Sunday, September 20, 2009

The Pursuit Of Happyness

It has been a really long time since I addressed my fellow readers in first person. I usually take other way-outs like assuming fictitious characters (mike), descriptive writing, and other means. But this time I want to address my friends in first person because for the very first time I am speaking my mind off entirely.


The Pursuit Of Happyness. The most wonderful movie ever made. Not only because of will smith. But because of what it showed and how much it appealed to me. Here are some of the quotes which I had remembered.
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Christopher Gardner: I met my father for the first time when I was 28 years old. I made up my mind that when I had children, my children were going to know who their father was.

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Christopher Gardner: [about the spelling mistakes in the graffiti of a building] It's not H-A-P-P-Y-N-E-S-S Happiness is spelled with an "I" instead of a "Y"
Christopher: Oh, okay. Is "Fuck" spelled right?
Christopher Gardner: Um, yes. "Fuck" is spelled right but you shouldn't use that word.
Christopher: Why? What's it mean?
Christopher Gardner: It's, um, an adult word used to express anger and, uh, other things. But it's an adult word. It's spelled right, but don't use it.

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Christopher Gardner: Hey. Don't ever let somebody tell you... You can't do something. Not even me. All right?
Christopher: All right.
Christopher Gardner: You got a dream... You gotta protect it. People can't do somethin' themselves, they wanna tell you you can't do it. If you want somethin', go get it. Period.

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Christopher Gardner: It was right then that I started thinking about Thomas Jefferson on the Declaration of Independence and the part about our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And I remember thinking how did he know to put the pursuit part in there? That maybe happiness is something that we can only pursue and maybe we can actually never have it. No matter what. How did he know that?

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Sometimes these quotes are very thought provoking for my idle mind, for example today, when I should be giving a mock Cat prep test, or working on my b.e. project, or doing something innovative for my mothers birthday. But no. my mind wanders into emptiness, dives further into so called philosophical tides seeking solace and explanations. Explanations to thoughts that are vague, confused and philosophically bound which my mind does not accept because it doesn’t know if they are true.

Happiness. Dictionary says it a state of your mind when you feel satisfied or content. Now this is untrue. I mean satisfaction or being content is usually attached to things or people. Most of the times these words are used as ‘satisfied’ on doing something and ‘content’ on having something. Then it makes sense because we have then defined happiness as an achievement rather than a state of mind. And it has become an achievement for me. If I get something which I wanted or if I do something satisfactorily which was supposed to be done by me, then I am happy. That means if I don’t get what I want or if I don’t do things am I supposed to remain unhappy? Why has it come down to this? Did you ever see a small child being unhappy ? he or she is always happy. He or she is happy on just ‘being’. Not because of anything. Just because he is there. Just because he can run with the small feet of his. Just because anything can bring a smile to his face. He doesn’t need anything to be happy. He is happy just like that. Something has to make him sad. Considering my case, something has to make me happy. What a sad transformation. Life is a journey. Not a destination. Destiny says you should be happy at all stages of your life. Because you are bound to get what you are destined to. Whatever may happen. Just do today’s work sincerely. If one remains happy and goes about his work he is bound to get what he is destined to. If one remains unhappy throughout his life, his thoughts plagued with analysis and self doubt and anxiety, he still gets what he is destined to but lives a horrible life. In the end he is left cursing his past ; why he didn’t live his life to the full. In this world the focus is so much on doing something that we tend to forget to give time to ourselves. We often say, “I’ ll achieve this then I ll be secure, then I ll be happy”. The happiness gets postponed towards achieving our goals. Am not saying that is a bad thing to go out and make one’s place in this world. But at what cost? Is it really worth to earn millions and then run around ashrams and astha and sanskar channels to have inner peace? There must be something wrong somewhere.

Happiness is a state to be perennially maintained. It is not to be related to achievements. Do what you have to, go and achieve what you want to, but be happy regardless of everything. Come what may, nothing is worth troubling your soul. It is priceless.

So when we look at the last quote which I wrote; did u forget already? I ll reapeat it for you:

Christopher Gardner: It was right then that I started thinking about Thomas Jefferson on the Declaration of Independence and the part about our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And I remember thinking how did he know to put the pursuit part in there? That maybe happiness is something that we can only pursue and maybe we can actually never have it. No matter what. How did he know that?

Then you know why I found it thought provoking. Pursuit of happiness. Maybe they perceived happiness in a different way to what I portrayed it above. And the whole movie, though brilliant, talks about how he struggled and got over his problems by sheer hard work and determination. How happiness is not a journey but a destination. That he postpones happiness in pursuit of his goal to be a stock broker (cant actually be harsh on him , considering his financial status). Only pursue happiness and never actually have it. Is that so?

I would go on and on because my mind never rests. But I think this is enough for now. Thank you Mr. Steve Conrad for the Pursuit of Happyness. It really appealed a lot to me. Thank you Will Smith. I am not a movie buff but I have never missed any of your movies.

15 comments:

Wanderer said...

woah..a piece of yugis mind..heavy stuff..
"Come what may, nothing is worth troubling your soul. It is priceless." this one particularly hit me. thank you for it.:)

Anonymous said...

I loved it...and you sound better in first person...comes from deep within when you write like that...good stuff!

el_idioto said...

nice.. i agree with anonymous... another link about the same topic from a frnd nd fellow blogger if i may,

http://oyeitsmalpani.blogspot.com/2009/07/lord-dont-move-that-mountain.html

shrilata said...

tht was good..and yeah please write in first person..
u sound great like tht.. :)

losin_my_soul said...

hmmm... u know my thoughts on this...

Bharath said...

Well man what a post!
but is happiness merely satisfaction?

i would think it is the balance between a passion for achievement and contentment.

Mahatma Gandhi said 'pursue, but renounce the fruits'.
happiness is the pursuit of dreams, and the realization of contentment within.

the fruits are way too trivial.

Good makeover to the blog man. i like this...keep writing. will keep following.

pratap kaul said...

well written as usual writer saheb...agree on many counts, disagree on many counts, nonetheless happyness is a means of individual expression, so it isnt a debatable topic really.
But you captured the essence of the movie well ! :)

K.G. said...

heavy !!!!!!!!!!! but good .... everyones definition of happiness is different .... wat u find so hard to explain may actually be something as simple as watching the rose bloom for some people .....

Sanket said...

I love this movie too. Despite seeing it several times, i always discover something new each time. Good post.

Shraddha said...

HappYness is lost the day we start seeking it...
Nice thinking..deep thinking...n yet no conclusion ??

Dimple Nangia said...

Loved the writing. We don't want Mike no more :D We want Yug!

I agree with Bharath - happiness is the pursuit of dreams, and the realization of contentment within. :D

Happyness is neither a destination, nor is it the journey. It's just a state of being we strive to achieve, even though it's not something we can truly do so.

Chuck, we shall discuss this better in person.

Rohit said...

I liked this. Sometimes we tend to confuse contentment and happiness. Its all based on how you perceive it. that's my perception anyway.

Anonymous said...

nice article. I would love to follow you on twitter.

yugandhar said...

@all...thnk u...

@anon...ppl at least type in ur names..i mena how wud i know who u r and to add u on twitter? lol

Se2 said...

awsome blog....i actually wrote something regarding happyness...its not as good as you...but really...i would love if you can go through that once....i would love your feedback...:)