All men would like to be happy. The problem is that we are not quite sure what happiness is. At times we feel better than at other times. There are times when we feel great.

But, even then we are not quite sure if this is all there is to happiness. It seems to be an elusive dream of total satisfaction, but it often stays just out of reach, leaving us feeling empty and dissatisfied.

We want to find some significant reason to live and it seems to boil down to a few things. We imagine that these things must surely deliver on the promise for happiness, else so many people would not keep on seeking happiness in these things.

To have a dream and then to pursue that dream seems to be the main reason for our existence. The dream is for riches, popularity, or prestige. To have other people acknowledging our importance is what life is all about, because we often have a hard time convincing ourselves that we are as important as we want other people to think.

We want to think that we fit in and are considered meaningful to others. We entertain the thoughts of the ages on how to get people to acknowledge our significant contribution to meaningful existence.

The odd thing about our chosen pursuits is that even in these things there seems to be an underlying futility. The very things we hope to give us meaning and satisfaction bring a crop of problems we had not anticipated or dreamed.

So, the dream of life is always just out of reach. It is like striving after the wind.

It is vexing to the soul.

Right when we think we have captured the things that will give us a sense of total meaning and satisfaction, we are presented with a whole new set of problems that tend to take away at least a little of the total satisfaction.

Is this elusive dream for total happiness unreasonable? Why does life seem so futile?

#Justthinking.

Sure we can, if we can be contented, and also not to compare our life with someone else own. But human beings get intimidated too easily.

Happiness like other emotions is but a state of the mind.
Wonder why the poor are mostly happier the rich?
It's a factor of love and contentment. Self love, feeling loved, having a purpose and being contented in fulfilling that purpose.
The challenge then is that the bigger ones expectation, the harder it is to be happy as it becomes harder fulfilling that expectation.
Should one hence lower their expectation?

ShakurMY:
Sure we can, if we can be contented, and also not to compare our life with someone else own. But human beings get intimidated too easily.

I think contentment is itself not possible or its far fetched. When we were young and even till now, we have aspirations to be the best in our primary, secondary and university education. We want to go to the best schools and study the best courses, just to have a mouth in the society. For most of our parents - those of us who study philosophy, adult education, religious study et al... Are considered doomed to a reduced life.

And yet even after graduation from the Univesrsity, we want to drive the best cars, get the best jobs, use the best phones, marry the most beautiful partner; all, so we can flaunt our credentials and ego at others who are less privileged than ourselves.

And the truth is, we look up to the internet and social media to keep us from depression, Unbeknownst that the social media itself is the root of our unhealthy desires.

I wish we can all open our eyes and see that life and happiness is an illusion. Most people on social media are suffering but smiling- even the rich. We compare ourselves to our friends but we are unaware of what they are going through.

The desire to achieve more and be the best is insatiable. But the fact is that, at death, we will all realize the futility, and that we have only been competing with ourselves.

Venerable612:


I think contentment is itself not possible or its far fetched. When we were young and even till now, we have aspirations to be the best in our primary, secondary and university education. We want to go to the best schools and study the best courses, just to have a mouth in the society. For most of our parents - those of us who study philosophy, adult education, religious study et al... Are considered doomed to a reduced life.

And yet even after graduation from the Univesrsity, we want to drive the best cars, get the best jobs, use the best phones, marry the most beautiful partner; all, so we can flaunt our credentials and ego at others who are less privileged than ourselves.

And the truth is, we look up to the internet and social media to keep us from depression, Unbeknownst that the social media itself is the root of our unhealthy desires.

I wish we can all open our eyes and see that life and happiness is an illusion. Most people on social media are suffering but smiling- even the rich. We compare ourselves to our friends but we are unaware of what they are going through.

The desire to achieve more and be the best is insatiable. But the fact is that, at death, we will all realize the futility, and that we have only been competing with ourselves.

Hmmm, that's why we are human beings. Our eye's not satisfied with seeing, our ears want to hear more. Life indeed is useless.