Happiness, happiness, happiness, surely that is the ultimate goal of human existence. But is it unattainable, is true happiness the unrealisable dream?
It seems that the greatest obstacles to achieving contentment, are what we consider to be the best routes to it. Society, Government and the media in the 21st Century pedal an apparently undeniable truth that certain passages to happiness are money, social status and a ‘good’ career (whatever that is). I am sure you don’t need me to tell you that this couldn’t be further from the truth.
The well known sayings ‘money isn’t everything’ and ‘money can’t buy you happiness’ are losing more of their truth every day. Today for example, it is close to impossible for the ordinary Briton to do anything without considering the financial implications. Is it a surprise therefore that whilst money is so scarce, boredom is rife? You need only take into consideration the fact that nowadays, large numbers of young people take to the streets to simply hang around. This is a phenomenon especially well known in impoverished areas. The most common explanation for this new leisure time activity is simply that ’there is nothing else to do’. Why is there nothing to do? There is nothing to do because they have little to no disposable income with which to get involved in leisure activities.
It is simply a disgrace that the only justification which is ever given for providing government funded youth leisure facilities in such areas is that it may have some positive effect in terms of reducing crime levels. As if the reason that James and Phil deal drugs and steal cars, is that they haven’t got free access to a tennis court or a recording studio. There are many reasons why young people, and people in general commit criminal offences, it is impossible to come up with concrete explanations for every single crime, although it seems clear that in many cases four factors are common: money, the pursuit of status, unhappiness and boredom. Of course that is not say that there are not others, but, it would seem evident that if one’s life was not spent at the mercy of economic factors or the consumerist machine which inevitably drives us to want more than our current lot, perhaps happiness would be easier to come by? Forcing many young people to work in low wage jobs sets them up for a life time of low expectations, the devaluation of further education through the saturation of the Graduate Jobs Market has helped to strike another near fatal blow to a whole generation’s pursuit of happiness.
Is it possible to argue against the fact that sufficient food and a safe place to live are basic human rights? I would argue not. It is therefore outrageous and immoral that some people in Britain work long hours, for low wages, under unbelievable stress and fear, simply to feed and house themselves and their families. For many the only alternative is poverty and/or homelessness. Additionally, in recent years, there has been a worrying development of a suspicion of anyone who dares take benefits. This is an unhealthy and unhelpful stigma, especially where happiness is concerned. This suspicion of other working and middle class people, the majority of whom take only what they deserve, serves as a wedge which divides us all. These ‘scroungers’, like the terrorists, immigrants, murderers, paedophiles and rapists are the largely invisible villains who we are told are round every corner. The spreading of this fear, at its worst, divides people and strengthens, to use a cliché, ‘the establishment, and, at the very least it sells newspapers and keeps people distracted and apathetic.
Those who do not work are deemed worse than those who make us. Even if our millionaire and billionaire employers pay less tax than a basic employee. Retail for example is a field in which all employees are disposable. They are disposable regardless of their experience or dedication to the company. How can a person be happy in their lives if at work they fear constantly the looming threat of dismissal? Do not forget that this piece is concerned with happiness not what is right or wrong. As such I do admit that this piece deals in generalities and theory rather than practicalities.
Many in Britain (mostly wise tabloid readers) will fly off the handle and shout me down with the fact that people are cheating the system whilst they work hard to pay for it. Whilst I understand their outrage and the unfairness to be found in certain isolated situations, could the unfairness not just as easily be the fact that system is failing? If someone claims benefits and is deemed worthy of them when in fact they are not, is the fault not with the system? Therefore rather than attaching stigma and suspicion to beneficiaries of benefits, a protest via the ballot box would be more appropriate.
With roughly half of the population not voting at the last general election it is safe to assume that not everyone took their chance to do so. In addition, I would respond to anyone who uses the ‘I pay my taxes’ cliché, with this simple statement: ‘If you don’t like paying your taxes, and the only evidence for your objections to how your tax money is spent is based on evidence from the tabloid press, then shut up or relinquish your citizenship and leave the country.’ It is time that we realised that the enemies of our happiness are not in our neighbourhoods,.
It seems that the greatest obstacles to achieving contentment, are what we consider to be the best routes to it. Society, Government and the media in the 21st Century pedal an apparently undeniable truth that certain passages to happiness are money, social status and a ‘good’ career (whatever that is). I am sure you don’t need me to tell you that this couldn’t be further from the truth.
