The Concepts Of Happiness And Happiness In Chris Mccandless By Chris Mccandless

Despite their correlation with one another, there is a distinct difference between the concepts of happiness and meaningfulness. Parents often declare “I only want my children to be happy.” It would be unusual to hear a parent say, “I only want my children to be meaningful.” When it comes to others, people often work selflessly to make them happy, but when the individual self is addressed, one would rather live a meaningful life. We fear life without meaning. The answer to what the meaning of life is has always been a very controversial topic that no one can completely agree on. Rephrasing the question, however, it is much easier to answer what a life with meaning is. For the purpose of this essay, a meaningful life is a life with purpose. …show more content…
Relating his situation to The Happy Life, a passage in Bertrand Russell’s Nobel Prize winning novel, it is clear that McCandless did not live a happy life. Russell notes how conscious self denial makes a man aware of his sacrifices which causes them to fail at living a happy or good life. Connecting this to McCandless, Chris was always mindful of the people, places, and things he left behind to go into the wild which made it impossible for him to enjoy genuine happiness. Happiness depends on the integration between the self and society …show more content…
So when given the decision to live a meaningful life or a happy one, a person should prioritize a meaningful life. Humans are inherently social creatures and therefore cannot achieve happiness independently. A life of meaning fulfilled through relationships within a community satisfies the individual’s integrity, personal dream, and contribution to society along with granting them a permanent happiness. Sequentially, a life of meaningfulness and happiness must be balanced in order to live a good