Pursuit of Happiness

I spend some time each week looking around the internet to see what’s going on in the world related to things like self esteem, the law of attraction, feelings and emotions. I look for the things I write about in this blog and that I imagine you like to read about. I was struck by an article in The Australian entitled Pursuit of happiness is personal. It starts out by saying:

TEN years ago I would not have envisaged that I would need to lecture or write about happiness. Nor would I have imagined that political parties and governments would be enthusing about policies promoting happiness as the big idea of the 21st century.

Happiness has become the objective of a powerful crusade. Its advocates insist on making us happy whether we like it or not. Richard Layard, leading prophet of this crusade, has stated that it needs “a cadre” of “specialist teachers acting as proselytes and high priests of the movement” to see through the “educational revolution”.

Basically the article says: In watching the campaign news in the last few elections and observing our children in school, it is becoming clear that governments and schools have shifted some of their focus from the real issues to the matter of happiness and self esteem. The candidates are trying to make us happy. Teachers wish to instill happiness and self esteem techniques into their curriculums of reading, writing and math. While these methods may make those people happy and make them feel as if they are making headway in our children’s futures, what about teaching them that the only one that can increase their self esteem or make them happy is themselves. While teachers have always attempted to inspire their students, it used to be about making them feel good when they are learning things, not teaching them to be happy.

Teachers and governments may have the right to teach us what is right and what is wrong but how can they even attempt to teach us how to feel and what is the right way to feel in any given situation. Happiness is brought about by our life experiences and our peace of mind. That has to come from within and can not be taught out of a text book or from a campaign speech.

The past has certainly shown us that being happy does not make us good and a good life does not always indicate a happy life. It is a personal, unique concept that no one but the person themselves can expand on and learn from.

He has many good points. I don’t agree with it all but I am taken by the fact that we have started to talk about what I consider important- how each and every person feels about themselves. I imagine a world where self esteem is so high that no one would consider hurting themselves, each other or the planet.

What are your thoughts?

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