If the human society were to be become happier and more meaningful, we need to start prioritizing happiness in our everyday lives.

“HAPPINESS IS THE MEANING AND THE PURPOSE OF LIFE, THE WHOLE AIM AND END OF HUMAN EXISTENCE.” ―ARISTOTLE

The current state of society is fucked up. It is not built on the foundation of happiness. You talk to people and ask how they are doing, and they reply, ‘surviving only.’

How did we build an unhappy society?

Students in school don’t enjoy school. Professionals in offices don’t enjoy their jobs. People don’t do stuff because it makes them happy. People do stuff because everyone does it and everyone does it because it creates a facade of success that makes everyone mutually comfortable, and miserable. They look at their screens, and then wonder if they could have been someone else. That someone else who feels like a distant dream. So, they create a life to impress people who are living to impress them. It is a mutually miserable existence. After all, misery loves company.

We need a new society. We need to begin creating it NOW.

A society where personal happiness is the foundation of every decision, at any stage of life. Let us look at how that society may look like.

The only rule of happiness society 1.0–Personal happiness over everything else.

Everything that you do in life, be it a job or a business or a relationship or a new class in college depending on your life stage, what you should consider is if the decision makes you happier, or not. Happiness puts meaning into life.

This ought to be the process of making a decision.

Let’s say you are a student who has just finished standard tenth and has to choose between science, commerce and arts. Now, how do you make this decision? This decision you make at 16 years of age would guide the rest of your life, unless you change course later, which a lot of people do now, but is a terrible waste of time. The later you start to chase your happiness, the more difficult and farther it becomes.

If you choose science, you will study physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics and other science subjects. Or, when you choose commerce, you will study accountancy, commerce, business studies and such subjects. If you choose arts, you may study performing arts and other related subjects.

How do you make the decision about prioritizing happiness?

The way to make the decision is on the basis of your history studying the subjects. How did you feel studying science in 10th and earlier? Was it fun? Did it make you want to go deeper into the subject? Did you feel that you immerse yourself in scientific questions when you were working on them?

If the answer is yes, choose science because studying science will make you happier as you have a natural acumen for science.

On the other hand, if you hated studying science and wished the science period got over as soon as possible, it’s not a good idea to take up science as an elective. You should consider arts or commerce.

How you make a decision to do anything at any stage depends on how much happiness you feel while making that decision.

Let’s consider another example from a rather mature situation of prioritizing happiness.

Ajay is 32. He is on a date. He found this girl on an app and she looked attractive in the pictures, which she is, in real.

However, during the dinner, she said that she is looking for someone who can buy her expensive dinners every now and then, owns a Mercedes or an equivalent car, and generally has a lot of money to spend on her. She is basically, what is universally called a gold digger.

Although Ajay finds her attractive, but he realizes that the girl has no real interest in him as a person but she wants someone who has a lot of money to splurge on her. He is looking for a romantic relationship with a girl he can love and trust, on the other hand.

Would he feel happy with the meeting? Would he want to meet her again?

The answer is unlikely. When he is not happy meeting her once, it doesn’t make sense to meet her the next time around. The matter is rested.

How do you prioritize happiness?

If you feel happy making a decision, it is a good decision.

When you feel unhappy making a decision, it is a terrible decision.

No matter what the situation, this is how you should make decisions in life in happiness society 1.0.

Let’s take another example of charity, to understand that a lot of things people already do are inspired by personal happiness. A lot of people believe that charity is a selfless act, who is a lot of bullshit.

Why do you think people contribute to philanthropic causes?

They don’t do this selflessly. They do it because they feel happy that their contribution makes the world a happier place. Their contribution would educate a child, help an old age home or a similar cause that would make a positive contribution in society.

Why do parents raise children?

It is because raising children makes them happier. It makes their life meaningful. They reach a point in life where the best investment of their time and money is having kids and raising them.

Everything that you and I do should be aimed at personal happiness.

It could be a small decision like where to travel for the weekend or it could be a major decision like which career to choose. The decision should be based on a single question- how does it make you feel?

If it makes you happy, go ahead and do it.

Doesn’t make you happy- don’t do it.

If you make decision on the basis of your happiness, you will enjoy the process of achieving your goals and life will be joyful and worth living.

The problem of materialism

Morbid state of materialism defines the current state of society. Students do not choose subjects which make them happy. They take up jobs which give them a better pay over a job that would make them happier.

In fact, it’s a possibility that the job that makes one happier pays better but we never consider that possibility. The thinking around joy being the reason for decision making doesn’t exist, and therefore people don’t invest time in understanding themselves and prioritizing happiness. A job that pays well but is not aligned with personal happiness would create misery.

That is why we are rather unhappy as a society and we need a new society. A new set of students and professionals who love the process and do what they enjoy, and thereby striving for excellence.

You can’t strive for excellence at something you hate. If you do, you won’t succeed. Take my word for it.

Do something that makes you happy and start prioritizing happiness. That’s how you will become a part of happiness society 1.0. A society that’s built on prioritizing happiness.

Thank you for reading.

The purpose of this blog to help you find your happiness. Please read the other posts on the blog, and follow so that you get updates when new posts are published. Please share any posts you like with your friends so that they can also find their happiness. If you have any feedback for me, please leave it in the comments and I would be happy to work on it. If you would like to support my writing and this blog, you may please send a donation through PayPal here.

I appreciate the time you spent in reading the blog and wish you happiness.

Love,

Amarvani