The Pursuit of Happiness

In the article “Is Everybody Happy?” written by John Ciardi, the author sorts through different possibilities of what constitutes a happy man. He neither agrees with the American outlook of buying your way to happiness, nor does he agree with the “holy man of India’s” ideal of spiritual extreme as a means for happiness. The author believes that becoming a better person or overcoming challenges is the root to partial happiness. In the third …

…believe in Puritanism or asceticism as means of obtaining happiness. In conclusion, I definitely support the author’s viewpoint on happiness, since I find that materialistic value never satiates man. There is always more to acquire and more capital needed, while completely disconnecting oneself from all physical needs is in reality a form of torture. Overcoming moral conflicts and ordinary life challenges, which in reality are what spiritualism preaches, are the true sources of happiness.