Happiness is never selfish

Several people in the world became great because of how they treated their happiness. We called them heroes for the line, “I will sacrifice my life for others”. Jesus Christ was crucified to save man from eternal death. Ninoy Aquino and Mohandas Gandhi are just two of the many political leaders who were assassinated in the name of protecting their country. Socrates, the very famous philosopher, was poisoned because of his notions towards an ideal society. All of them died in fighting for something that is less worth sacrificial than their lives. But, is it really possible for a simple man to arrive at happiness?

The world has diverse people. One man looks for happiness in money. The other pleads for good health. One on the nook seeks fame and a channel for his principles. We impose different levels of happiness and importance upon everything. However, most often, people desire something they cannot possess such as the poor man wanting a box of gold.

Truly, Aristotle was right when he said that happiness was the highest good and the self-sufficient end since it was desired for its own sake. But, as John Stuart Mill pointed out, we can only attain a lower level of happiness which is relative to our available resources. It does not, however, mean that we cannot achieve happiness because, as JS Mill added, our happiness, to be truly attained must always be connected to the happiness of other people. There should be the value of sacrifice given that everything in the world is scarce. We cannot really attain happiness if we all seek something that is scarce; one must learn to give way to others, and others to one. This is like in the social contract of John Locke where we have to give up certain freedom because our liberty, if practiced all together, hampers other’s liberty. But, at the end of this sacrifice lies a stable, ordered and peaceful commonwealth. So, is it not the perfect happiness? Of course, one cannot be truly happy on the midst of state of war.

Indeed, many people would always dream of material abundance. Nevertheless, somehow, only when one has finished harvesting his material opulence after long years and hardships comes the time when he would also harvest the bad effects of it to his self. Perhaps, he might get sick and it is too late for his money to save him. After all, when he died, what is he remembered for? For his money stocked in the bank? Only when he share his blessings to other people can he be truly and, maybe, permanently happy even at his last breath. Happiness is actually attained when during your last minutes, you can see a lot of people around you, saying their love, respect, and gratitude to you. 

As a conclusion, everything in the world is scarce but benevolence makes everything abundant enough for everyone. As JS Mill asserted, happiness could only be completed through the nobleness of the character. It is relative to the happiness of others. It is never selfishly attained. Knowing these, achieving happiness is never just a dream but can even be an everyday practice.