Happiness =)

I have been experiencing a lot of ups and downs since coming to university. I have been thinking again about what is happiness…after some thought, I thought I might as well find the opinion of others on happiness. So, out of curiosity, I googled the word “happiness” and Voilà! Here are some quotes to ponder about…

Ignorance is bliss?

I once told my friend that happy people are the ignorant ppl. Look at children in general, they are so happy! Is it because they know very little about the real world? Perhaps it is. Well, how about children in third world countries? They seem like they are suffering from poverty, hunger and being abused. How can they be happy? Well, they experienced the harsh real world so they know more compared to their counterparts living in the rich developed countries. These rich kids are more sheltered from the cruel world.

Sanity and happiness are an impossible combination. Mark Twain

Another example would be the mentally ill or retarded people. These people are happy, lost in their own worlds. So despite the troubles and difficulties of the world, they are still happy. They do not think much, they do not worry much. But they are happy. How about escapism? Does it make one happy? Well, definitely yes but only temporarily. One cannot escape reality forever. After it is over, you will become unhappy again. Once in form 4, I had to read this book “The Louts Eater” it wasn’t really an entertaining book to me (no offence, coz I didn’t know how to appreciate the book). However, the theme of escapism is clearly being brought up by the author. Well, of course the story is exaggerated but it still has a point to make.

The mind is its own place, and in itself, can make heaven of Hell, and a hell of Heaven. John Milton
However, is the happiness of these people (mentally ill and ignorant) real? Are they self-deluded that they are happy? Well, my answer is both a yes and no. Happiness is a state of mind. If you think you are happy then you are happy. Yes, we can choose to be happy or not. But somehow, it cannot be denied that sometimes situations can really affect a person despite how optimistic he might be. So, in such situations, you can pretend you are happy but deep down inside you know you are just lying to yourself.

That man is richest whose pleasures are cheapest. Henry David Thoreau

Generally, contented people are usually happier compared to wealthier people who are discontented although they have much more in possessions. So, if you are ignorant that we can have MUCH MUCH more and contented with what we have, we are happier. However, the problem is that it is not easy to be contented when you see your neighbor having a bigger house or better CAP score. It is easy to be contented with what I have when I don’t compare with others. There is always a hidden longing in our hearts - “How I wish that was mine…” or “If only it was better…”. I really admire contented people and aspire to be like them.

To fill the hour -- that is happiness. Ralph Waldo Emerson

So, if you are unhappy about something, why don’t you occupy our time with what you enjoy or with the things you like? Or just occupy our time to keep ourselves busy? We would be so occupied that we forget all our miseries. Isn’t that happiness? The problem is that would make us lethargic. Also, in our free time, we do not feel happy again. Well, for me, I would prefer to be less busy.

Whoever is happy will make others happy, too. Mark Twain

Certainly, being in a cheerful company really can cheer one up. On the contrary, being around with sad people can make one depressed. So, to be happy, must we go look for happy people? But if that is the case, will it mean that our happiness depend on other people? If the people around me are sad, does it mean I won’t be happy? What if the happy people are not around anymore, will we loose our happiness? That is one way of interpretation (and I think I have misinterpreted the quote). But surely, the quote meant that happiness can affect other people positively too. So we must be happy if we want a happy community.

My Opinion?

In my opinion, all these do affect happiness. But I feel the most important element that brings true happiness is the fact that you are being loved. Why is it children seem happier? Because they know that they are loved by their parents. Why is it people grieve when their love ones died? Because they do not want to be separated from the ones they love. Why is it that a visit to the old folk’s home, children’s home, or the disabled home can really make its occupants happy? Because they know that there are people out there who care for them. People can find happiness within their families, their friends and spouses. People who know they are loved have this happiness and hope to continue living on even when circumstances become grim.

I personally like this quote the most among those already stated:

There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved. George Sand

Anyone else has other opinions? Or any fallacies in my reasoning? Feel free to comment.

*haha, yet another serious entry in my blog. Blame it on CTW. I hope this doesn’t bore anyone yet. To those who expect me to put some gossip in my blog, sorry lar…