Summary

The article discusses Rainn Wilson's personal journey with happiness, his struggles with depression and anxiety during his time on "The Office," and the author's own battles with mental health and the pursuit of happiness through writing and humor.

Abstract

The piece delves into the complex nature of happiness as explored through the experiences of Rainn Wilson and the author. Wilson, despite his success on "The Office," grappled with dissatisfaction and a desire for greater fame, revealing that professional success does not guarantee personal happiness. The author reflects on their own search for happiness, acknowledging past struggles with mental health that led to a breaking point in 2022. Writing and humor serve as coping mechanisms, with the author drawing parallels to the struggles of other comedians who have battled mental health issues. The article suggests that the journey toward happiness involves recognizing the value of experiences, both positive and negative, and the importance of asking the right questions rather than seeking definitive answers.

Opinions

Rainn Wilson's experience suggests that fame and doing what one loves do not inherently lead to happiness; rather, an ego-driven pursuit of more can result in dissatisfaction.
The author believes that suffering and personal struggles are intrinsically linked to the pursuit of dreams and that overcoming these challenges can lead to a deeper appreciation of happiness.
There is an opinion that humor and comedy often stem from personal pain and trauma, as a way to shift perspective away from difficult experiences.
The author posits that mental health and the ability to experience a full range of emotions are crucial to personal growth and the human experience.
The article implies that the journey of self-discovery and the pursuit of one's goals are valuable in themselves, beyond the achievement of any specific outcome.
Rainn Wilson is quoted as saying that happiness is about the exploration and asking the right questions, suggesting that it is a lifelong pursuit without a final destination.
The author encourages readers to support their writing by subscribing, framing it as a way to contribute to the realization of their dreams.

Anxiety journey

In Search of Happiness: Rainn Wilson

In Search of Happiness Series: First Installment

Rainn Wilson by S_Bukley on Shutterstock.

Whenever I try to think, I can’t pinpoint a moment when I’m truly happy.

I always walk through life searching for those moments, missing the tiny specs of happiness on the way. Maybe I was happy yesterday when I was playing with my cat. I didn’t feel it.

I want overwhelming happiness. And I don’t know if it’s possible. By changing my perspective of happiness, I pray that I will be satisfied.

So, I turn to other people to learn about happiness.

The Office

Rainn Wilson was not happy during “The Office”. Similarly to me, he did not care that he was doing something great at the very moment. It shows that even when you do what you love, you still can be miserable. Imagine being on a hit TV show but not seeing the positivity in it.

He wanted more.

You won’t ever be happy by putting ego to the front — that’s what Rainn is standing by. He wanted to be a big star, but he didn’t see it happening even with the success he had.

It doesn’t matter that a lot of people loved him (and still love him to this day because of the work he did and continues to do).

“There’s a reason why famous comedians come from painful background. Because comedy shifts your perspective away from pain and trauma.” — Rainn Wilson on Diary Of A CEO Podcast.

He thinks if he didn’t have depression, anxiety, or battle with addiction, he would certainly would not be an actor.

What level of suffering do you have to endure to turn to your dreams?

Breaking point

2022 was my breaking point. I have decided that I would try one last time and then that’s it. Before that, I was trying lots of different things, and nothing stuck.

Writing was sacred to me, it was my escape if I tried to make something out of it and failed — it would cost me everything.

So, I set out to do it.

I was at my worst, wanting to take my life, planning to join the 27 club, just because it would seem a lot cooler than just doing it anytime.

In October 2023, I am turning 28.

Make yourself laugh

Humor has always been my crutch in going through struggles. I laugh at my misery while “proving” to others it wasn’t as serious as I was telling them.

It was serious. It still is.

There’s a famous Lithuanian actor and comic who took his own Vytautas Šapranauskas. I was thinking about Robin Williams' case as well. All these people are suffering while making other people laugh. And while I’m not as talented as they are, I do the same.

So, does it have any connection to mental health?

Rainn Wilson thinks so:

“The opposite of pain and trauma is humor.”

But everything comes with the game — the existing game. Rainn likens the existence the same way of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin: “We are spiritual beings having a human experience.”

Body is a vessel to have all these events happen to you. You will feel sad and unworthy at times but you also will have triumphs and wins, have relationships with incredible people, love and hate things.

It’s all beautiful at the end, the real spiritual self should recognize the gift the universe gave you of experiencing it all. Whatever you want will happen. If you seek to achieve your goals and go that route until the very end — the experience of the journey should be enough.

Experience everything

I like to think that my writing means something. I don’t know what exactly but if I didn’t write it I wouldn’t have any knowledge of Pierre. This is the first time I heard of him.

If I didn’t get so depressed, I wouldn’t know what happiness looked like. It would be like going through life in an easy mode and that’s no fun.

Sometimes crying hysterically like in the movie helps you heal, so why not just do that? It will be Oscar worthy performance and you will be lighter knowing that you have no tears left.

If I didn’t start putting my writing online, on Medium, I wouldn’t be writing this. Why would I put in the work for something like this? Only for other people, not for me.

Happiness for Rainn Wilson is…

“It’s really about finding and asking the right questions more than it is any hard takeaway and answers. It’s the exploration that is a lifelong pursuit.” — Rainn Wilson on Upi.

Maybe happiness is the journey we made.

If you subscribe to my account, you’ll support my life’s dream without any additional payment on your side of things.