Amongst those in society, a great number of individuals strive for happiness. Countless amounts of studies, alongside articles of a large variety of topics, have been undertaken in order to satisfy this boundless need for permanent bliss. Contrary to the standard assumption, the happiness one tries so desperately to grasp is not dependent to what is done, rather it relies on how it is done. The documentary Happy directed by Roko Belic provides a similar point which proposes that being happy is centered on appreciating what you have. By taking into account how each event to have emerged carries significance, and by identifying one’s place in the world, one will be able to achieve happiness. An optimistic perspective on life will ultimately
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John Stuart Mill’s contemplative words, which were spoken after recovering from depression, speak about the pursuit of happiness in itself, indicating that “‘those only are happy, who have their minds fixed on some object other than their own happiness’”(McMahon, 11). When one constantly pushes to be happy, it automatically entails that happy is not what they currently are. Satisfaction and contentment with life cannot be obtained if all that one does is harbor greed for something greater. In contrast, being appreciative and observing the world from a greater perspective enables one to feel happy. The movie documentary Happy highlights several instances which illustrate this. One such example takes place in the slums of Kolkata, India, and gives focus on Manoj Singh. Manoj Singh explains his day to day hardships with his work as a rickshaw driver until finally disclosing the joys he feels once at home, professing the statement “I feel that I am not poor, but I am the richest person” (Bolic). Despite being an impoverished individual with less than favorable conditions to live with, Singh asserts that he is living jubilantly. The reasons for Singh’s contentment are his family and his social relations, those which he treasures profoundly. To be obsessed with happiness causes one to expect more from what life can deliver, but here
John Stuart Mill’s contemplative words, which were spoken after recovering from depression, speak about the pursuit of happiness in itself, indicating that “‘those only are happy, who have their minds fixed on some object other than their own happiness’”(McMahon, 11). When one constantly pushes to be happy, it automatically entails that happy is not what they currently are. Satisfaction and contentment with life cannot be obtained if all that one does is harbor greed for something greater. In contrast, being appreciative and observing the world from a greater perspective enables one to feel happy. The movie documentary Happy highlights several instances which illustrate this. One such example takes place in the slums of Kolkata, India, and gives focus on Manoj Singh. Manoj Singh explains his day to day hardships with his work as a rickshaw driver until finally disclosing the joys he feels once at home, professing the statement “I feel that I am not poor, but I am the richest person” (Bolic). Despite being an impoverished individual with less than favorable conditions to live with, Singh asserts that he is living jubilantly. The reasons for Singh’s contentment are his family and his social relations, those which he treasures profoundly. To be obsessed with happiness causes one to expect more from what life can deliver, but here