The well known sayings ‘money isn’t everything’ and ‘money can’t buy you happiness’ are losing more of their truth every day. Today for example, it is close to impossible for the ordinary Briton to do anything without considering the financial implications. Is it a surprise therefore that whilst money is so scarce, boredom is rife? You need only take into consideration the fact that nowadays, large numbers of young people take to the streets to simply hang around. This is a phenomenon especially well known in impoverished areas. The most common explanation for this new leisure time activity is simply that ’there is nothing else to do’. Why is there nothing to do? There is nothing to do because they have little to no disposable income with which to get involved in leisure activities.
It is simply a disgrace that the only justification which is ever given for providing government funded youth leisure facilities in such areas is that it may have some positive effect in terms of reducing crime levels. As if the reason that James and Phil deal drugs and steal cars, is that they haven’t got free access to a tennis court or a recording studio. There are many reasons why young people, and people in general commit criminal offences, it is impossible to come up with concrete explanations for every single crime, although it seems clear that in many cases four factors are common: money, the pursuit of status, unhappiness and boredom. Of course that is not say that there are not others, but, it would seem evident that if one’s life was not spent at the mercy of economic factors or the consumerist machine which inevitably drives us to want more than our current lot, perhaps happiness would be easier to come by? Forcing many young people to work in low wage jobs sets them up for a life time of low expectations, the devaluation of further education through the saturation of the Graduate Jobs Market has helped to strike another near fatal blow to a whole generation’s pursuit of happiness.
Is it possible to argue against the fact that sufficient food and a safe place to live are basic human rights? I would argue not. It is therefore outrageous and immoral that some people in Britain work long hours, for low wages, under unbelievable stress and fear, simply to feed and house themselves and their families. For many the only alternative is poverty and/or homelessness. Additionally, in recent years, there has been a worrying development of a suspicion of anyone who dares take benefits. This is an unhealthy and unhelpful stigma, especially where happiness is concerned. This suspicion of other working and middle class people, the majority of whom take only what they deserve, serves as a wedge which divides us all. These ‘scroungers’, like the terrorists, immigrants, murderers, paedophiles and rapists are the largely invisible villains who we are told are round every corner. The spreading of this fear, at its worst, divides people and strengthens, to use a cliché, ‘the establishment, and, at the very least it sells newspapers and keeps people distracted and apathetic.
Those who do not work are deemed worse than those who make us. Even if our millionaire and billionaire employers pay less tax than a basic employee. Retail for example is a field in which all employees are disposable. They are disposable regardless of their experience or dedication to the company. How can a person be happy in their lives if at work they fear constantly the looming threat of dismissal? Do not forget that this piece is concerned with happiness not what is right or wrong. As such I do admit that this piece deals in generalities and theory rather than practicalities.
Many in Britain (mostly wise tabloid readers) will fly off the handle and shout me down with the fact that people are cheating the system whilst they work hard to pay for it. Whilst I understand their outrage and the unfairness to be found in certain isolated situations, could the unfairness not just as easily be the fact that system is failing? If someone claims benefits and is deemed worthy of them when in fact they are not, is the fault not with the system? Therefore rather than attaching stigma and suspicion to beneficiaries of benefits, a protest via the ballot box would be more appropriate.
With roughly half of the population not voting at the last general election it is safe to assume that not everyone took their chance to do so. In addition, I would respond to anyone who uses the ‘I pay my taxes’ cliché, with this simple statement: ‘If you don’t like paying your taxes, and the only evidence for your objections to how your tax money is spent is based on evidence from the tabloid press, then shut up or relinquish your citizenship and leave the country.’ It is time that we realised that the enemies of our happiness are not in our neighbourhoods,.
Consumerism, the mass media and developments in new social media have had negative effects on our happiness. They drive a constant desire to have more, to look better and to do better than others in our workplaces, schools and communities. Facebook and Twitter allow everyone to follow, if you’ll pardon the expression, everyone’s lives. In this way we can never be free from comparison, whether it is we, or another party who find themselves conducting the comparison. Perhaps the great liberators, are perhaps not so liberating at all. After all, how can we ever be free, if we feel that we can not live without something? How can we be happy if we cannot be free?
I suppose that in a rambling way I have touched upon a number of the causes of unhappiness, as well as barriers to happiness. There is no grand conclusion to be drawn at this juncture, other than as long as we are obsessed with having and not having, how our lives and lots compare to that of our neighbours, we will never achieve happiness. There is nothing of consequence which can be done in terms of moving towards equality whilst the people of this country are scared of near invisible demons and bogeymen, because ultimately it is those things that prevent us from truly dealing with the real issues that need to be tackled in order for humanity to live in happiness.
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