Syllogistic Reflection 4

Syllogistic Reflection 4

Andrea María Lessage Herrera | A00833298

Keys to Happiness for Human Flourishing

Joel Alberto Sierra Cavazos
November 12, 2021
Syllogistic Reflection

As the semester approaches its final stage, I have begun to realize the toll that the constant tension
in my mind has taken on my emotional, as well as physical, wellbeing. The expectations, the
uncertainty, the duty and the fear all pile up into a whirlwind of emotions that I have had to drag
around in order to move forward. Sarie Taylor who is a psychotherapist and coach explained: "It
is impossible to separate our mind and our bodies as they are intrinsically linked, they speak to
each other and work in harmony. This means that if we are overwhelmed, stressed, or overthinking
in any way then our mind will alert our bodies to that fact, and the body will do its best to alert us
and encourage us to pay attention to what is going on. This can be exhausting for both the mind
and the body, and so we will feel that on a physical as well as on a mental level." (Welsh, 2021). As
the exhaustion sets in, so does the guilt. How dare I not be happy? Am I not grateful for how far I
have come? If I am succeeding in my Academic goals for this semester then there is an implicit
obligation to feel happy. If not, then what is the point of achieving them at all?

I start to dwell on this need to be happy. In an attempt to feel the desired contentment, I overthink
the reasoning behind my emotions and try to manipulate them along with my actions in order to
reach this happiness. While Aristotle believed that happiness was the by-product of a virtuous life,
nowadays the feeling has become thwarted and the concepts of happiness being achieved by
overworking yourself to get success that have been ingrained in me by modern day society come
to light. In the same way that I have seen my parents work never-ending hours to have a better life,
be successful, make me and my siblings happy, I now repeat that story with a different font,
translating it into my student life.

This is the asceticism that comes from setting my goals too high for me ever to achieve them,
starting with the goal of being very happy. According to Lenoir, as discussed in our virtual
classroom, it is this obsession with achieving extreme happiness as if it were an obligation and not
something to be earned that brings out very clearly the extent to which the modern injunction to
happiness can simply make us more unhappy.

The French researcher Alain Ehrenburg tells us that Anxiety (as well as many other mental
conditions) is the price that needs to be paid for self-fulfillment and that it is the symptom of those
of us who aim to live up to the modern imperative to find self-realization. So, if asceticism is
unavoidable then how am I to truly reach any sort of happiness? As a result of this dilemma, I start
to question if I should abandon any quest for happiness or success in any context. It is in this
analysis of the reason behind my actions and emotions that they all start to appear somewhat
meaningless; furthermore, if setting happiness as a goal at all becomes and obstacle for itself, then
I can surmise that there is bliss in being oblivious of this quest altogether and that may be the better
approach.

In his book “Happiness”, Frédéric Lenoir gives us an alternative to surrender: “The art of happiness
consists entirely in not setting goals that are too high, unattainable and overwhelming. It’s a good
idea to set more gradual goals, to reach them step by step, to persevere without getting stressed
while being able sometimes to let go and accept life’s failures and ups and downs.” From this I
can conclude that I need to allow my happiness to manifest organically, never to force it.
Nonetheless, still putting effort into progressing in my life, moving towards more realistic goals
in a hope for happiness, but not an expectation. Even though patience may be a challenge, it is
important for me to be open to possibilities without judging the outcome before it has even had
the chance to play out. It is through ease of mind that I will be able to release the emotional baggage
that has been causing me mental and physical distress.
 References

 Welsh, K. (October 4, 2021) “How mental health affects physical health” Retrieved on
November 12, 2021 from LiveScience https://www.livescience.com/how-mental-health-
affects-physical-health

 Lenoir, F. (2015). Happiness : A Philosopher’s Guide: Vol. 1st ed. Melville House.

 Gregoire, C. (April 8, 2014) “How Happiness Became A Cultural Obsession” Retrieved

on November 12, 2021 from Huffpost https://www.huffpost.com/entry/happiness-self-
help_n_4979780