Thomas Jefferson may have hit the nail on the head here. After pondering why we enjoy the things we do, I am landing in the same ballpark as Jefferson. That being said, I am operating under the assumption that, by definition, everyone desires happiness. Despite the temptation to point towards a single physical thing that drives happiness, I feel like that thing is not what a person wants. Instead, they want that pursuit. They want the unknown, the excitement, the nuance associated with a purposeful journey towards happiness. Below I will explore the source of happiness for a few professions.
Table of Contents
Examples
The Investor
An investor uses their capital to create more capital. The end goal of an investor varies. This could be retirement, this could be to accumulate mass wealth, this could be an ego boost, there are any number of end goals. In a majority of these, the investor is looking for greater capital. If you were to give them the capital they desire and tell them they are unable to invest any more, they would be unhappy. Tell them they can invest, but they will always lose and they will be unhappy. The investor’s source of happiness is investing. They want the risk, the excitement, the uncertainty of the future. That paired with success is what drives happiness.
The Collector
A collector accumulates items to build their collection. Collectors want to ensure they have all the pieces of their collection filled. If a collector had every item needed for their collection, there would surely be some satisfaction as they sit and admire the work. Over time, the fact that there is no more to collect will likely eat at them and cause unhappiness. The collector’s source of happiness comes from collecting.
The Provider
A provider wishes that their dependents have their needs met. If a provider is able to meet the needs of their dependents, and they are no longer able to provide, they will become unhappy. A common resolution to this is to provide wants. This turns into the provider spoiling their dependents and causing more harm than good. While the intent may be to bring them happiness, we have shown above that happiness is often not tied to an actual thing someone can give you. I suggest that a provider helps enable their dependents to explore their areas of interest and discover new ones in a non-excessive manor. The provider’s source of happiness comes from providing for others and bringing them happiness.
Summary
While everyone wants different things, it seems to commonly tie back to Jefferson’s central idea. If we allow people to chase the things they desire, their happiness, we can enable satisfaction within a country. For those that are chasing something that they do not believe to be happiness, I challenge you to stop and consider if you should continue chasing that. If you are doing what you enjoy, happiness will follow. If you are not, expose yourself to the world and go look for it. The privilege bestowed amongst many of us to explore and pursue happiness may be the one greatest gift we could have.
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