Don't Be Deceived by Those Who Say 'Contentment Brings Happiness,' They Are Not Truly 'Happy'
Pursuing happiness is the root of most misfortune.
The commonly recognized definition of happiness is ‘a joy obtained and a desire to maintain it’ – a psychological and emotional state. However, humans are never satisfied and will never maintain the status quo.
Oldzi said: ‘The greatest ‘crime’ is excessive desire, the greatest ‘harm’ is dissatisfaction, the greatest ‘fault’ is to seek gain. Therefore, people have derived the principle of ‘contentment and happiness.’ However, Oldzi was also telling us that, at least for ordinary people, these ‘crimes,’ ‘harm,’ and ‘faults’ are unavoidable. This so-called ‘contentment and happiness’ is like a palace in the air.
A person initially thinks a monthly income of 10,000 yuan is happiness, but when he actually gets it, he will inevitably think that a monthly income of 20,000 yuan is happiness; a person initially thinks being a boss is happiness, but when he really has his own enterprise, he will inevitably think that a large enterprise is happiness; a person initially thinks being promoted to a leading cadre is happiness, but when he really becomes a section chief, he will inevitably think that becoming an executive is happiness…
Christianity calls this endless desire ‘original sin,’ and Buddhism regards it as the root of ‘suffering.’ Unfortunately, they are right, and modern science can also prove it. But life has the characteristic of ‘dissatisfaction.’ If life ‘is content,’ there would be no natural selection and evolution, and humans would not have evolved to our current state. If humans ‘are content,’ there would be no technological development and social progress, and we might forever remain in the primitive state of knotting strings and eating raw meat.
Therefore, for those who pursue happiness, they are actually pursuing misfortune. The ‘satisfied state’ they pursue is against their nature, and any ‘maintaining the status quo’ emotion will ultimately become the root of their troubles. These ‘contentment and happiness’ are nothing more than a kind of AQ-style mental victory, a cover-up for failure and incompetence.
Perhaps you will argue that there are really many ‘masters’ who can truly achieve contentment and happiness.
But I want to tell you that they seem ‘content and happy’ because they are especially ‘dissatisfied.’ A painter who is obsessed with art and completely focuses his thoughts on his own work can completely appear ‘content and happy’ in the eyes of the world, but only if he is especially ‘dissatisfied’ with ‘beauty!’ Similarly, a scientist who is obsessed with research and completely focuses his thoughts on academic research can also appear ‘content and happy’ in the eyes of the world, but only if he is especially ‘dissatisfied’ with ‘truth!’
Yan Hui, who is regarded as the ‘restoration of saints’ of Confucianism, praised him: ‘A simple meal, a gourd drink, in a shabby lane, he endures no sorrow, Hui does not change his joy.’ Is this ‘joy’ ‘contentment’ in a shabby lane? Wrong, his ‘joy’ is ‘unyielding will’ ‘dissatisfied’! A person with an incredibly rich soul can truly be content with material scarcity; a person who focuses his thoughts on ‘dissatisfaction’ can become the person others see as ‘content and happy.’
The song ‘Love Letter’ by singer Zhang Xuewei resonates with many people: ‘Waiting for someone to give you happiness often doesn’t make you happy.’ Can happiness depend on ‘giving’ by others? At least, happiness doesn't depend on the ‘giving’ of the external environment. Fundamentally, happiness is ‘seeking it outwards,’ it is ‘a matter of fortune.’ It is a ‘lucky’ ‘blessing.’
Therefore, wise people should seek those ‘obtained by seeking, lost by letting go,’ such as exercising, learning, improving skills, and cultivating sentiments. These are ‘seeking it inwards,’ ‘self-directed.’ In fact, people who don't pursue happiness often gain more happiness and often achieve greater accomplishments.
