The monosyllabic word serves as all purpose affirmation, honorific, and verbal tic. Mostly, it is a softener, appended to almost everything” (72). Essentially, Weiner finds la to be a coverage mechanism for problems that may be, perhaps, deeper than other issues. Consequently, Weiner determines a deeper value of the la mentality, noting a deep contrast to American life. Weiner claims, “This is a land devoid of introspection, bereft of self help books, and woefully lacking in existential angst. There is no Bhutanese Dr. Phil” (74). In other words, Weiner discovers that the Bhutanese prefer to leave the deeper issues out of the mind. Yet, Weiner learns that the Bhutanese think deliberately and purposefully, giving thought to kindness and future happiness.
In Thailand, happiness is dependent on a low level of thought. For the Thai, thinking, or questioning, diminishes happiness. Weiner sees devalued thought and a go-with-the-flow mentality create a form of happiness for the Thai, similar to contentment. Weiner compares this with Inuit …show more content…
Because of this, it is especially difficult to balance one’s mentality in college, where thinking is in high demand. For many students, happiness comes in passing classes, receiving good grades, or simply getting the wanted classes during registration. Unhappiness takes many forms as well, such as poor grades, less-than-desirable teachers, or the simple stresses of school. Much thinking is required for any of the happy, or unhappy, events to occur. Stephanie Colombo, a student at Sonoma State University, addresses the relationship between thinking and happiness easily, applying it to college. Colombo explains, “It’s like an automatic change. If I really think about something happy, like a B+, I’m less happy. If I think about it too much, I focus more on the negative than the positive” (Colombo). In other words, like the Thai, over-thinking a happy situation decreases her happiness. However, for many college students, thinking tends to happen after the fact, occurring after class, for example. Colombo agrees, explaining that thinking and happiness happen at different times. She asserts, “When I’m laughing, I’m being happy, not thinking about being happy. But when I’m unhappy, I’m thinking about being unhappy” (Colombo). In essence, for Colombo, thinking comes after happiness but during unhappiness, like the stress of getting essays back. Yet, with all the thinking that goes on, college