humanity, happiness directly correlated with survival, as staying alive and being able to reproduce to continue the legacy of our race was the utmost goal. As long as that were achieved, the most basic and, simultaneously, the most important needs of human existence were satisfied. Those that fulfilled these needs could be considered ‘happy’ simply because they were alive and well, and those that failed merely ended up shedding the mortal coil. Unhappiness was a temporary state at best.

As mankind grew more intelligent and survival became less of an immediate concern, the concept of happiness became increasingly complex. While I have no intention of discrediting the technological advances of the human race, they undeniably caused the pursuit of happiness to grow exponentially in complexity. Abstract concepts like self-fulfillment or morality took the forefront, and unlike the now simple ideas of survival and procreation, these are different for almost everyone. In far too many circumstances, the criteria that must be met in order to achieve one’s happiness contradicts those of another fellow human being. In other words, though the acquisition of happiness is a common goal we all share, it is impossible for us all to achieve it. Many find happiness in causing pain to others, whether it is intentional as in the case of many killers, or as a side effect of behavior that only serves oneself, such as that committed by those who would equate happiness with wealth or personal gain rather than stop to consider the needs of others. Even in endeavors that would be considered noble or innocent, the hindrance of another’s happiness can be found. Where one makes strides to come to the aid of a fellow human being, the pleas of dozens more fall on deaf ears. Where one seeks affection, it can sometimes be attained, albeit often coming at the expense of another individual’s quest for a comfortable, serene, authentic companionship. It is this inconceivably complicated web of contradicting desires and values that has transformed the pursuit of happiness into a mockery of the very concept of happiness itself. It is this web, a universally grey area, which brings home the true significance of the idea of blissful ignorance.

This is not to say that those who have found true happiness are ignorant, for they are the lucky few that understand the nature of the chaotic world in which they are, all too briefly, a part of, and yet they peacefully accept it. This is to say that the rest of us, the weak masses, may well have been better off dwelling eternally in childlike ignorance of the unjustly neutral progression of life. The only appropriate response to feel towards a truly happy person is envy, with just a hint of jealous anger. This is not anger towards that person, but anger towards oneself for seeing exactly what they see, yet finding it impossible to replicate the inner peace they have found that so many others have sought and fallen short of. Because of the grey web that is the pursuit of happiness, it is reasonable to come to the conclusion that it is the pursuit itself that which makes happiness so unattainable for so many. It’s even conceivable that perhaps the only way to achieve true happiness is to call off the search for it and accept the hand you, along with the entire human race, have been dealt for what it is. It becomes ever more apparent, even as I write this, that the only place one can find real happiness is within themselves.

The mind/body interface may be the most underestimated factor in the human experience.

I have had experiences that left me with the understanding that reality struggles to follow consciousness.
Once that understanding crystallized in my paradigm, I realized my happiness was indeed a choice. This perspective is mine and mine alone, I know that most people will consider this point of view deluded.

Maybe I'm simple, but I stop and smell the roses. I celebrate the beauty of decay as well as prosperity. I have a child-like wonder for everything. I've been cold, wet and homeless and still found myself laughing. I'm optimistic to a fault.

This is definitely annoying to some people. I even wrote a thread about it titled " Why Am I Always so Happy?"

I've realized the power of internal dialogue and how it affects which details are highlighted in my awareness.
Your observations are spot on and I'm happy to hear your perspective.

Quality of life is different things to different people and Feng Shui is what ever you like.

reply to post by MrMaybeNot


ones true nature is a combination of " truth, consciousness & unbounded happiness" . All through ones life, ever since we become self conscious (setting in of ego) we seek this true nature in many different ways outside of us. We do find happiness which is transient and fleeting and not permanent. Just as a dog chewing on a old bone, splinters the bone , eventually these pierce its mouth and blood comes out, which it thinks is from the bone and chews on more vigorously, whatever happiness we find in material things or even in acts of kindness etc actually stems from within us but we are not conscious of it. Since these are transient we seek more and more and get more involved in the worldly affairs, both good and bad. Ones true mission can thus be able to find this unbounded happiness within oneself and to this end. Basically happiness from the sense organs seem to be the most short lived.

It is also true that as we grow (both physically as well as spiritually) our objects of desire shifts from just gross to "abstract". example music ! Good Music is just sound and a good painting is just color but still these gives one happiness. as we grow further, more abstract stuff like a beautiful poem gives us this happiness. move further, even a strong thought can bring one happiness. AS we go higher and higher, it can get so thin, that we can enjoy even the silence and at the end enjoy just the awareness without anything extra but pure awareness. I think this state is actually the complete unbounded happiness all are seeking to be.