|
Even though happiness is
perhaps one the most important things in life, science still can not
explain much about it. Its
concept itself is elusive. Is
it an idea, emotion, virtue, philosophy, ideal, or is it just programmed in
the genes? There is no agreed
upon definition for it, yet
still everyone seems to be selling happiness these days - drug dealers,
pharmaceutical companies, Hollywood, toy companies, self-help gurus, and,
of course, Disney, creator of the Happiest Place on Earth. Can happiness really be
purchased? Is happiness
achieved by maximizing pleasure, earning fame and fortune, or living a life
of unlimited leisure? The
series of articles will briefly explore the evolution of happiness in
Western thought, followed by the present cultural understanding in the
West. Finally, the meaning and
a few means of attaining happiness in Islam will be discussed.
Evolution of Happiness in Western Thought
The Christian idea of
happiness was based on a reported saying of Jesus,
“…now is your time of grief, I will see you again and you
will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy” (John 16:22)
The Christian idea of
happiness was developed over the centuries and, in turn, rested on a theology
of sin, which, as St. Augustine explained in The City of God, taught that
because of Adam and Eve’s original transgression in the Garden of Eden,
true happiness was “unattainable in our present life.”[1]
In 1776, Thomas Jefferson,
summarizing a good century of reflection on the subject in Europe and
America, deemed the “pursuit of happiness” a “self-evident” truth. By this time, the truth of
happiness had been declared so often and so confidently that, for many, it
scarcely needed evidence. It
was, as Jefferson said, self-evident.
To secure the “greatest happiness for the greatest number” had
become the moral imperative of the century. But just how “self-evident” was the pursuit of
happiness? Was it, in fact, so
obvious that happiness was our naturally intended end? Christians confessed that human
beings pursued happiness during their earthly pilgrimage, but remained
skeptical about its attainment.
Elsewhere, Jefferson himself was pessimistic whether the chase would
ever be brought to a satisfying conclusion. “Perfect happiness...was never intended by the Deity to
be the lot of one of his creatures,” he specified in a letter of 1763,
adding soberly that even “the most fortunate of us, in our journey through
life, frequently meet with calamities and misfortunes which may greatly
afflict us.”[2] To “fortify
our minds” against these attacks, he concluded, “should be one of the
principal studies and endeavors of our lives.”
Whereas in the fifth
century, Boethius could claim that “God is happiness itself,”[3] by the middle of the 19th century,
the formula was reversed to read “Happiness is God.” Earthly happiness emerged as the
idol of idols, the locus of meaning in modern life, the source of human
aspiration, the purpose of existence, the why and the wherefore. If happiness was not, as Freud said, ‘in the plan of
Creation,’[4] there were those
ready to alter the handiwork of the Maker to put it there by manufacturing,
consuming, and exporting it as democracy and free-market economy
(materialism). As the
philosopher Pascal Bruckner observed, “Happiness is the sole horizon of our
contemporary democracies.” As
a surrogate religion, materialism relocated God to the shopping mall.
Happiness in Western Culture
In our culture, it is
commonly believed that happiness is achieved when you become rich,
powerful, or popular. The
young want to be that popular pop idol, the old dream of winning the
jackpot. We often seek
happiness by removing all stress, sadness, and irritations. For some, happiness lies in
mood-altering therapies. Eva
Moskowitz, a historian, gives some idea of the American obsession with the
gospel of therapy: “Today, this obsession knows no bounds…there are more
than 260 [different kinds of] 12-step programs in America.”[5]
One reason we have so much
trouble attaining happiness is that we have no idea about what it is. Consequently, we make poor
judgments in life. An Islamic
tale illustrates the relationship of judgment with happiness.
“Oh, great sage, Nasrudin,” said
the eager student, “I must
ask you a
very important question,
the answer
to which we all seek: What
is the
secret to attaining
happiness?”
Nasrudin thought for a
time,
then responded. “The secret of
happiness is good
judgment.”
“Ah,” said the student. “But how
do we attain good judgment?
“From experience,” answered
Nasrudin.
“Yes,” said the student. “But how
do we attain experience?’
“Bad judgment.”
An example of our good
judgment is knowing that materialistic comforts by themselves do not lead
to lasting happiness. Having
reached that conclusion by our good judgment, we do not retreat into our
comforts. We continue to crave
a happiness that seems out of reach.
We make more money thinking that is the way to become happy, and in
the process neglect our family.
Most big events we dream of yield less sustained happiness than we
hoped for. In addition to
getting less happiness than we expected or hoped for, we frequently do not
know exactly what we want, what will make us happy or how to get it. We misjudge.
Enduring happiness does not
come from ‘making it.’ Imagine
someone could snap their fingers and give you fame, fortune, and
leisure. Would you be happy? You would be euphoric, but in the
short run. Gradually you would
adapt to your new circumstance and life would return to its normal mix of
emotions. Studies show that
big lottery winners after a few months are no happier than the average
person! To recover the joy,
you would now need an even higher high.
Consider, too, how we have
“made it.” In 1957, our
per-person income, expressed in today’s dollars, was less than $8,000. Today it is $16,000. With doubled incomes, we now have
double the material goods that money can buy - including twice as many cars
per person. We also have
microwave ovens, color TVs, VCRs, answering machines, and $12 billion a
year worth of brand-name athletic shoes.
So are we happier? No. In 1957, 35 percent of Americans told the National
Opinion Research Center they were “very happy.” In 1991, only 31 percent said the same.[6] Meanwhile, depression rates have
soared.
God’s Prophet of Mercy
said:
“True enrichment does not come through possessing a lot of
wealth, but true enrichment is the enrichment of the soul.” (Saheeh
Al-Bukhari)
Add your comment to this article
(Source: www.islamreligion.com)
|
