Happiness is essential to human existence because it is human nature to desire to know the answer to insoluble questions like “where is my place and what is my purpose in the universe?”. In his work, Pensées, Pascal states, “. . . we burn with desire to find solid ground and an ultimate sure foundation whereon to build a tower reaching to the Infinite. But our whole groundwork cracks, and the earth opens to abysses. Let us, therefore, not look for certainty and stability. Our reason is always deceived by fickle shadows” (Pascal, 1). In this quote, he is clearly stating that the futile objective to find purpose is like a thirst that can never be quenched. As a realist, he recognizes that we are unable to give up our desire to understand our place and purpose in the universe, so we must distract ourselves with our passions and chase after material goods. We distract ourselves with the chase to subside fear of the unknown. Because the universe does not define us or offer a set of guidelines to do so, we often define ourselves by the aspects of life that displace us furthest from having to engage with knowing that our purpose can never be absolutely identified. In this essay, I will support Pascal’s account of human nature by arguing that we are motivated to find meaning and purpose and do so in the chase. We create artificial identities in the material things and passions we chase after, making our identities similar to a project and therefore illusory.
Pascal begins his
Many live attempting to decipher the riddle of life. What is life? What is the purpose? What makes? Even though we only seek happiness why can’t we ever seem to achieve it? When we do reach happiness why can’t we seem to grasp it and hold it for more than the few short hours that pass like seconds? The question we must answer first is “What makes happiness, true?”
Part of the question of how to live is connected specifically with what state humans find to be the best. It will be uncomplicated to comprehend the idea of happiness if humans can understand the appropriate purpose of a human being. In detail, it is essential to regulate what the purpose of a human being is because contentment involves someone doing their job well, like a carpenter or a leather worker. A human’s function is that which makes them distinctive from everyone else, and this is an achievement in which human beings can attain. This must be be consistent all throughout life, for happiness should not be ephemeral, and this is what it means to be
Americans constantly find themselves desiring happiness. However, what is happiness and how does someone achieve it? According to Webster-Dictionary.org, happiness is “An agreeable feeling or condition of the soul arising from good fortune or propitious happening of any kind; the possession of those circumstances or that state of being which is attended with enjoyment”. Every American seeks happiness, but achieving it is the struggle. Americans search for fleeting happiness, therefore, we often find contentment in mediocre living.
Three Grand Essentials of Hapipiness for the Returning Citizens and Their families written by: odivick
As of right now, I think I am at a good place with my feelings of happiness. Instead of feeling sorry for myself over what I don’t have, I appreciate my life and all the wonderful parts of it. I have moments where I realize how fortunate I am for all the great opportunities I have had, along with the people I have been blessed to have in my life. One thing I seem to be lacking is the self motivation to work hard so I can improve the life I have. Not just for me in the present moment but for myself in the future. I want to work on this aspect of my life, so, like a long term investment, I can enjoy my efforts later on. I want to be at a place where I am grateful for what I have, but still work hard and strive for better.
The beautiful smile. The joyous laugh. The smiling eyes. The high pitched voice. All describe the characteristics of one being happy. Benjamin Franklin once stated “money has never made man happy, nor will it, there is nothing in its nature to produce happiness. The more of it one has the more one wants.”. In turn that quote has been a center of debates for centuries. Conversing over the debatable topic in which happiness does or does not extend from money. In a society such as the twentieth century, happiness is evidently reflected by wealth. Therefore, happiness is influenced by the amount of wealth that corresponds to the way one uses their money.
Understanding how the mind works has always been a major goal throughout philosophy, and an important piece of this deals with how humans come to experience the world. Many philosophers have attempted to investigate this issue, and proposed a framework by which human understanding could be understood. Happiness is one of those issues that philosophers have tried to attempt to investigate its understanding and how it is important for every human being to have happiness. Generally speaking we see that people would go through any lengths possible by which to acquire many varied materials and issues use to induce pleasures in each person, and intrinsically, this emotion happiness remains the ultimate goal. John
Have you ever truly sat and considered what makes you truly happy? Often times, people answer directly with the response of money. We say this without deeply considering all that we have to be grateful for. Happiness is not achieved through wealth instead through experiences, the family we love, and the nature that surrounds us, literature has created a great impact upon the ideals we consider to create our happiness.
