I do not think that happiness in culture is associated with material possessions. The ability to obtain control of your state of mind, to be in charge of your emotions, and to be satisfied with what you have are the things that offer me happiness more than material possessions. This is in stark contrast to our society, which seems to place a high value on material possessions as a measure of pleasure.
A happy life, according to philosophy, is one that everyone would choose to live if given a chance. Happiness has long been a topic of debate, with individuals attempting to define it and establish its value (Schultz 63). Before this time, the notion of what it means to have a happy life was simple: having enough food on the table; a healthy family; enough clothing; and a safe place to live. Having a life that satisfies your desires and aspirations, on the other hand, defines happiness in the contemporary world. When it comes to happiness, it’s not about how many people you have in your family or how much food you eat; it’s about how satisfied you are with your life, which can only be done by bringing good sentiments and emotions into it.
Depending on their history and personal experiences, people approach the concept of happiness from various perspectives (Alarcon 28). Even though there is no exact method to define happiness, most people expect to be happy without considering the countless problems they must face daily. Poor individuals tend to believe that the primary source of pleasure is the possession of large sums of money. However, in the lives of wealthy folks, the source of pleasure is having a sense of security, demonstrating that there is no link between wealth and contentment in life. Money is crucial in today’s society because it serves as a means of trade and the sole intermediary through which one may aattain the bare necessities of life and live a fulfilling existence. On the other hand, people are not happy when they have significant sums of money in their possession. In reality, the vast majority of wealthy folks live in misery, plagued by the dread of theft, the fear of being impoverished, and the lack of freedom as a result of other people’s mistrust. Money may be spent to gain fantastic experiences and presents, but they are only transitory and cannot be refunded. Whoever depends on money will constantly feel the need to gain more and never achieve complete contentment. As a result of this example, I feel that pleasure is related to fulfilment and contentment, regardless of the amount of money one has in their possession.
Rather than the tangible possessions a person has, people play an essential role in determining whether they are satisfied with their life. The family is a significant source of pleasure for many individuals. Ones tend to do practically everything for the people they care about, making family a safety net for those who need assistance (Graham 34). We can rely on our family to be there for us in all types of favourable and adverse circumstances. When people are alone and have no one else to turn to for help in stressful times, most of them have problems. Family is not necessary for existence in terms of monetary possessions, but it is necessary for maintaining happiness, and this should not be questioned. We can always count on our family to pick us up and carry us on when we are down.
In my area, the degree of satisfaction for different individuals varies; affluent people moan about the need to strengthen security, middle-class people seem to be content with their lives, and the poor grumble about the high cost of living in general. According to the findings of this study, the middle class has a longer life expectancy compared to both the affluent and the poor. An examination of the characteristics that contribute to longer life revealed that most middle-class individuals are content with their lives. Happiness was shown to be primarily derived from life events rather than material goods. The middle class is content with their lives, but the wealthy try to amass more material belongings, whilst impoverished people struggle to make ends meet. According to the data, individuals who look to be well-connected socially tend to be content with their lives and their social connections. The evidence suggests that life experiences are a more valuable factor in achieving pleasure than money, regardless of financial situation. We do not express pleasure by laughing, applauding, or smiling, but rather by producing it deep inside ourselves, which occurs over a long period due to multiple events. Patience and humility are two of the most important traits to cultivate to achieve pleasure. No one is an island, humility encourages one to engage with others, and patience ensures that one does not feel any discomfort due to their practice of patience. Relationships with other people and ourselves are the most precious things that may offer us pleasure. In addition, I feel that patience and humility are necessary for having a healthy connection with people.
The majority of people are preoccupied with luxury and wishes rather than necessities. These individuals often have the financial resources and the ability to obtain more things that will bring them delight. However, the satisfaction that these luxuries provide is fleeting, and after a time, these individuals get disinterested and turn their attention to other opulent pursuits. To fill the hole they cannot account for, and you may come across wealthy people who engage in high-risk activities. Those who are middle class and have little financial resources have learned how to be happy in their life without relying on their financial resources for happiness. Many wealthy individuals spend a significant amount of time focusing on their desires rather than their requirements, which is incorrect. Material belongings rapidly get stale, and after a short period, individuals begin to hunt for other things to occupy their time and attention. Because of this, it is critical that individuals, even in the face of abundant resources, prioritize their requirements while avoiding luxuries to the greatest extent feasible to achieve the highest levels of pleasure.
In conclusion, the best way to live includes personal qualities, such as virtues and satisfaction, in an individual’s life. There are many ways to be happy; including surrounding yourself with positive people, taking care of your health, not overindulging in material possessions, doing things that best suit your personality and enhance your life, putting your needs ahead of your wants, taking action that does the most good, and finding happiness in the results of your actions. Some individuals define happiness as just being content with one’s life. On the other hand, happiness requires a thorough examination that many people are unable to comprehend. Furthermore, the fact that the components of pleasure do not surround us that our neighbours would characterize does not imply that we are unhappy. It implies that we each have a unique approach to creating pleasure in our lives. As a result, we have concluded that happiness is essential for living a successful life, obtained by participating in activities that promote happiness. This is the conclusion we have reached. Hopefully, we are now better positioned to recognize these variables and incorporate them into our lives to achieve happiness.
Works Cited
Alarcón, Reynaldo. “Sources of happiness: What makes people happy?.” (2018).
Graham, Carol. Happiness for all?. Princeton University Press, 2017.
Schultz, Bart. The Happiness Philosophers. Princeton University Press, 2017.
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