Question Happinessssssss part one.

this is another excerpt from a journal.  This piece is a work in progress and will continue over time..

'In Book 1, Chapters four and five Aristotle describes for us exactly what happiness should not be. Happiness, being the ultimate goal for every human being at initial glance, seems like it would be unique to each person. I thought prior to reading this that happiness would in fact be personalized for everyone because of the uniqueness we all seem to possess. I rationalized that since there were no two people exactly the same, no two people would have the same recipe for happiness. Aristotle however made some very valid points by describing what would be bad answers for happiness before he described the correct ones.


Aristotle describes the wrong answers to the age old question of “what is happiness” as the things that one lack. If you ask a poor person what would make them happy, they would answer money. Similarly, if you ask a sick person what would make them happy, they would say health. Happiness is measured as the things we temporarily don’t possess. We are so quick to overlook the things that we do have and only focus on what is missing in our lives.

I completely agree with Aristotle’s answer to this happiness question. The answer he provides us with is still not only valid, but highly prevalent today. We get caught up with the minor details of life and the ups and downs definitely have the power to throw us off course. I think that these answers are very common today. Happiness is always defined as what we do not have and desire. For me, Aristotle’s answer amazes me because it shows that all human beings are essentially the same and that we have not evolved much since the time he has written this. Is it possible that we are unable to change? How can an age old answer like this continue to be correct after so much time has passed? I wonder if we will ever be able to change this answer or if there is something intrinsically defected with humans. Has our species reached the epitome of evolution where there is simply no room for personal progress?'

On a simpler note, reading Aristotle is definitely something I highly recommend.  I've read his pieces before, but it's like one of those movies where each time you watch it you notice something brand new each time.
Question Everything..take nothing for granted




part Deuce

"Yes, there are a lot of things that I don’t want to do but have to in sake of my own happiness. I have to study for my LSAT’s and that is all for my happiness. I don’t like to study for this test because it is insanely tedious and boring. I have yet to develop a love for this nightmarish experience. I know I have to do it and I do it for that reason only. I wish I knew how to develop a love for it. I should do it soon because I have to take it in June. I don’t want to do it because I get easily discouraged. I need to start practicing more and make it not only a habit, but a new, favorite habit. I also don’t like driving very much. But that is also for my own happiness because it takes me to where I need to go to achieve my happiness. I don’t enjoy doing it because I just don’t like it. I tell the truth even when it’s hard. I do it for the sake of my own happiness even when telling a lie would be much easier. I value telling the truth so I definitely do that the most. Honesty is always for the sake of your own happiness because after telling one lie, it becomes extremely easy to tell another and another. This has a snowball effect and before you know it you lose a sense of yourself. You start telling people what you think they would like to hear, or you lie because it’s easier or lie to achieve your personal gains. These reasons are all detrimental to your attempt of happiness. You lose a sense of yourself, and just think if we are all lying at every chance we get what becomes the point of communication at all if we’re all just being deceitful? Words no longer hold value and we will eventually revert to animals because after being discouraged from speaking to one another because of the preconceived notion that we are all lying we will stop talking completely. Without communication that man so dearly needs to reassert one’s “human-ness”, existence itself will be a matter of survival. We will be no better than mere animals. "

xoxoVani