Faith, Security and Risk

The Dynamics of Spiritual Growth

Reflection Paper 2

Q: What do you think of Frankel’s criticism of the search for happiness? Can you think of examples where “the pursuit of happiness” didn’t work, especially from your own life?

I think that Frankel has some very true information when he talks about happiness. He discusses everyone’s right to pursue a happy life. He also talks about how people think what is good for them will make them happy. I believe that true happiness is the acceptance of all the good things and all the bad things. I think that is what he is saying as well. He also says that people are not just looking at how to survive or how to find immediate pleasure, they’re looking at long-term happiness. People are also trying to find fulfillment in the person they are. Another point he talks about is self-transcendence. The object is to forget about something that you want. Which in some ways makes a lot of sense. Nobody can say for sure of this idea works or not, but that’s the idea of self-transcendence. The way I look at it, is that you don’t put so much stress on yourself to be happy-just forget about it. For example, when I have a project due for school and I’m so worried about how to get information or where to start I just forget it for a few days because I know it will eventually work itself out. I don’t know if Frankel means it in this sense, but that’s how I interrupted it. If you’re so concerned about finding happiness, just leave it alone for awhile and you’ll find you’re way without all the added pressure. I agree with a lot of Frankel’s ideas about happiness. Happiness is much deeper than people are willing to believe or even pay any attention to.

I don’t know if this example of the failure of the pursuit of happiness is what your looking for. This is a situation where an illness has taken over someone’s life and the pursuit of happiness is lost. In most mental illnesses, the person, as much as they’d love to be happy, can’t. it comes down to taking medication to live everyday because as much as they try, they can’t be happy. Th right to pursue happiness is taken for granted. People think that if they get the job they’ll be happy or if they get the boy or the girl to go out with them. That is just pleasure that is only temporary and you think deep down that your satisfied and truly happy and fulfilled with their lives. Just like medications make a mentally sick person temporarily happy until the nest dose. They’re unable to find any meaning in they’re life or any sense of true happiness. Some people get depressed and sick because everytime they try to achieve happiness they can’t, or something happens beyond their control. My mother suffers from bi-polar disorder. I’ve seen her really try to beat the illness and try her hardest to find satisfaction in her life, but it’s very hard when you’re pushed back down over and over again. It makes her life even more challenging and she has to look deeper to find the meaning of her life. Her end goal is to be free from constant depression. It is her right to pursue this dream. I don’t think people realize how hard it is to find happiness and to forget about mere pleasure.