“When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life.When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down “happy”. They told me I didn't understand the assignment, and I told them they didn't understand life.(google.com/images)” Unlike John Lennon, some see happiness as a shallow goal in life. Some think wisdom, self-improvement, or improving the world is more worthwhile and unselfish. Yet philosophers throughout history still thought it was important enough to spend time and energy exploring the way to reach it. Even today, people are still on a constant search for it, whether consciously or subconsciously. Happiness is more than just a feeling, it is its own entity with meaning,
When you hear the word happiness, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Do you think of material possessions like designer clothes and accessories, the newest iPhone with the highest possible storage capacity, or a shiny red supercar? Do you think the amount of money you have or your current financial status has an effect on how happy you are? Plenty of college students, myself included, would associate happiness with possessing items like these or just having a lot of money in general. In today’s society, one common belief about social class is that the richer and more money or things that one has, the happier this will make them. This belief is reinforced by countless advertisements we see and hear everywhere, whether that be on
The intellect and the will are the two great powers of the mind. The intellect is our highest faculty, and a natural end requires that the intellect, as well as the will, seeks its appropriate object. The appropriate object of the intellect is truth, and truth in its fullness is God. When the intellect directs the will, then it helps the will to choose the good. The intellect knows, however, that there is a hierarchy of goods and that some goods are limited and must not be mistaken for our most appropriate and ultimate good. The will as intellective appetite bears on things the mind sees as good, and there are certain things that are seen to be necessary components of the complete human good.
Happiness is a complex state of being. Some of us love to be in that state so much that we help others to stay in it as much as they can. As children begin to think about abstract thought, they sometimes lose their focus because some do not pursue their thoughts and figure out why they think the way they do. Children’s attention spans change and the way their minds work change as well. Some grow deeper into the thought about the idea of happiness as they age, and they do so at different points in their lives depending on many factors. By the time of becoming an adult, some of us will know where our happiness comes from and be at that state of self-actualization. According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, there are levels to reach self-actualization.(Evans, 293-294.) I agree with it and it is correct, however, there is a bit more to self-actualization and happiness. I believe that some can change their view of the world and synthesize their happiness.
Omar Khayyam proclaims, “Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.” All mortal beings pursue the goal of happiness throughout their lives. The quest for bliss is one of the most primal instincts of all human nature. Countless components influence what pleasure is for each individual separately; however, the most commonly shared characteristics to achieve contentment for majority of humans deal with a strong faith, family, love, and health. These four pillars of happiness all have their own paths that connect to form a complete person. Faith brings forth a relationship that allows an individual to grow spiritually. Being close to family will let people feel secure knowing that if anything goes wrong, they have their family to back them up. Feeling loved and giving love allows individuals to create inner happiness that is unexplainable to many. Lastly, living a healthy life will allow a being to thrive their whole lifespan and allow them to acquire the full extent of their life.
Happiness is a fundamental aspect to life as a human being. It is wholesome and self-sufficient, but for humans to fulfill happiness they require the ability to work/function. While many may argue that the main purpose, and thus function, of the human being is to survive, which grants the body the necessities for life, Aristotle argues that the function of human beings is to act rationally, in which actions accompanied by reason are unique processes innate to humans. The functioning of a human being pertains to a coherent and joyous life in which virtue, three distinct parts of the soul, and character-related virtues allow for humans to work/function appropriately, and thus sustain happiness.
A question that never fails to make someone think is “what is the meaning of life?” Honestly, there are many different philosophies addressing this question but the Utilitarian is one, everyone aspires to acquire some point in their lives and hopefully in the end as well. Utilitarian is based off of this simple concept and context: happiness. However, happiness comes with consequences and the utilitarian philosophy will make the decision if it’s morally right or wrong. This is where many types of utilitarian has emerged but the 3 time period will be addressed: Historical utilitarianism, Classical utilitarianism, and Modern utilitarianism. They are very similar but have important miniscule differences in them that separates them from each