I would agree with Bogdan that happiness is a process. There may be moments of happiness, but the more sustaining sense of happiness that many strive for is more a means of living than a destination. I would agree with Carl Jung and many others that happiness will always exist balanced with challenges and more difficult experiences. The working through of various obstacles that the universe and we ourselves provide will ultimately lead to the greatest happiness. In that sense, happiness does appear to be an endpoint, but it would not exist if the obstacle were not there in the first place. Let me expound. ... Joe going along in his daily life. No obstacles, no challenges = Joe experiences sheer, untainted contentment. There is no reason to suffer, also no reason to feel exceptionally joyful. This, I would guess, is what non-human animals experience. They are capable of feeling content and satisfied, but happy? Not likely. What allows for humans to experience happiness as a separate state from contentment is the multitude of challenges and obstacles that we face, both large and small, in our daily lives. We face these trials in order for us to contemplate, work through, and ultimately conquer them (unless, of course, we fail, in which case our "toolkit" for dealing with such troubles grows and we are better suited for it next time.)

So if we agree that happiness can be found through the confrontation of various challenges, then let us consider what these obstacles may be. Of course there must be some distinction made between those obstacles that we have no control over, "external" obstacles you may say, and those that we do in some fashion or another create.

In my life, one of the largest external obstacles I have faced was my parents' decision to move to London. I was eleven years old, just on the verge of starting to formulate my identity and moving to London felt awkward and random. Part of me was excited to face the change, but I knew that when I got there I would need to deal with homesickness, loneliness and confusion. The first year involved making friends, losing friends, making new friends, creating a new identity in a new environment and thinking often about the world I had left behind. The second year in London felt like a total reversal of the first. I had a better idea of who I was, an increased appreciation for diversity, change and foreign cultures, all of which I have held on to since.

I constantly challenge and set goals for myself, not carelessly, but because it is important to me to grow into a complex, flexible person who can handle great expectations. Like Bogdan, I have struggled with laziness at times, a quality I do not take pride in. My laziness does not come in the form of procrastination (I always do my homework right away), but rather in quitting things when they get difficult. The most challenging goal that I have set for myself recently was deciding to become a vegetarian and then two years later a vegan. I made those decision not only because I love and care about animals and animal rights, but also because I believe that a whole-grain, plant-based diet is the healthiest to have. The shift to veganism was especially difficult. I still indulge in certain routine things, like cream in my tea and an undiscerning consumption of baked goods. In my opinion, though, I am still in the process of making the switch and determining the necessity of this diet, at the end of which I will have a more intimate understanding of my body's needs and healthy diet that will sustain my diet for however long I see fit.

These examples of the obstacles that humans face in the pursuit of happiness may illustrate certain variables in the happy equation, but are there any necessary things that all people need to be happy? Some would probably say no, different things make different people happy. But then we must consider exactly what "happiness" we are talking about. Things that produce short term happiness - different foods, vacations, special events, special moments, random act of kindness, etc - will certainly vary from person to person, thanks to the beautifully diverse, interesting world in which we live. But long, sustaining happiness is a different matter. That will involve a person's career, home, friends, family and identity. Then, is it necessary to have all of those things to be happy? Without a career (or more mundanely, sometime to occupy your time) you will lack purpose and drive. You may also be bored, poor or homeless which will produce other problems. Home/shelter is pretty explanatory, as is food and clothing. I would agree with Aristotle that man is a political being. That is to say, he needs company and companionship. Without friends and/or family a person will be alone, and I do not believe that he will be happy, or at least the happiest he could be. The essence of this necessity, however, is love, which I believe to be the most important characteristic of happiness. For me, it is extremely important that I find a partner and eventually start a family. For others, having a family is not desirable, for others not possible. Some fashion love is necessary for happiness, and the greatest of which is the love for oneself.

**Tie it all into play...**

Antonia and Bogdan's S.O.R.

Posted at Jul 23/2007 11:28PM:
Matt Simonton: Hey Antonia. Looks like you've gotten a start on responding to Bogdan's thoughts and setting up a dialogue. This should turn out great. I would just reemphasize some of the things I said in discussion today:

Is there any obstacle or challenge that's necessary for all human beings to tackle if they're going to be happy? Both you and Bogdan mentioned "being true to yourself"; could you elaborate on that?

Maybe you're going to include this later on this page, but how do you think we go about deciding which goals to set for ourselves, which aren't worth it, which are beyond our control, etc?

What is the relationship between the community we find ourselves in and the obstacles that we encounter? Are those the same as "external" obstacles? What sorts of problems/challenges do Euelpides and Pisthetairos face?

I would suggest trying to think outside the "obstacle/challenge" model. Is the happy life just about facing obstacles? In a broader sense, is it about reacting to things or might it be about being proactive too? I won't press the Aristotle handout too hard, but much of it has to do with actively pursuing virtue. If life was just about reacting, we might not use some of our human capacities for creativity and spontaneity. Just something to think about...

I like the mention of Carl Jung and your use of psychology in general. Some day when you have time you should look into Erich Fromm; maybe your parents have run across him as well.

Finally, we can't forget the play we're putting on Saturday. It'd be great if we could pull together the happiness discussion with the social, ethical, and political situation in the Birds. Be thinking about what sort of decision Euelpides and Pisthetairos make and whether or not they've set reasonable/feasible goals and expectations.

You might take a look at Bogdan's page too, for my comments there. Good work and I'll see you tomorrow!