Despite being aimed at the kids, it also
got me thinking. Am I happy?
And how can I make myself more happy? But first and foremost, what is happiness?.
It turns out to be an elusive concept.
Aristotle argued that happiness is “the meaning and purpose
of life”. I disagree entirely. I believe that the meaning and purpose of
life is happiness.
‘But that’s just the same!’ I hear you cry. Well, mathematically speaking, perhaps, but semantically
it matters which comes first. (I will leave a discussion on the commutative
nature of equivalence in language until later).
In Aristotle’s philosophy, happiness should be the aim of all life. But such a hazily defined goal is simply a
mirage that can never be reached.
Switching it round, I believe that the purpose of life must
be defined first, and it is in achievement of this purpose that happiness lies.
Once again, however, we are confronted by a term that defies
definition: purpose. What is the meaning
of life? Is there even a universal,
objective answer? It turns out it doesn’t
matter...
We can circumvent the entire issue of purpose by simply eliminating
it. This leaves us with:
It is
in achievement that happiness is found.
Henry Ford, founder of the famous car company, would agree:
‘There
is no happiness except in the realization that we have accomplished something.’
So, presumably, next year I will be happy?
Cycling: 22.2 miles Running: 31.8 miles Swimming: 75 mins
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