My Idea of a Happy Life(Personal Essay)

By Ganesh B. Dhami

We all wish to live a happy life. However, few can tell how to get happiness in this world. Experience teaches us that unmixed happiness is not a thing of this world.

In my opinion, a happy life means that life which is free from cares and worries. This freedom from worries cannot be obtained with a lot of money. It can be obtained by habit of mind. Many people worry about small things. Many of us worry about the future and the trouble that will come. However mostly these troubles never come.

The quest for a happy life engrosses every human being on this earth. Everyman tends to define a happy life in a distinctly individualistic fashion. Thinkers have attempted to define a happy life in various terms. Hedonists have the simple notion that happiness lies in the gratification of physical quest. Others have stated that man’s happiness tends to lie in the acquisition of material goods. The more intellectually inclined tend to think that happiness lies in the highflying thoughts and pursuit of fine arts. Others seek happiness in the emotional satisfaction, which is to be found in the human relation- relation of parenthood, of friendship, of affection, etc.

The bewildering range of definitions and exhortation makes a common man unhappy when he notices himself falling short in one respect or other. However, compartmentalization of happiness as lying in a particular direction is largely invalid. This is so because man is a multi-dimensional organism with a variety of needs and desires. The satisfaction of mere physical desires or even the gratification; solely psychological or intellectual needs is not sufficient.

It is a mistaken idea that wealth is the passport to the realm of happiness. Ignorant people think that only wealthy and prosperous people are happy. On the contrary, the rich are miserable people. They have neither peace, nor rest, nor health to enjoy life. They are most careworn people for they are always afraid to lose their wealth. Besides, wealth cannot be amassed by fair means. A man full of fear and using unfair means can never be happy. There is no end to desires. Man desires more and more wealth, more and more power. A multimillionaire may not consider his wealth to be enough. The more we possess, the more unhappy we are.

Happiness lies in all three dimensions, that is, physical, emotional and intellectual. For a person to become free to follow intellectual pursuits, a necessary pre-condition is the satisfaction of physical needs. Furthermore, until a man is emotionally strong, all his activities tend towards lop-sided inclusions. The domestic discord in Schopenhauer’s life resulted in a morbidly pessimistic and intensely misogynic philosophy.

Life should comprise of satisfaction in all these facets. A man should be fed well, have a happy home and satisfactory relations with others, and a healthy curiosity and appreciation of art. A life would be that a satisfied life with no desires that determination or effort cannot achieve. A total lack of desires leads to static life. One may wish to read many and more books. However, the desire must be healthy and not pathological. One may wish to eat well but this does not mean constricting one’s desires to food alone.

Happiness is not merely an individual affair, it has social aspect also. It is difficult, unless one is tyrant or a mentally diminished person, to be happy in a world torn by strife, anguish, poverty and suffering. Happiness does not come until one’s neighbors are also happy. Happiness at the cost of others is not true happiness. A happy society is constituted of happy people and happy children in a national asset.

Finally, happiness is not merely satisfaction of desires. Happiness lies in the pursuit of satisfaction. A person who learns to play a musical instrument does not find happiness on resting on his laurels. His happiness lies in the pursuit of greater mastery over the instruments.

A happy life is one with reasonable satisfaction in emotional desires; physical at needs and intellectual pursuits has been achieved. Furthermore, the happiness of an individual is inextricably related to that of his society and does not lie merely in satiety but also in the pursuit of happiness. Ultimately, the temperamental readiness to accept all experiences willingly is what helps one in achieving a happy life.          

Money is a necessary thing but it is not the only thing that will keep us happy. So many millionaires spend sleepless nights. I want enough money for my normal expenses but not excessive money. Health is wealth is a famous quotation and I full subscribe to it. A healthy body and a healthy mind are essential to keep one happy. A sick man can never be happy. He will want to die rather than to live in misery. A healthy person can work hard and sleep well. He can eat well and enjoy all the good things of life.

I want to possess only those many things that I need for myself. I know that many numbers of things cannot make a man happy. The more things a man has, the more he wishes to have. He is never satisfied. A content man only can be happy. Midas, with all his gold was a sad man while a goldsmith is happy with his small earnings.

To be happy, a man should lead a truthful and honest life. He should help his fellowmen and love them. A man loved and respected by other is always happy. To be guide by love in all the action is the key to happiness. We should love and fear God. We should love faith in him and pray to him.

Thus, we see that a happy man is he who has enough to eat, who enjoys sound health, is contended leads a truthful and honest life and has faith in God. Such is my idea of a happy life.