the three paths to happiness

well... if you're looking for a recipe, you're looking in vain. i am not going to give you one, because i don't have one. however... there is something that has occurred to me. i've mentioned already that i get some of my most brilliant ideas on the loo, haven't i? :P

some pennyless losers mentioned some time ago, in an attempt to convince themselves, that money can't buy happiness. some other losers, having naught but money, smiled condescendingly and nodded their heads, proceeding to buy it by the pound. funny thing is, they're both sort of right.

ok, so in my deep thinking session, i've sort of reached the following conclusion: there are three paths to reach a certain level of happiness (yes, the definition of the term is still debateable, no, it is not a lasting state, but one that must be achieved over and over again).

1. happiness you can buy. you want a dress really bad. you've been wanting a book for ages. you just die for a meal at your favourite restaurant. you'd kill for a trip to japan. all these things can grant you a period of happiness - shorter or longer, depending on how much you want it. all these things can be bought and require a certain amount of money. you have that money, you buy that piece of happiness.

2. happiness you make. you can carve out a little piece of heaven for yourself. you can do origami. you can get that feeling of enormous satisfaction after cleaning a really greasy oven. you can take a walk in the park. you can write a poem or paint something. you can help a child with schoolwork. you can tend a flowerbed. you can solve a really difficult maths problem. all these things can give you a piece of happiness and don't require a significant amount of money. it is paid for in effort and is the happiness that comes out of one's own work or creation.

3. happiness you are offered. it is probably the hardest to obtain because it doesn't depend entirely on you (whether on work or financial effort). it is the type of happiness for each others are required: your parents, your lover, your children, a friend, the boss, your favourite sports team, etc.

of course, you might train yourself to lower expectation levels, but it is debateable. no matter how objective or even pessimistic you might be, you still hope. you want to believe that your team might win, you want to believe your lover will be true, you want to believe your kids won't fail a difficult task, you want to believe your friends will be there for you, etc. preparation might help, but not much.

now, i don't think there is any 'universally recommended' dose in which to mix these. it probably varies from person to person. i'd venture to say that neither type by itself will offer long time happiness, there will always be something missing. also, i don't think you can cut any of the three from the list and compensate with the others. it doesn't work like that. there is a dose that is right for you and any shift from that balance is bad for you. the more you need of one type and the less you get of it, the worse for you.

well... now that i've solved a millenia-old problem of humanity :) am off to count my pluses and minuses.

ps: images by: wint3r88, yestrdaysforigvn, moOnxinha