2021 International Essay Contest for Young People

【Youth Category】

If life's goal is to be happy, then what is happiness

(Original)

Xuan Vu

(Age 17, Vietnam)

Ngoc Hoi High School

What is happiness?

If I ask a few people casually, they would say things like, "Happiness is being paid at the end of
the month on the right day, going home from work, someone cooks for you, and being able to go
on a holiday after a few months of hard work." Some would respond with more complex, mental
ideas. Both of these things are wonderful in life. It doesn’t matter what moments of relaxation,
warmth, and pleasure whether physical or emotional. So, what really is the point of happiness?

The trouble with happiness is that no one knows exactly what it is. Happiness is ultimately
invisible, often enigmatic, and elicits universal desire. It's similar to the "Rule of Secret Doors" in
the tale of Pandora's box: the more hidden we want to expose, the more mysterious we want to
reveal. However, attempting to be satisfied is similar to attempting to sleep; the more you try,
the more difficult it is to sleep.

When we don't know what happiness is, we'll want to obtain it and relate it to those material and
moral beliefs. Happiness is a term that no one really understands; we explain the factors that
contribute to happiness, the feelings that accompany happiness, the similes of happiness, or
the vague contrasts. It's just that we often overestimate satisfaction and choose it above the
those indicators that are necessary to keep us motivated.

Happiness or Success: Where does the universe share the same yardstick?

I don't mean to exclude people from being happy in life; we all deserve to be happy, whether
temporarily or permanently. Do not, moreover, worship pleasure or see it as a separate
destination of life. When we set happiness as a target, what we have in front of us is the goal,
and we keep moving on. Simply put, do you ever find that you... ought to be happier than you're
happy?

Happiness, to me, is a journey, and the things you do along the way will get you happiness, not
the end you would achieve. Happiness, on the other hand, can happen everywhere, in anything
you do, and is entirely personal.

As a result, I believe that "worshiping" happiness is a thing that does not cause one to attain it,
when there is always a feeling in your mind that says, "Must be happy." Anything that is trapped
in a definition places a responsibility of completion on your shoulders. And for us, we would be
2021 International Essay Contest for Young People

【Youth Category】

miserable since (1) we must try and (2) we must demonstrate to the outside world that we are
happy.

What is more annoying, however, is how such people judge those who do not pursue the value
of “happiness”. Consider the contrast between matter and success, which is a common pair of
opposites in today's world: Pursuing material passions, success is without happiness and
happiness does not belong to material values.

Pursuing success, career or even material things are people happy? I really believe that.
Success and happiness are not two destinations to reach the fork in the road we have to turn to
choose one. Happiness arises from the actions you do in the path to success - you're pleased
because you agreed to sign a deal today, you're happy because you did better than yesterday,
you're happy that you're still able to arrange tasks and find time to relax at the end of the month.
You're relieved that you've passed a career milestone ahead of schedule. Isn't it happy that there
are landmarks on the road to success? Pursuing success, a career, or something else will offer
happiness if you're happy.

I'm not sure whether a girl who enjoys life or sings on a motorcycle is happier than a girl in a car
with a sad face; that's how people often associate the unhappiness of success and being rich to
be unhappy. To be happy, you don't have to grin in the mirror every morning, say yourself "today
I'm going to be happy," read books, live a peaceful life...to meaningful.

Buddhism makes no mention of the road to happiness. Emotions convey happiness; the
majority of them are cheerful and radiant, but there are others that are joyful who still weep and
fear. Those emotions, like happiness, are like clouds that fly across life, and we are like children
looking up, not trying to catch or pursue them. There are brief bursts of relaxation that run
quickly through your subconscious before dissipating. There is a kind of happiness that lasts
longer, that lingers in existence for a while and then vanishes.

If you don't pursue happiness, what is the meaning of life?

Still appears in that sentence: Meaning

Many people believe that if happiness comes from any action in life, then value is the universal
thing that rules the course we are all on. If you ask me what this generation should do if they are
not interested in material objects or pleasure, I would tell you that they should look for sense.

When you pursue happiness, you find joy valuable, positive things valuable, most of the time
sadness does not bring happiness (there are exceptions like I mentioned above). When you
pursue the meaning of life, even failure, anger also brings lessons so that you can reflect and
better understand your life.

Many people report feeling empty because they are unmotivated to work and do not want to get
up every morning. They are concerned about being left behind because their careers are
insecure and their health is deteriorating; they sound like a hamster who keeps circling in circles
but never gets anywhere. The "existential emptiness" remains, resulting in various approaches
to problem solving. Many citizens see themselves as "prisoners" of their own lives.
2021 International Essay Contest for Young People

【Youth Category】

We don't just live with joy; we still agree that life has ups and downs. Happiness can cause
people to avoid bad experiences and mistakes. When it comes to seeking purpose in life, more
and more people are discovering that achieving happiness is not the most important thing. The
pursuit of happiness does not contribute to the resolution of our problems or the sense of
emptiness that we all feel. You're always grateful that you have a paycheck and your manager
praises you, but you're always thinking, "Is this really what I want to do?" and "Is the worth of my
life there?"

I envision the essence of life (or inspiration, goals) as not being so vague - it's what motivates
me to get out of bed every morning, what makes me want to do it whether I'm happy or sad. I
find it stuck in my head year after year. The meaning of my life lies in cultural and life
experiences, travels to many distant countries. Ask me if I'm happy? Yes, trips make me happy.
Ask me if I ever felt sad? Yes, when being pickpocketed, robbed, falling off the car, delayed train
time... But all in all, I feel "complete" because it is a necessary experience.

Someone would argue that searching for something is often illusory and vague. For me,
discovering the essence of life is akin to panning for gold. It's not all about whether you find it or
not, but the insights you learn from your quest will uncover many wonderful things.