The Philosopher King to The Rationalist, and My Life-549 words

Many times throughout my life I am asked what I wish for the most. What is the one thing that I want the most from my life despite all the various experiences I have? My answer has always been to be happy. This is a common answer however, from beauty pageant contestants to game show participants. Why is it that we aspire to be happy more than anything else that our lives can offer?

Of course, it is believed that happiness is subjective to the individual. According to Chapter 6 of Archetypes of Wisdom, happiness can be achieved in terms of functioning. "A thing was happy when it functioned fully and well according to its own nature." (6-10). Personally, I find that I tend to agree with Aristotle's view on happiness. He believed happiness is a quality of life here and now. One example given was that of how a wealthy person may not be happy, but a person living in poverty will definitely not be happy either (6-10). This leads me to the statement that, "No one can be happy in the fullest sense who is chronically ill or mentally deficient." (6-10). According to this, these people don't have as much of a chance at happiness versus those who seem to be "fully functioning."

In my experience, I have an older brother who seems to be the happiest of them all. He goes with the flow when facing events in his life and has an understanding of when things can or cannot be achieved at the moment. In fact, if a stranger were to meet him for the first time they'd never guess that he suffers from a mental disability. Most people, when meeting my brother, assume he is just as normal and functioning as the next guy. Yet according to this statement, he is not happy because he isn't capable mentally. I was not offended when I read that statement. I was and still am very open to these beliefs. I liked that it gave me something to think about and otherwise look at my brother in a different light. Instead of assuming he is happy because he never complains and understands why many things happen, it's possible that he may not be truly happy.

Funny enough, I asked him earlier today if he was happy. He just gave me a blank look and didn't answer. Naturally, I assumed he meant yes because he tends to answer a lot of personal questions this way, at least when asked by a family member. But deep down this yes answer comes from me wanting to be happy. If he truly isn't happy because of his disability, will he ever be happy at all? What if there was some kind of therapy or medication that can reverse this disability? Would he then have just as much of a shot at being happy as other people? Or would it be too late because of the experiences he has already had? In the end, I think in cases like the one about my brother, it is best to let him believe that he is happy. Let him enjoy his life day by day as he has already been as far as I know. As for me, I think the best way I can achieve happiness is by learning from my brother. He doesn't strive to have a happy life he just lives, no matter what. "It is the very pursuit of happiness that obviates happiness. The more we make it a target, the more widely we miss." (6-10).