Friday, August 08, 2008


I ran across this piece on happiness, and enjoyed it. I don't know if the guy is a Christian or not, and it isn't the "end all" definition of happiness, but his conclusions are apparent.
William Lyon Phelps – Professor at Yale, writer, critic, lecturer.

“No matter what may be one’s nationality, sex, age, philosophy, or religion, everyone wishes either to become or to remain happy. Hence definitions of happiness are interesting. One of the best was given in my senior year at college by President Timothy Dwight: “The happiest person is the person who thinks the most interesting thoughts.”
This definition places happiness where it belongs – within and not without. The principle of happiness should be like the principle of virtue: it should not be dependent on things, but be a part of personality…..
If the happiest person is the person who thinks the most interesting thoughts we are bound to grow happier as we advance in years, because our minds have more and more interesting thoughts. A well-ordered life is like climbing a tower; the view halfway up is better than the view from the base, and it steadily becomes finer as the horizon expands.
Here lies the real value of education. Advanced education may or may not make men and women more efficient; but it enriches personality, increases the wealth of the mind, and hence brings happiness. It is the finest insurance against old age, against the growth of physical disability, against the lack and loss of animal delights. No matter how many there may be in our family, no matter how many friends we may have, we are in a certain sense forced to lead a lonely life, because we have all the days of our existence to live with ourselves. How essential it is, then, in youth to acquire some intellectual or artistic tastes, in order to furnish the mind, to be able to live inside a mind with attractive and interesting pictures on the walls.”

When I was in Thailand, I went to a crafter's mall, where they sculpt and paint etc.
I doubt many of the people had an academic background, but the detail, ornament and over all beauty of the art showed how the mind of man is ever perfecting itself, educating itself and if a formal education is unattainable, self education is always available.
Photo by Marek Dstrowski

2 comments:

Joseph Pulikotil said...

Hello Fred!

Very interesting post!

Happiness is a state of mind. It is a matter of choice. If a person choses to be happy, then he will be happy and if he choses to be unhappy, then he will be unhappy. It doesn't depend on wealth or condition in life. Sometimes even the poorest person is very happy and sometimes even the richest person is very unhappy.

It is very true that all of us strive to be happy. The fact is that the more we run after happiness, the more it eludes us.

Have a good day!

FCB said...

Hi Joseph,
I too thought it was an interesting post. I particularly liked --- "A well-ordered life is like climbing a tower; the view halfway up is better than the view from the base, and it steadily becomes finer as the horizon expands." I suppose that is much clearer to me now that I'm in my sixties. I must confess I still battle daily with a good attitude, I wouldn't say it comes naturally.
But, the battle goes on.
Many Blessings to you,
Fred