Who is happy?
Rohinton Mistry in "A Fine Balance" talks of how there is a fine balance in everone's life. A balance which tilts neither on the side of euphoria nor despondency for too long. One of his characters - a lower middle class tailor - ends up castrated, becomes a beggar, but retains a fine balance of happiness in life.
Graeme Wheeler, MD of World Bank, had asked some rural women part of Self Help Groups in Andhra Pradesh what they needed for betterment of their lives. They replied that they had everything! If these women subjectively feel happy, then what is the WB trying to acheive? Is the underlying assumption that no one can be happy unless they have modern amenities of life?
Recently, a good friend forwarded this link. It's a talk on happiness by Harvard psychologist Dan Gilbert. He says our beliefs about what makes us happy are often wrong. He presents the results of his intriguing research.
And when I talk of happiness, I cannot but bring in Art of Living. In my experience, Art of Living addresses happiness of our lives in myriad ways and gives a holistic philosophy of life and happiness, uncovering new dimensions hitherto only heard of but not experienced.
Recently, a good friend forwarded this link. It's a talk on happiness by Harvard psychologist Dan Gilbert. He says our beliefs about what makes us happy are often wrong. He presents the results of his intriguing research.
And when I talk of happiness, I cannot but bring in Art of Living. In my experience, Art of Living addresses happiness of our lives in myriad ways and gives a holistic philosophy of life and happiness, uncovering new dimensions hitherto only heard of but not experienced.
posted by Anand at 9:32 PM
4 Comments:
Wonderful thought...
I feel happiness is the inherent nature of every human soul, but the problem is that we all forget this simple but great truth.
This is because of the fear - the realization of this truth would virtually stop all our daily activities where we seek happiness.
Perhaps we don't like that to happen.
So lets continue to find answer to the question "How to be happy ?"
Yeah, Dan Gilbert (in the link above) also says something to that effect. He says, all economic activity is predicated on happiness lying in the success of that activity. When happiness is independent of the success of economic activity, where is the incentive to pursue it? Many daily activities might come to an end. Sanyas?
I agree with the essence of the post but not what you say about 'A Fine Balance'. I don't think the tailor in this book is 'generally' happy at himself. I've read the book and have been moved by it but nowhere did I think that what you express was the case!
Yeah, the book is pretty moving. I remember "being with the characters" even after I finished reading the book.
And, I might have deconstructed the book a bit though :)
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