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Just Happiness
By Hector Gabriel Ramos Samanez, Peru
If negative news headlines such as, Humanity's Very Survival is at Risk, Says UN (referring to man's contribution to global warming and climate change) are any indication of how happy we should be, then few of us have anything to cheer about.
"Even under the very worst conditions, happiness is not only something that is achievable but it’s what drives us to want to experience the next day. " -Hector Gabriel Ramos Samanez
And as global sales of anti-depressants rise into the billions to aid those over-driven to succeed, it would seem that our lives are full of empty promises of happiness.
So if the reality of life seems to be spiraling downward, fraught with gloom and doom, is it nonetheless possible for us to be happy? Is happiness something that is achieved at the expense and suffering of others - oil today, destruction tomorrow? Are people truly happy to be alive, living life to the fullest - or are we merely surviving?
Hindus call this millennium Kalyug, the fourth and final era of men. According to scripture, this last era will pose the most difficult challenges for the human race and many atrocities will take place.
If we are to be confronted by tragedy and myriad conflicts, shouldn't we be a bit more concerned about our uncertain future by making sure we create a happier present? Shouldn't we put more energy into discovering what makes us happy?
But what exactly is happiness? Is it something that we can track down? Can we even define it?
When I asked 10 people from nine different countries around the world what made them happy I was surprised that this simple question created total silence. Could happiness in India, Palestine, Nepal, Paraguay, Jordan, Afghanistan, the Maldives, Peru and the US be so different that one person's happiness might be sadness for someone else?
After two hours of discussion, we agreed that defining inner happiness is relative. While 21 year old Smriti from Nepal is happy walking in the rain and being enlightened by music, Yama, who is from Afghanistan, loves to ride a horse to find inner peace and connect with nature.
Knowing the truth in a world full of corruption is important to 20 year old Jazmin who is from Paraguay, yet 19 year old Thayer from Palestine said Mark Twain had it right when he wrote, "Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life."
19 year old Razan from Jordan chooses to spend time with sincere friends while 19 year old Maurifa who is from the Maldives is happy when she wakes up at 5 a.m. and realizes that she has two more hours of sleep.
At 20, Ramon, who comes from New Mexico, likes to travel and learn about other cultures and 19 year old Sid from India finds happiness by discussing important issues with people he cares about.
All of my friends have faced challenges such as discrimination, loneliness and displacement, yet each one of them finds happiness in the mere essence of life - enjoying people, nature and arts. And even under the very worst conditions, happiness is not only something that is achievable but it's what drives us to want to experience the next day.
While being enlightened in a conversation with friends can be a blessedly happy experience as Sid said, we also agreed that happiness can sometimes come at a grave price. 19 year old Mohammad from Jordan pointed out, that Thomas Gray had it right when he wrote in Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College, "...where ignorance is bliss, ‘Tis folly to be wise."
Indeed, sometimes when we satisfy some of our immediate desires, like buying the latest shoes or even the groceries we consume, we are perpetuating someone else's sadness. When large multinational corporations, like Nike, Gap, Wal-Mart, Disney operate sweatshops in countries around the world it is the consumer who is inadvertently contributing to human and labor rights violations.
Knowing that our materialistic happiness leaves such a huge footprint on the lives of others can we still be happy with our purchases? Jazmin asked whether our idea of happiness could change with knowledge - that concern for others could cause us to modify our own pursuit of happiness.
When it comes to owning the latest technology, I'm sure many of us would prefer to rationalize our apathy. But just how happy can we be when we know our joy on some level is a product of the exploitation of others? Even thousands of miles away, aren't we part of the negative headlines that perpetuate injustice, agony and unhappiness for others?
"Too much of something is nothing," said Yama, pointing out that for many people around the world happiness comes from just surviving another day. Certainly this is the case where extreme poverty and wars exist - where people die of hunger - where a piece of bread might produce momentary joy- or to wake up and see the sun shining through the window is a privilege when hundreds have died in their sleep.
While different things make each one of us happy, happiness is a journey. It does not come automatically, by itself and it doesn't necessarily happen when we push ourselves to obtain it. To be sure, we should keep in mind that to understand the sweetness of happiness, sometimes unhappiness has to be tasted. Happiness is meaningless if we do not have the perspective of its opposite.
Even so, we live in a world where the pursuit of happiness often comes at a deadly cost - when our moments of joy can tear apart the lives of others. We need to be mindful of this and remember that other people enrich our lives so we should not stomp on theirs.
