A comment that is very often heard in interviews is: “ ... and now that
you are a happy person ...”, which provokes the immediate reaction: “Did
I say I was happy?”
I am not happy, and the quest for happiness
as a principal objective is not part of my world. Of course, ever since
I can remember, I have done what I felt like doing. That is why I was
admitted three times to a psychiatric clinic, spent a few terrifying
days in the dungeons of Brazil’s military dictatorship, and just as
quickly lost and won friends and girlfriends. I walked down paths that,
if I could turn back, I might avoid today, yet something always pushed
me forward, and it certainly was not the quest for happiness. What
interests me in life is curiosity, challenges, the good fight with its
victories and defeats. I bear many a scar, but I also carry with me
moments that never would have happened if I had not dared beyond my
limits. I confront my fears and moments of loneliness, and I think that a
happy person never goes through this.
But that is of the least
importance: I am content. And contentedness is not exactly a synonym of
happiness, which to me seems like a dull Sunday afternoon without any
challenges, just rest that in a couple of hours grows into tedium, the
same evening television programs, the prospect of Monday waiting with
its routine.
I mention all this because I was surprised by the
long leading article in one of the most prestigious magazines in the
United States that is normally dedicated to political matters. The theme
was: “The science of happiness: is it in our genetic system?” Aside
from the usual things (tables of happier or less happy countries,
sociological studies on man’s search for a meaning to life, eight steps
to finding harmony), the article includes some interesting observations
that for the very first time made me see that I am not alone in my
ideas:
A] - countries where income is under US$ 10,000 a year are
countries where the majority of the population is unhappy. However, it
was discovered that from that figure upwards, monetary difference is not
all that important. A scientific study conducted on the 400 richest
persons in the United States shows that they are only slightly happier
than those who earn US$ 20,000. The logical consequence: of course,
poverty is something unacceptable, but the old saying that “money does
not bring happiness” is being proved in laboratories.
B] –
happiness is just another of the tricks that our genetic system plays on
us to carry out its only role, which is the survival of the species.
So, to force us to eat or make love, it is necessary to add an element
called “pleasure”.
C] - however happy people say they are, nobody
is satisfied: we always have to be with the prettiest woman, buy a
bigger house, change cars, desire what we do not have. This is also a
subtle manifestation of the instinct of survival: at the moment when
everyone feels completely happy, no-one will dare to do anything
different and the world will stop evolving.
D] therefore, both on
the physical plane (eating, making love) and on the emotional plane
(always wanting something we do not have), the evolution of humanity has
dictated one important and fundamental rule: happiness cannot last. It
will always be made of moments, so we can never get comfortable in an
armchair and just contemplate the world.
Conclusion: better
forget this idea of seeking happiness at any cost and look for more
interesting things like unknown seas, strangers, provocative thoughts,
risky experiences. Only in this way will we live our human condition to
the full and contribute to a more harmonious civilization at peace with
other cultures. Of course, everything has a price, but it is worth
paying.
*) Taken from Coelho's Warrior of The Light online.
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It's amazing how some people, though you don't know them personally, could really dig deep into your soul.
This
may seem weird, but I've found that (Coelho's) writings, more or less,
have given me answers to my doubts and questions in life. And this is
one of the few stories that did so.
I sometimes do think that maybe I don't need to be happy, I just need to be content.
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