True Happiness

All men seek happiness. From the rich to the poor, the old to the young, everybody seeks something above all else: happiness. Yet, so few of them succeeded to achieve happiness. This led us to the question “What is happiness?” The answer to this question may vary from one person to another, as it depends on the person’s views, religion, and character. Some people define happiness as being healthy, successful in their careers, or wealthy. Others may perceive happiness as simply to love someone and to be loved in return. These differences of views lead people to use different approaches to achieve happiness. However, for so many people, no matter how hard they try, they still feel unhappy. This is most likely caused by their wrong view of happiness. What really is happiness?

            Happiness, according to Wikipedia, is a mental or emotional state of well-being characterized by positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. Reaching this state requires different approaches for different people. For some, being in this state is possible as long as they have goals. People need to have a sense of purpose. With a purpose, one has something to strive for, and therefore, he has something to live for. In the contrary, a person without a purpose in life feels lost in the world. Other people attempt to reach happiness with humor. Life with a sense of humor is a lot more colorful and fun, and after all, laughter is said to be the best medicine.

            The definition of happiness also differs among religions. For example, according to Buddhist teachings, the only way to achieve ultimate happiness is by overcoming craving in all forms. On the other hand, Catholics believe that beatitude or perfect happiness is to be attained not in this life, but the next. In Judaism, happiness is considered as an important element in the service of God. This reflects on the teachings of Judaism that stresses joy in the service of the Lord.

             My own personal opinion is more inclined to that of the Catholics. I believe that perfect happiness can only be attained in the next life. However, I also believe that happiness, though not in its perfect form, can be reached in this life. In my opinion, the root of unhappiness is greed. The need to have more is in the human’s nature. Looking from this point of view, the way to achieve happiness is simply to be grateful. Instead of focusing on the things he does not have, a man has to focus on what he has. That way, the feeling of dissatisfaction can be eliminated and replaced by gratefulness.

Happiness is actually a state of mind, a choice a person makes for himself. It is true that goals, humor, health, and success can lead to happiness, but they are not enough on their own. At the end of the day, a person can only achieve happiness if they choose to have it. As Aristotle said, “happiness depends upon ourselves.” As long as one chooses to be happy in his life, then happiness will be in his life.