Why happiness never seems to last
I must admit something here. Must, yes, for if I consider my writing here something, an adjective if you may, it is honest. I don’t second guess anything I write. It is mostly a product of a single sitting, and when I get up, the post, the article, the essay, is complete. I consider this place, here, to be a sort of conversation I have with both myself, and the world at large. Now, the world is pretty large, and I get a mere fraction of it here, so mostly this place is about me, putting my ideas on paper.
Now then, to the admitting part of things. I actually have a couple of things to admit to.
- Before this, I was writing something titled, “Why the world needs to be a little more compassionate”, but a couple of paragraphs through it ended up becoming a little too preachy, and once I had written that down, about it being a little too preachy, I could not get myself to write anything more on the topic.
- I was, and still am confused between what to title this one. The two titles that I have, as of now, and you must, must believe me, when I tell you all I have is titles are, “Why happiness never lasts” and “Why happiness never seems to last”
This, is the object of this post. The differentiation between the two. What this post ends up being called about, is anybody’s guess right now. I for one, am literally making this up as I go.
I am obsessed with happiness, as a concept. I’ve read up concepts. I’m conversant with the different variations, different definitions, different goals, and sources of it. I have also written of it. Consider me, then the residential, armchair, happiness expert. There’s this thing I’ve read/heard/seen somewhere; I can’t exactly reproduce it here, but my interpretation of it, or rather summarization of it, is this:
Happiness can never be had.
It can only ever be realized.
I feel I should extrapolate on this a little. Anything that can be had, anything, a person, a thing, a property, can never be the source of happiness. All you get is a high, a momentary high, a whiff of joy, and then it’s gone! And you start looking for the next high! The thing that was supposed to give you happiness, is just another thing in your life, not worthy of your attention. Not the source of anything but contempt, at having failed to be the saviour, the big answer to all your sorrows, the endless source of all happiness! Contempt. Yes, contempt.
But then, the thing that you were looking for, the thing that you got as a result of wanting, and eventually getting it, wasn’t really happiness. And hence, the confusion between the titles.
“Why happiness never lasts?”
“Why happiness never seems to last?”
The fog has cleared a little now though. Hasn’t it?
Happiness can, and does last. Happiness is in realization; in seeing things for what they are. It is not something to be had. It is not something that can be had. It is just something that can be coexisted with, in harmony, and peace.
And that.., is how I chose the title! 😉
