當幸福來敲門 第13章 幸福之道 (1)
    TheRoadtoHappiness

    佚名/Anonymous

    Itisacommonplaceamongmoraliststhatyoucannotgethappinessbypursuingit.Thisisonlytrueifyoupursueitunwisely.GamblersatMonteCarloarepursuingmoney,andmostofthemloseitinstead,butthereareotherwaysofpursuingmoney,whichoftensucceed.Soisitwithhappiness.Ifyoupursueitbymeansofdrink,youareforgettingthehangover.Epicuruspursueditbylivingonlyincongenialsocietyandeatingonlydrybread,supplementedbyalittlecheeseonfeastdays.Hismethodprovedsuccessfulinhiscase,buthewasavaletudinarian,andmostpeoplewouldneedsomethingmorevigorous.Formostpeople,thepursuitofhappiness,unlesssupplementedinvariousways,istooabstractandtheoreticaltobeadequateasapersonalruleoflife.ButIthinkthatwhateverpersonalruleoflifeyoumaychooseitshouldnot,exceptinrareandheroiccases,beincompatiblewithhappiness.

    Thereareagreatmanypeoplewhohaveallthematerialconditionsofhappiness,i.e.healthandasufficientincome,andwho,nevertheless,areprofoundlyunhappy.Insuchcasesitwouldseemasifthefaultmustliewithawrongtheoryastohowtolive.Inonesense,wemaysaythatanytheoryastohowtoliveiswrong.Weimagineourselvesmoredifferentfromtheanimalsthanweare.Animalsliveonimpulse,andarehappyaslongasexternalconditionsarefavorable.Ifyouhaveacatitwillenjoylifeifithasfoodandwarmthandopportunitiesforanoccasionalnightonthetiles.Yourneedsaremorecomplexthanthoseofyourcat,buttheystillhavetheirbasisininstinct.Incivilizedsocieties,especiallyinEnglish-speakingsocieties,thisistooapttobeforgotten.Peopleproposetothemselvessomeoneparamountobjective,andrestrainallimpulsesthatdonotministertoit.Abusinessmanmaybesoanxioustogrowrichthattothisendhesacrificeshealthandprivateaffections.Whenatlasthehasbecomerich,nopleasureremainstohimexceptharryingotherpeoplebyexhortationstoimitatehisnobleexample.Manyrichladies,althoughnaturehasnotendowedthemwithanyspontaneouspleasureinliteratureorart,decidetobethoughtcultured,andspendboringhourslearningtherightthingtosayaboutfashionablenewbooksthatarewrittentogivedelight,nottoaffordopportunitiesfordustysnobbism.
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