Is Happiness the Purpose of Life?
I think humans are rigged to be unhappy. Wanting more is the natural state of being.
And that’s not entirely bad.
If the stone age human were happy with sleeping in the heat or rain and eating raw meat, they wouldn’t have made discoveries or inventions that modern-day humans take for granted.
When we ensure the necessities are covered, we drive towards comforts and then luxuries towards more. And I don’t mean just material things.
Is that greed or ambition?
Being happy with what we have makes us lazy. It was industry and not laziness that made houses, beds, and the device on which you are reading this. Unhappy minds worked hard to make these and more.
And being happy with what we are eliminates the need for self-improvement, learning, and working hard for the sake of the world.
Sure, some people are happier than their peers, and they seem more productive, helpful, and able to solve problems better. But if there wasn’t at least a bit of discontentment in their minds, either in the state of themselves or the world, would, they even try?
What would you do if you experienced heavenly ecstasy? Would you have the patience to read that book on productivity, or would you lazily enjoy the moment?
It’s work that helps the world. Do you think a person meditating for years in a secluded place helps anyone but themselves?
It’s the rat race that makes us work.
The rat race made us break through the frontiers of earth’s atmosphere and into space.
Who’s on top of the world?
A child who got his favorite toy as a gift. A man who got his love returned—a mother seeing her child for the first time.
I am sure you have had your moments at the top too.
But how long did you stay there?
“The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.” — Robert Frost
Without the unsatisfaction at a point that is not the top (however you may define it), we wouldn’t keep going.
Robert Frost probably would have been happier if/when he covered the miles to go than if he had spent his time looking unproductively at the lovely woods.
And I’d bet if/when he covered those miles, he found he had more miles to cover.
There’s always a higher place, a happier place, a more peaceful place.
There’s happiness in this world, but no happily ever after.
A vacation on the beach might free you of your worries a bit, but as long as you know you need to work after the vacation as you are yet to reach your goals, you will never be at the peak of happiness you dream of.
You’ll know you have miles to go.
There’s no love without worries.
Every witty humor keeps us wanting more.
No win is final.
The preachers might be happier than you, but if they were truly ecstatic with you and the rest of the world, would they preach?
They, too, want more than what they have. They, too, want to do more. To be more.
They are not at absolute peace with the world or themselves or won’t try to change you or the world. You are the prize they desire, and when they convert you, they shift their attention to another to conquer.
No one is on top of the world. Everyone has work to do.
And that’s good.
People working is better than people not working.
On competing
Jealousy might make people criminals, but fewer people use weapons than tools to get ahead.
The tough competition in life makes people use most of their wits and other resources available to them.
In some cases, competitions may make people go to war, causing pain to the world, but the aggressors get isolated sooner or later until they are no longer a threat.
In the case of a war of wits, failure may cause pain and hurt their confidence so much that they may never speak out again. But in my experience, unless the pain causes mental disorders, they learn to learn, be a part of debates again, and try to win. And become better in the process.
Should we never question nor differ in opinion, so we don’t hurt?
It might keep the other happy. We might make a lot of friends, become popular, loved.
But, we need to encourage everyone to do their best, to be their best, and sometimes the best way to do that is by challenging their ideas.
Should we never question nor differ in opinion, so we don’t get hurt?
I don’t think keeping stuff inside your head helps anyone.
Should we spend time polishing the way we debate so no one gets hurt?
The feedback sandwich hurt less but took thrice the time and effort to communicate. I don’t have a strong opinion on whether we should be more direct or polished. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
As long as the competition doesn’t end in violence, it helps us build better things and ideas.
On lowering expectations from ourselves and others
Some advice this is as a cheat to happiness.
The extreme end of it is resignation. To life. Or from life.
Guess what would have happened if the stone age human had thought, “Let it be,” when it poured while he was sleeping in the mud.
You might think the modern world has made everyone unhappy, but imagine yourself sleeping in the cold without shelter in the dangerous wild.
Would you be happier?
Final Words
Happiness may well be the purpose of life, but we’ll never reach the peak of it until the whole world is perfect in every sense.
If a single person feels left out, the disease will spread.
It might take centuries to make the world perfect. But until then, the lovely woods are just distractions.
Indulge if you need a break from work, meditate for your peace of mind, but know we all have miles to go.
Please note this is just my opinion at this point. And that my opinions change frequently.
But thanks for reading, and I’ll appreciate your thoughts.
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