Have you ever thought about the question, ‘why are we here?’ I don’t know why does the world make the question so complicated, when it isn’t. We are here to be happy.

To start with, I am sick of narratives which claim that the purpose of human life is not happiness but blah blah and blah. They are pointless.

If there is a purpose to human life, it is your happiness. So, please do whatever it takes to be happy.

Happiness is the only outcome of human life, and the only one worth chasing. Everything else that we do as human beings is basically input. Even finding your individual purpose has to be seen in the context of the premise that happiness for everyone is the purpose of the macro human life and hence it can only be achieved as the sum of the micro.

Proponents of the idea that happiness is somehow an abstract idea say that happiness is an unattainable emotion, something like a feather flying in the air. It is a lie and makes no sense, with due respect. We are not designed to survive and reproduce, unlike what a few sadists would have you believe. We are designed to take our existence to actualization in the Maslow’s hierarchy and when we do that we would experience happiness.

Let us try and debunk some of these myths.

They say that consistent or sustained happiness is not possible, and therefore it is waste to even try and achieve it.

Think about your life. If you are an adult, you have lived at least 18 years in most countries. Don’t you know the moments in your life when you have been really happy? Don’t you know how does that feel? If you know how that feels, that happiness is a real emotion that you have truly felt in your heart. You know what it is like. It is not abstract.

Is happiness abstract?

An abstract idea, as per the dictionary, expressed something which is separated from reality. Is happiness abstract? It could only be abstract if you have never felt it. It could be abstract if people talk about happiness as this delusional emotion which no one has ever felt.

You and I have felt what it means to be happy. There were certain things we did that created a certain kind of a feeling and we knew that we were happy. That proves that happiness is a meaningful real world feeling and is not abstract.

Secondly, the same set of people argue that since happiness is abstract, the purpose of human life is survival and reproduction. What a bizarre way to look at life?

If you ask a friend how they are doing, and they say, ‘I am surviving,’ how do you feel about that? It is so boring to only survive.

You know who survives? Animals.

Why are we here- to survive?

Animal life is all about survival. They get up in the morning, hunt for food to eat, have sex with whoever is available and they go to sleep. They repeat this the next day. Besides that finding sexual partners for humans is not as easy as it is for animals.

The entire existence of animals is built around pure survival. If as humans, we are also ONLY meant to survive, then our lives are not different from those of animals.

Not here to survive

We are not meant to survive but to thrive and be happy. We have been blessed with a thinking mind so we can think for ourselves, understand our strengths and apply those strengths to make the world a better place than we found it. In the process, we will end up making a few people happier and when people are happier because of us, we will also find happiness for ourselves.

There is another popular theory has come up in the last few years that the purpose is not happiness, but usefulness. Who would deny that we want to be useful?

Yes, we want to be useful but usefulness is an input, not an output. Output has been an emotion that we feel. Usefulness is a feature of human life. We don’t feel usefulness, do we? I don’t remember having a sudden gush of emotion in my life and saying, ‘Oh, my God, I feel so useful!’

It is an input and an input cannot be the purpose of life, cannot be the reason for existence. It cannot be the answer to the question why are we here? This usefulness theory also revolves around the idea that humans aren’t designed to be happy, and hence, it is hogwash.

We are here to be happy. Be happy. Figure out how to make yourself happy and stick to the process. It is a process of discovery and self-evaluation.

It is a good question to ask, ‘why is happiness important?’

Why should we be happy? Is it even important?

You should be happy because it makes the world a better place. Happy people make the world a happier place. In a world where fallacies like the one we started with go around, happy people prove that happiness is not a fallacy but a true emotion.

You should consider a few more reasons why you should make the effort to be happy.

1. Happiness is possible

What we are trying to convey through this piece is that happiness is possible and that it the reason we exist- to be happy. Since happiness is possible and it is beautiful, there is no reason we should not do everything possible to attain it. It is not easy, but it is not impossible.

2. Happy people are productive at work

Happier people are more productive than unhappy people. They take interest in their work, are cheerful at work, and positive to be around. They make great colleagues and that’s a reason to be happy.

