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We, The people, are not happy
17 - Happiness as a guide
The Homo sapiens, living on Earth, are not the first attempts of Mother Nature to use the human species. She started more than 1 million years ago. The skeletons she left behind tell us of a rare perseverance. We know of the Ardipithicines - the Australopithecines - Homo habilis - Homo ergaster/erectus - Homo heidelbergensis - Homo neanderthalensis - Denisovans and the Homo floresiensis. To persevere after so many failures, Mother Nature must know something that we don’t. Could she be learning from her mistakes? Could she have some good reason to keep improving the design? (click center right) Could humans be her last attempt?
What is Mother Nature expecting from the Homo sapiens? Over the past 200 years, they have plundered their natural resources. They polluted the air, rivers, and even the oceans. They are depleting oil reserves and possibly the minerals in the arable soil. They leave behind plastic and radioactive waste that will last for thousands of years. They even caused global warming. Would you blame Nature if she gives up on humanity?
Let’s assume, for now, that this was only a matter of immaturity on our part. Let’s assume that the Homo sapiens deserve another chance to get their lives aligned with nature. All they need is some time to learn “Use but don’t abuse” and they don’t learn fast. It is not their fault. It is the way they were created. They only need time.
They also need some guidance. They need some reward when doing the right thing and getting hurt by their mistakes. Happiness could be the solution.
Happiness is a consequence:
Happiness cannot be treated like an object in the material world. It is not a personal belonging. It belongs to the world of the soul and is a consequence of what happens to the soul.
We have to make a distinction between happiness and simple enjoyment.
In this video, people often do not distinguish between physical enjoyment and true happiness. You may enjoy a glass of wine, but can you rely on wine to have a happy life?
When people look outside themselves, the first thing that comes to mind is money. They have a good excuse. Their senses are focused outward. What they see around them is the material world. Their first impression is that money can buy anything. This might explain why their first attempt to find happiness is by seeking material possessions. Food and shelter are our first priority. Money brings survival but money has its limits. We need food. There is no limit to the quantity of food we can buy - only the quantity of food we can eat. One day comes, hopefully, when we experience real happiness. It set you free. It is more than an object. It is an increase of consciousness.
The next video shows people being reunited with their pets. We know that we can relate to cats and dogs. It is surprising to see how strong a bond people can develop with monkeys, donkeys, tigers, lions, geese, and even fish and alligators. It’s more than just enjoyment.
It’s pure joy. This is not something money can buy. It’s universal happiness that even animals can enjoy.
In our lives, enjoyment and genuine happiness are often intertwined. True happiness can be so rare that we don’t expect to find it. If you ask people about the moments of true joy in their lives, you’ll notice that these moments don’t happen very often.
Are we looking in all the wrong places? Happiness does not have a weight, a color, a shape. It belongs to the soul’s domain. We will never find it if we keep looking in the material domain around us. We have to focus on the good and the bad in our lives. We have to look for a way out of Plato’s cave.
There is nothing wrong with enjoyment as long as we don’t become its prisoner. We should not let our servant become our master.
Happiness is a consequence. The main cause is an improvement of the soul. Participating in our own evolution may be our best source of happiness.
We (and other animals) could be the way Mother Nature is giving feelings, harmony, ideas, consciousness and love an opportunity to penetrate the material world. Our contribution to this endeavor would give meaning to our lives. This could be our best source of happiness.
