Gretchen Rubin's " The Happiness Project " (washingtonpost.com, Feb. 7, 2010) is a best-selling book No.1 in New York Times. It explains how to be happy with a year long project specifically and clearly.
However, as a layman in this field, I would like to suggest an easy way to happiness, which everybody can derive from our very common sense and instincts if he or she likes to spare some time to think it over.
As it is derived from our own instincts, it is easy to understand and simple to put into practice without learning so profound knowledge and carrying out an arduous long project.
Instincts
Obviously, instincts are our ancestors' successful experiences saved on DNA in 10,000 years ago.
From our instincts, one can easily understand that the goal of human life is to propagate human offspring or keep human DNA alive. (Re #1)
One of our most important instincts is feeling happy, which is the green traffic light directing us to the right way towards propagation of our offspring or keeping our DNA alive.
Define Happiness
Apparently, happiness is the momentarily feeling of things beinga step betterfor propagating offspring. This is the very reason that human can survive. (Re #1)
Happiness Norm
Every technical person knows that a meter or gauge has to be calibrated before use of it.
To be happy is a similar case! People have a gauge in brain to detect the happiness, too.
The gauge for happiness should be calibrated at happiness optimal point, which, needless to say, is the instinct on our DNA. Otherwise, mankind can not survive. (Re #1-5)
Once a person has really calibrated his or her own happiness scale with the norm, he or she, in most cases, willsuddenlybecome happy without doing such hard work on a long "Project", and will naturally look on the rich people as fools doing things unnecessary all day long.
This is because he or she, in most cases today, possesses the lot far better than that required by our instincts in 10,000-years-ago.
Furthermore, one should know that the happiness surpass its optimal point of 10,000-years-ago norm will certainly cause problems, such as the rich people diseases, the education problems of offspring, social problems, etc. For simplicity, let's call the happiness beyond the optimal pointinvalid happiness. Invalid happiness hurts us and is the major reason of unhappiness. (Re #2)
Conclusion
To be happiness needs simply understanding of the valid instincts or 10,000-years-ago norm; but not necessarily working hard on an arduous long project.
References:#1. W. Ying,articlesbasee.com, "Happy Life, Instincts, Wisdom, and Human Computer System." #2.ibid, "Valid Happiness, Instinct and Wisdom." #3.ibid, " Competing Instinct-Blindly or Instinct-Wisely?" #4.ibid, " Layman Talks 'Is It Possible to Become Lastingly Happier?'" #5.ibid, " Happy Life Needs Optimal Points for Everything."
Copyright 2010 all rights reserved.