3. Happiness feels great

More importantly, there is no other emotion which tops the feeling of true happiness. Nothing matches it.

Can you think of a time you were so happy that you had Goosebumps? That’s happiness. That’s what we are talking about. May be, it was when you fell in love for the first time or it was when you earned your first money ever. It could be when you were kissed for the first time. May be, it was when you achieved something after years of work.

Think back to those moments. Nothing feels as good as skin deep happiness.

4. Happy people inspire others to find their happiness

We need more happy people

Since the world is really at a shortage of happy people, we need more of them. The world needs more people who are happy, people who are trying to make the world a happier place. If you are happy, you are a force for good in this world and your existence makes the world a better place. So, please make the effort to be happy every day.

Now, we have seen a few reasons why we should be happy. We should be happy because it makes the world a better, a happier place.

Again, why do we exist? We exist to be happy.

Are you convinced yet?

We have proved that happiness is not an abstract feeling. We have also looked at reasons why happiness is important and why we should all make the effort to be happy.

The most important point I would like to drive through this piece is that happiness is the only output, and everything else is an input. Let us look at a few more things or emotions which are input, and not put out.

Peace

Peace is a useful emotion. It is one of the most important emotions that we feel. When we feel peaceful, it is because we are at a state of calm with our reality and we can face it. However, peace is also not the eventual emotion we earn. Peace is an input to happiness.

To be happy, we need peace. We cannot attain happiness without inner peace. If we are disturbed emotionally, we cannot work to attain happiness. We can only attain happiness when we are peaceful. Therefore, peace is a necessary ingredient in the happiness dish.

Love

Love is another important input. If we do not do the things we love, we will not find happiness. If we do not spend time with people we love, we will not find happiness. Therefore, love becomes an important part of the happiness equation. Passion is a notch over love.

Creativity

Creativity is an important input for happiness because happiness needs to be created. We need to work to create happiness whether in personal and professional lives. Therefore, we cannot attain happiness without creativity.

Hard work in the right direction

One of the misguided notions of human society is that hard work by itself will create success and happiness. Nothing is far from the truth. There is a cobbler who works 12 hours a day and is poor and will be poor because his work will not get him the right leverage. Poverty does not create happiness. Although money does not exactly create happiness either, but it is a way better input than poverty.

What we do is more important, if not as important as how hard we work. Especially, if the goal is inner happiness and not outward success, then direction is an extremely important input in the happiness mix.

Persistence

If we truly believe that we are here to be happy, then we cannot quite give up on the search for happiness. Like Steve Jobs, keep looking, don’t settle. Unless we find what makes us happy, we need to keep looking and not settle or compromise with life. If we keep looking, one day, we will find happiness.

So, again, why are we here?  We are here to be happy.

Happiness is the reason we exist. We exist to create happiness for ourselves to start with, and once we have created happiness for ourselves, we can create happiness for people we care about. That is the purpose of human life.

All of us have been created differently by nature and hence the paths to achieve our happiness are different and unique to us. We must realize the path that we need to create to lead to our happiness. That can only come when we make the effort to understand ourselves, do deep reflection about who we are, and the work we are meant to do while we live.

Choose direction over speed

Direction is more important than speed. If you choose the path to misery, speed will only make you miserable faster. That is why, to choose a direction which makes us happier, is more important than speed. Once you find the right direction, press the fastest gear you can, and go as fast as possible in the direction of your happiness.

Do not believe the naysayers that say stuff like happiness is not the reason why we are here, or the chase for happiness is making you miserable. Such narratives are a part of the crowd which has given up on their search for happiness and have compromised with misery. Always remember, misery loves company. People who are miserable want others to join their gang.

Thankfully, in 2020, there are examples of people around us who are happy and who have achieved happiness through the fulfillment of their dreams. They are around us. Look at them as your inspiration and dare to dream. Your dreams are where your happiness lies. We are here to be happy. We exist to be happy and spread happiness. That is the only reason for existence of human life. Do not believe anything else you are told, ever again. Go, find your 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