Pursuit of Happiness
- Submitted by: pucky
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- Category: English
- Date Submitted: 03/14/2010 09:35 AM
- Pages: 3
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Is the pursuit of happiness the most important goal in life or is it just selfish?
I once was told that the average person thinks about happiness at least twice a day. It's only 9pm and I can already tell you that I've been happy and unhappy many times today.
If I asked a group of people what they wanted most out of their lives for themselves or their family, whether for tomorrow or the rest of your life, most people would say happiness. Some might say money, but only because they think money will make them happy. Yes, money can buy things that will provide you with brief happiness, but for true happiness, I believe, you have to be focussed on it for the majority of your life. Aristotle once said, "Human happiness is so important it transcends all other worldly considerations."
If the meaning of life was to be completely one hundred percent happy; forget about all your goals and plans, the only thing you have to attempt to do is to be happy: happy in your life, your relationships, your family, your home, your job... but then of course you would only have a job and a family because they make you happy by providing money, a social group and companionship.
It is interesting that seeking personal satisfaction in every aspect of our lives seems unrealistic. Isn’t that what life is about? We are on this Earth for a finite amount of time, time which we can never regain no matter how hard we try & for no amount of money. Each moment that slips by is another moment gone. Why should we accept our lives the way they are if we are not satisfied or if we are unhappy? It makes no sense to spend life knowing that we could be doing better for ourselves, yet making a conscience decision not to.
Is the pursuit of happiness really the most important goal in life? Why would someone not work at a job that provides him/her self with satisfaction and allows more time with his/her children? Maybe because he/she would get less money and therefore not be able to afford...
I once was told that the average person thinks about happiness at least twice a day. It's only 9pm and I can already tell you that I've been happy and unhappy many times today.
If I asked a group of people what they wanted most out of their lives for themselves or their family, whether for tomorrow or the rest of your life, most people would say happiness. Some might say money, but only because they think money will make them happy. Yes, money can buy things that will provide you with brief happiness, but for true happiness, I believe, you have to be focussed on it for the majority of your life. Aristotle once said, "Human happiness is so important it transcends all other worldly considerations."
If the meaning of life was to be completely one hundred percent happy; forget about all your goals and plans, the only thing you have to attempt to do is to be happy: happy in your life, your relationships, your family, your home, your job... but then of course you would only have a job and a family because they make you happy by providing money, a social group and companionship.
It is interesting that seeking personal satisfaction in every aspect of our lives seems unrealistic. Isn’t that what life is about? We are on this Earth for a finite amount of time, time which we can never regain no matter how hard we try & for no amount of money. Each moment that slips by is another moment gone. Why should we accept our lives the way they are if we are not satisfied or if we are unhappy? It makes no sense to spend life knowing that we could be doing better for ourselves, yet making a conscience decision not to.
Is the pursuit of happiness really the most important goal in life? Why would someone not work at a job that provides him/her self with satisfaction and allows more time with his/her children? Maybe because he/she would get less money and therefore not be able to afford...