The Paradox of Chasing Happiness
Can you achieve happiness if you’re always chasing it?
This is a question that I’ve thought about for a while. I’ve also talked to some people about it to get different perspectives.
Here’s what I’ve learned so far personally:
The more I chase happiness, the more it pushes me away from actually achieving it
Focusing on how happy I am takes me away from enjoying whatever it is that I’m actually doing (and that thing would probably make me more happy)
The times I’ve been the happiest have been when I wasn’t chasing anything at all, but when I was present in my experiences and just trying to make the most of the opportunities I had
However, partially this is a trick question. To answer this question properly, a definition of happiness needs to be agreed upon. Based on speaking to different people, it seems that everyone has a different definition. Some people define it as a transient emotion, some as a moment, some as a mindset, some as an action, and others as a part of their identity of the person they choose to be. Everyone should have a different definition, it’s your life you should experience it how you want.
So, lately I figured maybe I’m asking the wrong questions. Maybe some better questions are: what truly makes you happy? What do you enjoy doing? How do you like spending your time?
Maybe from those answers we learn that happiness, like most of life is not about reaching a destination, but it’s about the journey we’re going on (cliche I know, but I find a lot of cliche things are true).
Alright that’s all for today 🫡
Until next time,
Tai