littleting
Jul 9, 2014
Writing Feedback / SAT - "happiness is not something that happens to us after we get what we want" [4]
Abraham Lincoln said, "Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." In other words, our personal level of satisfaction is entirely within our control. Otherwise, why would the same experience disappoint one person but delight another? Happiness is not an accident but a choice.
Assignment: Is happiness something over which people have no control, or can people choose to be happy?
Choose to be happy
If there is one thing that people are constantly yearning for and seeking after, that must be happiness. It seems to be something close at hand yet sometimes far away from our grasp. Some people search for a life time for a moment of true happiness. Then, struggle hard to retain that sense of happiness, because, as they might claim, throughout life there are countless outer elements affecting it. However, as I believe, those so called outer elements, or adversities, were excuses of their not choosing to be happy. After all, we are the master of our fate and therefore of our emotions, particularly, the sense of happiness.
The field of literature is rife with people who know to dictate their own happiness. Consider, if you will, the scientist in the fiction novella, The Time Machine. The scientist, taking his time machine, travelled to 800 million years into the future. Euphoric at the new sight, he went about to greet the people there. However, to his horror, when he came back, the machine was no where to be found. This was enough to overcome the scientist with the fear that he might be forever trapped in a world where he did not belong. In fact, anyone under the same circumstance most probably would put on a dismal and desperate expression. As for any sigh of smile, it had long ago disappeared without trace. However, after the scientist found out that screaming at the moon, stars and the earth had no effect at all, he decided to face his situation and be happy. He tried to accommodate the life in a new world and enjoy his life, while searching for his time machine. Thus, happiness is what we have control over, no matter what kind of situation we are thrown into.
Apart from science fiction, the choice of happiness can also be seen in real life. Take myself as an example. There was a time when I did poorly in several exams on end. At that time, a sense of gloom got better of me. In fact, I wrote in my diary that my scores did not allow me to be happy. However, my twin sister, who has a habit of peeping at my diary, wrote another sentence: 'Really? I feel that it is you who do not allow yourself to be happy.' As she later told me, low scores only meant that I failed to learn certain points thoroughly, yet I could address those problems without pulling a long face all day long. Her words woke me up from the upset feelings. Since then, I began to think positively and smile at my failure. Hence, it is up to our choices whether or not we are happy.
Therefore, whether to be happy or not to be, we have the final say. In fact, happiness is not something that happens to us after we get what we want. We usually get things we want after we choose to be happy.
Abraham Lincoln said, "Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." In other words, our personal level of satisfaction is entirely within our control. Otherwise, why would the same experience disappoint one person but delight another? Happiness is not an accident but a choice.
Assignment: Is happiness something over which people have no control, or can people choose to be happy?
Choose to be happy
If there is one thing that people are constantly yearning for and seeking after, that must be happiness. It seems to be something close at hand yet sometimes far away from our grasp. Some people search for a life time for a moment of true happiness. Then, struggle hard to retain that sense of happiness, because, as they might claim, throughout life there are countless outer elements affecting it. However, as I believe, those so called outer elements, or adversities, were excuses of their not choosing to be happy. After all, we are the master of our fate and therefore of our emotions, particularly, the sense of happiness.
The field of literature is rife with people who know to dictate their own happiness. Consider, if you will, the scientist in the fiction novella, The Time Machine. The scientist, taking his time machine, travelled to 800 million years into the future. Euphoric at the new sight, he went about to greet the people there. However, to his horror, when he came back, the machine was no where to be found. This was enough to overcome the scientist with the fear that he might be forever trapped in a world where he did not belong. In fact, anyone under the same circumstance most probably would put on a dismal and desperate expression. As for any sigh of smile, it had long ago disappeared without trace. However, after the scientist found out that screaming at the moon, stars and the earth had no effect at all, he decided to face his situation and be happy. He tried to accommodate the life in a new world and enjoy his life, while searching for his time machine. Thus, happiness is what we have control over, no matter what kind of situation we are thrown into.
Apart from science fiction, the choice of happiness can also be seen in real life. Take myself as an example. There was a time when I did poorly in several exams on end. At that time, a sense of gloom got better of me. In fact, I wrote in my diary that my scores did not allow me to be happy. However, my twin sister, who has a habit of peeping at my diary, wrote another sentence: 'Really? I feel that it is you who do not allow yourself to be happy.' As she later told me, low scores only meant that I failed to learn certain points thoroughly, yet I could address those problems without pulling a long face all day long. Her words woke me up from the upset feelings. Since then, I began to think positively and smile at my failure. Hence, it is up to our choices whether or not we are happy.
Therefore, whether to be happy or not to be, we have the final say. In fact, happiness is not something that happens to us after we get what we want. We usually get things we want after we choose to be happy.