happiness

HAPPINESSRobertColes1NoothercountryintheworldhasworkedthenotionofhappinessintoitsConstitution,theverysourceofitsnationalauthority,thewaythefoundingfathersoftheUnitedStatesofAmericachosetodowhentheylinkedthepursuitofhappinesswithlifeandwithlibertyasatrioofutterlyinalienablerights.Notthathappinesswas,thereupon,defined.Anyway,apursuitwasspecified---perhapsaratherknowingdecision,inthetraditionofDonQuixote,thatthejourneyorwayisbetterthantheinn.Happiness,apsychoanalyticsupervisorofmineusedtotellme,againandagain,asIpresentedinformationtohimaboutmypatients,issomethingpeopleyearnfor.He'dstop,andafterawhileI'dknowthenextsentence:Whentheyhaveit,they'veredefinedit,sotheycankeepsearching.Again,onethinksofCervanteshero-nottomentionanynumberofrestlessheroesandheroinesinthenovelsof,say,GeorgeEliotorHardyorD.H.Lawrence.2Whatishappiness?TheworditselfonlyappearedinourEnglishlanguageduringthesixteenthcentury,andisetymologicallyand,yes,spirituallyconnectedtothewordhappen---which,ofcourse,hastodowiththeoccurrenceofanevent.HappinessinShakespeare'stime,andlateraswell,referredtogoodfortune,goodlucktofavorablecircumstancesvisited,somehow,onaparticularpersonwhoregisteredsuchastateofaffairssubjectivelywithaconditionofgoodcheer,pleasurablefeeling.Onewassatisfiedwithone'ssituation,gladtobeinone'sgivenplaceandtimebyvirtueofhowone'slifehasgone.Theemphasisis,putdifferently,uponfate--analmostexternalforce.Tobesure,individualscravedpleasure,money,power,territory,acertainwoman,acertainman--buthappinesswasnotinitselfsought.Rather,aperson'spersonalandworkadaysuccesswasnotedbythatperson,andthankfullyacknowledged-hisorhersbyvirtueofdivinegraceorthestarsandtheirmysteriousdoings,or,quitesimply,aseriesoffortuitousevents3Withoutquestionthereweredifferentinterpretationsofwhatpromptshappiness,andwhatconstitutesit.Formanydevoutlyreligiouspeople(tothisday),astrokeofbusinesssuccess,amarriagethatworks,theemergenceovertimeofstrong,intelligentwell-behavedchildrenwhoseemableandcontentwiththeirlotinlifeareallsignsofsorts,evidenceofGod'sfavor.Forthosewhodon'tknowwhattobelieve(aboutthislife,and.ourplaceorpurposeonearth),happinessseemssomethingaccidental,contingent,or,atbest,afeelingforwhichonehasworkedhardindeed.Butnowwearerabitaheadof,ourselves,historically:yearsago,therewasasenseofaweabouthappiness--asifitwerevisiteduponsomeinaccordancewiththeunfathomableworkingsofaninscrutableuniverse.Itwasonlyinmorerecenttimes,asmenandwomenbecamemorethecenterofthisworld(in’theirownminds,morethemakers,thedoers,theoneswhowieldandseetheconsequences,thathappinessbecame,witheverythingelse,agoal,apurpose,or,asthosehardworking,ambitiousrationalistswhoframedourConstitutionputitsomethingforwhichapursuitiswaged,Nolongerdoeshappinesshappenhappinessisobtained.4Butagainthequestionhastobeasked:whatwasthishappinesswhichincreasinglybecamementionedbypeopleinEnglandandAmericafrom,say,1600orsoonward?TheEnglishpoetAlexanderPope,alwaysonetorenderaquotablestatement,onceexclaimedOhHappiness!Thenhetriedhishandatspellingthematterout:Ourbeing'sendandaim!Good,Pleasure,Ease,Content!Whateverthyname.''Aninterestingwayofregardinganelusivequalityofmindandheart.First,theavowalthat,thepossessionofhappinessisconnectedtoourverypurposeinlife,tothecentralthrustofourhumanstriving,toouraspirationsasthepeculiarcreaturewhich--well,hasjustthat,thecapacitytohaveaspirations.Then,akindofbafflement:thepoet,handywithwordsashewas,surrenderstothepuzzlingvarietyofhopeanddirectionandorientationamongusmortals.Hemakesalist,avariousoneatthat;andyes,theliststillworksasweconsider“happiness.”5Forsome,Goodisyetwhatcounts:happinessastheinnerfeelingthatcorrespondstoamoralperceptionofthepartofaperson.IhavedonemydutytoGodandcountry;IhavelivedasIwastaughtitisrighttolive,andI'mreadytodiehappy--thewordsofanordinarytwentiethcenturyAmericanworkingwomananurseoffifty,actually,who'draisedhertwochildrenwelllivedoutasolid,satisfyingmarriagewithheroptometristbusbandoncologists,and,shewouldsometimesadd,herminister.Hepraysformyrecovery,sheoncetoldme,andthenadded,butIdon'tbelieveyoucanbargainwithGodthatway.I'llbedyingsoonandIknowit.Idon'tpraytoGodthatHegivememorelife;IpraytoGodthatthelifeI'vealreadylivednotbejudgedtoobadandtoosinfulwhenImeetHim.IthinkI'vebeenafairlydecentperson,andsoI'mnotafraid.Totellthetruth,exceptwhenI'minpain,I'mquitehappy....6Pope'snextcategoryisPleasure,andinyearsofmedicalandpsychiatricwork,Ifindthatsecondlineofresponseeveronthemindsoftoday'smenandwomen,especiallytheyoung.IhappentogiveacourseatHarvardCollege(andanother,similarone,atHarvardMedicalSchool)titledMoralandSocialInquiry.Wereadpoets,documentaryessayists,andnovelistswhohave,intheirownways,triedtofigureoutwhatmenandwomenwantoutoflife,andwhy.AfterexposuretothelikesofJamesAgeeandGeorgeOrwell,TillieOlsenandFlanneryO'ConnorWalkerPercyandRalphEllison,DorothyDayandSimoneWeil,and,notleast,thosethreemarvelousVictorianstorytellers,DickensGeorgeEliot,andHardy,thestudentswritetheirpapers;andoftenenough,thepapersaredeeplypersonal:anefforttoconnectwhatthey'vereadtowhatthestudentsares