Andi 4/25/15
Vogt English Happiness is overrated Happiness, defined by Webster’s dictionary, is known as as “the state of being happy.” And most people have a natural tendency to try to be happy, to stay happy. They view happiness and suffering as opposite and contradictory to happiness. It is unquestioned that one is not happy, if one is suffering. However, what people do not see is like the old say, “where are lights, there will be shadows.” Happiness does not come alone, suffering is part of it, too. “Absent unhappiness, how would we even recognize it? If we’re fortunate, happiness is a place we visit from time to time rather than inhabit permanently. As a steady state, it has the limits of any steady state: it’s not especially interesting or dynamic.” Like Jung suggested, if one has never suffered, how would one be happy? How would the “happy” person know how is alike to be happy if he or she is constantly happy? When everything is given at BNW and everyone is conditioned to love what they have and to be themselves, everyone seem happy. Even if a piece of sadness or negative emotion slips into their life, there’s soma to take care of it. Under this atmosphere, happiness that everyone is experiencing is not actual joy flew out of one’s heart. It’s an order of command that’s given by the society. Without the right to suffer, where do happiness even come from? Like Mustapha Mond said in BNW, “Happiness is never grand.” In real life, we often hear stories of people overcame the hardships and reach the climax of story of their life. And speaking of reality, happiness is directly related with success at most cases. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs both started off with nothing but now crowned as the Founder of The Leading Company of computer/mobile phone world. Obama grew up with a single parent, his mom had him when she was 18 and the father bailed. He is now the president of United States. On the other hand, doesn’t matter how hard Rory John Gates works (Bill