If you ask people about "happiness
and fulfillment" and what it means to them, you will probably get a
variety of answers. The general approach to happiness is
that if you attain what you desire, you are happy; and if you don't, you are
unhappy. Win the lottery, get a great job, get married, go on a holiday, and
you are happy. Miss the lottery, don't get a great job, don't get married, don't
go on a holiday, and you are miserable. Or is often considered as a subjective
state of mind, as when one claims one is happy when one is at a beach enjoying
a cool drink on a hot day, or is out “having fun” with friends.
Webster
defined happiness as "the emotion evoked by success or by the prospect of
possessing what one desires." But this may sound shallow to a reflective
person because they know that this kind of happiness is fleeting. Here one
minute and gone the next! When the "having fun" is over or we finally
possess what we have been desiring, somehow the happiness soon fades, and
before we know it we are back to our disgruntled self again, desiring something
new to make us temporarily happy again. However, more often than not, happiness
remains forever elusive for those with such shallow views.
But
if you go beyond the surface, the understanding of "happiness and
fulfillment" drastically changes. Plato argues that we must be moral
in order to be truly happy, and that it hinges on the four cardinal virtues: wisdom,
courage, moderation, and justice. Wisdom
is based on mind. Plato believes that the wise person uses the mind
to understand moral reality and then apply it to daily life. The wise person is
guided by prudence in the choices they make. Courage has to do with how we handle
adversity, but it also includes one's
convictions. As a matter of fact, Socrates, who was Plato's mentor, chose to
die rather than abandon his deepest convictions. Moderation (self-control) is connected to our desires. Human beings have endless
desires, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. But it becomes problematic
when we desire a good thing in the bad way, or a bad thing.
Our desires for
food, sex,
alcohol and material possessions must not consume our lives in a way that
compromises our character, but don't tell that to some people, they may accuse
you of being jealous. Justice
relates to one's overall character. For Plato, the just person has a healthy
soul, in which reason rules the appetites and our desire for honor. The just
person is fulfilled, at peace, and truly happy.
In my evolution, I've been inching
closer and closer towards Plato's view of "happiness and
fulfillment". Not there yet though because the gravitation is slow; the
road is full of obstacles and other forces are pulling from different
directions too. Growing up in a place where resources were limited (and still
are), I was made to believe, for the most part, that material success is what
defines and fulfills an individual. Your success is generally measured by the
amount of material possessions you accumulate, regardless of your character,
especially now. This idea of success has now led too many folks in my community
to abandoned morality and dignity and plunged into the ocean of injustice and
hypocrisy.
The "pretentious culture" in
my opinion is a source of misery for too many folks. They will lie, cheat and
steal just to impress others. It is simply hard to coexist with these types of
people if you’re more interested in simplicity and gratitude. Pretension is a
mask that allows you to be someone else, and many get consumed by it.
Ultimately it can make you and those around you very unhappy. Our relationships with others, while vital to
human existence, can often cause us a tremendous amount of anguish. On the same
token, our relationships profoundly influence, if not define many aspects of
our lives.
While there are "happiness and
fulfillment" prescriptions from thinkers and religion, it should still be
considered somewhat relative. What works for one may not work for another. But
as I continue my journey in life, I find myself rebelling against this notion
of material possession as the yard stick for happiness and success, and define
my own state of happiness. My quest for "happiness and fulfillment"
has led me down the part of seeking health (moral and physical), peace of mind,
and sound wisdom.
In pursuing these goals, I've been
able to make enormous strides in keeping my sanity, distance myself from
unnecessary contention, and avoid the rat race. Moreover, I focus on nurturing
who I am, rather than who I should be. I refuse to surrender to the unnatural demands
of the class struggle, my lucidity is too important. My objective is to live
simply, live well, and try to make a difference (no matter how little).
Overall, I'm in a place of contentment and it keeps getting better. We should
all learn to appreciate the simple things in life more, for they can bring you
the most happiness.
