In his essay, Lewis speaks of a Man and a Woman who leave their previous mates in other to find "happiness." In a discussion with a neighbor, it came to the attention of Lewis that the idea of happiness was one his neighbor felt their two neighbors deserved to have, even if that meant hurting somebody else. This kind of happiness, of cause, begs the question "What does it really mean to want to be happy," and If I have a right to that happiness, then by necessity, I also have a right to pursue that happiness at all cost. It seems to me though that thats just were the problem is, If you say to me, i have a right to pursue happiness, you are also saying that I have a right to do and seek out whatever makes me happy. I believe it is also clear that if my soul purpose was to be happy, I would make a lot of people unhappy in the process because If all I want is my happiness, then everyone else is just here for me to use in other to get to my happiness.
So then, as I see it, I or anyone else can not have a right to happiness or the pursuit of happiness. As Lewis concluded, saying I have a right to happiness is like saying "I have a right to be six feet tall," or "I have a right to have a father who is a millionaire." This to me would also beg the question "what happens when I am not happy," after all, Americans are supposed to be seeking happiness but yet not all Americans are happy. As it turn out, most American are not happy with their job some not happy with their marriage, kids and life in general. What happens at that point, should they just get another job and what if a person is not happy in their marriage, wouldn't it seem logical at that point (if they are seeking happiness) to just leave the marriage in search of what make them happy.
We find, then, that this mindset is what a lot of Americans have. Countries with far less than we have seem to be more happy than we are. Perhaps, it is due to their contentment with what they have been giving rather than a constant pursuit of something to make them happy. Like the saying goes "count you blessings daily." This quote, i believe a lot of people can benefit from.
Thanks for your post Yemi! I really liked your first paragraph. I thought you did a good job of expressing how EVERYTHING we have is a gift and not something that already belongs to us to get at any cost. I was reminded of a verse in the Bible (Romans 9:21) that talks about God being a potter, and we his clay. The clay belongs to the potter, and he does not owe it anything. He can make a beautiful vase out of one part, and a plain cooking pot out of another. Neither can complain to the potter about what he has chosen for them. They belong to him and their purpose is to serve him in whatever way he has called them.
ReplyDeleteGood stuff Yemi. I like how you emphasize that all things are gift. I feel we have lost that since science explains how things are predictable and occur in patterns and presents what is marvelous and amazing as old hat and routine. This is the one part of science that I, even has an engineer, find fault. Science does not convey to people the amazement and fascination that a scientist or engineer feels when making a discovery only the facts. Thus the average person does not get exposed to the immense complexity of how God works everyday for our survival only the simplified mechanisms of how God does it.
ReplyDeleteI agree that we need to be content rather than pursue happiness. Accepting and being thankful for what God has given is the perfect antidote to cure a sad spirit.
ReplyDeleteI like what you have to say. I agree that everything we have is given to us by a gracious God. It's important that we learn to be happy with what God has given us, rather than to be discontent with everything we have, constantly pursuing things we don't really need. I don't think it would be out of line to say that happiness is an important part of a healthy life, though. Happiness is one of the many gifts that God gave us.
ReplyDeleteYour last paragraph interested me. Paulo talked about the subject of poverty and happiness in class, and I think that the issue is most likely a cultural one. In Western cultures we see a significantly smaller amount of people in abject poverty. We are also a much more unhappy group of people. I think this is because of the rise of Individualism and (perhaps) free market capitalism. I'm reminded of a quote from a children's cartoon: "when all you have is nothing, there's a lot to go around." I think we as Westerners have a lot to learn from our Third World neighbors.
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