Whoa, I promise this post is not going to be as deep/philosophical as the title. I promise. This is not a class.
But I happened to stumble upon a share from my facebook buddies and it caught my eye. I'll put the link here. It's from The Atlantic and the title is "There's more to life than being happy". In fact, it says that "It is the very pursuit of happiness that thwarts happiness."
It's a very good article and I suggest you all to take a look. Basically, the point is that we all try so hard to be happy, but it's a kind of happiness that can be quite shallow and self-absorbed. Rather, the article shows us that sometimes, it may be better to lead a meaningful life, rather than a happy life. Accordingly, life with meaning is a life with purpose. And a life with purpose will ultimately be more satisfying, more rewarding, and to a certain extent, it implies that it's a better life than the shallow, self-absorbed happy life.
It's a very interesting concept and in some parts of the article, it even suggests that a meaningful life is possibly a less happier life. Because to lead a meaningful life at times will involve giving, sacrificing, and arguing. It may even require the individual to confront difficult questions or situations in life. Hence, while those experiences may not necessarily be happy experiences, they are worthwhile, meaningful ones.
Have I convinced you yet? Well, even if I haven't, do go take a look at the original post. It's very interesting and after reading it, I did feel somewhat better about my current situation.
Yes, most of you will think: "What have you got to be unhappy about? You're about to get married, you have a job, you are about to go on a wonderful vacation...what are you unhappy about?"
Well, if the article is legit, then what I'm after is not necessarily happiness, but meaning. Perhaps, I'm struggling to find meaning in my life....despite all the good things that are happening in life.
Something to think about.... =)
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