Why do I live? This was a serious question that I had gone through during my adolescence. You have also thought through this life-penetrating question or are currently pondering it. The answer varies from person to person. It could be getting a dream job, becoming wealthy enough to purchase anything, or doing little things with family. But whatever the answer, it converges to one thing: happiness. We live to be happy.
There are a lot of different circumstances you feel happy. Yet, happiness can be narrowed down again to three things: ownership, dream, and love. We become happy when we get something we want. It could be an object like a game station or luxury item; otherwise, it could be a title or fame. Earning something we desperately wanted makes us feel delighted. A dream is another way to be joyful. Dreams do not simply include occupations; instead, they encompass all the achievements of our lives. The sense of achievement is a euphoric feeling, only experienceable after accomplishing something, distinct from the happiness of owning. Lastly, love gives unexplainable feelings, and I would argue that love makes us the happiest among the three. Love is not tangible, but it has a strong force; strong enough to motivate and propel one’s life. In the darkest times of life, the love you find in relationships can sometimes give you a reason to live.
Unfortunately, simply getting one thing from ownership, dream, and love does not make you happy. When scrolling down social media feeds, I frequently see memes saying, “If money did not solve the problem, check whether you had enough money.” People use this meme as humor since there seems to be nothing impossible with enough money in this materialistic world. They combine this meme with all sorts of things and often include happiness. However, just getting rich does not make you happy. You also need to achieve your goal and be with your loved ones. I am not saying that wealthy people are miserable; do not mistake me. Money is crucial for being happy, but that is not everything. It is the same for dreams and love. Succeeding in your career or maintaining a decent relationship may feel good for some moments, but soon you will feel empty or face hardship.
Even worse, the happiness is fragile and does not last forever. We see everyday people who fulfilled their dreams, became a millionaire, and are loved by thousands. Celebrities we see on the internet have everything we consider the essentials of happiness. Then, should they not be the happiest people on the planet? However, we quite often read news reports about celebrities taking their own lives or getting treatment for mental health. Why is that? Happiness is weak, so it quite easily fades away by outside factors. Unexpected circumstances or evil intentions break down the happiness we have built. It takes decades and countless efforts to attain sources of happiness but merely seconds to lose it all.
Going back to the question, can our lives be happy? After answering my first question, this has been my next life question. I am in the process of finding the answer to the question and almost to a conclusion. Yet, it may always change, since there seems no definite answer. Now, I want you to also think about this question. What are your thoughts on happiness? Can our lives be happy?
