And one last thing before I start, DO NOT STEAL THIS ORIGINAL WORK. One thing I hate is posting an essay somewhere, then newspapers or journals refuse to publish it because someone already did somewhere else >.>
Happiness, in all its glory and splendor, cannot be obtained. Andrea Calvacanti, a poor orphan in the book, The Count of Monte Cristo, had a troubled childhood, and spent much of his time in jail. By a fortunate happenstance, Andrea was lifted from poverty and thrust into the upper echelon of Parisian society, with a large income and impeccable reputation. Though one would think that this Andrea would be happy at this point, he is not, and rather exclaims, “Alas, alas, one cannot be completely happy in this world.” (Dumas)
Now this is an interesting point. One might argue of being content, and having achieved ones goals, is happiness. However, human nature does not allow us happiness to be so simple. Once goals are completed, new goals are set and therefore one cannot truly accomplish all that they set out to do. Greed is agreed upon by many as a downfall of human society, and happens to also be the bane of happiness. When succeeding in life, through wealth or power, the human animal will not be satisfied by what they have achieved, but rather wish for more. A successful CEO of a large company finally achieved his dream of creating a working company. His next task is not to retire and spend the rest of his days in comfort, but rather invest his retirement funds to increase their capital. The CEO may even not retire, but spend the rest of their days working, making their company even greater. This is partially based on the human fear of being penniless after having wealth. The opposite extrema can be seen in the form of asceticism. Ascetics renounce all material possessions in hopes of obtaining enlightenment. However, the ascetic will always wish to give up more. They believe that they are not doing all in their power to achieve happiness, and therefore even by renouncing the worldly goods, they are not happy.
What then you ask, of the person who wishes not for enlightenment or material wealth? Many wish for intangible objects, such as beauty, power, or knowledge. Bertrand Russell was one to wonder this. However, even when one’s focus is self-improvement, there is always room for improvement, as schoolteachers are often heard saying. The person seeking beauty will become saddened as trends go in and out. The megalomaniac will stress over others prying into his life to take his power, and the scholar will be disappointed with the realization of there existing knowledge that cannot be obtained. No matter how far these people strive for their goals, insecurities will follow them and happiness is not of them.
Going back to the case of Andrea, after obtaining his rank and great wealth, he is bogged down by former acquaintances from his days in prison. In the story, Caderousse, a former inmate, finds that Andrea now has a great deal of money, and hence asks Andrea for a portion of his income. While seemingly friends, the tie of friendship does not exist between them. Halfway through this exchange, Andrea reaches back to grab the handle of a pistol, while Caderousse reaches for his knife. However, with time, Andrea gives in to the pleas, and Caderousse receives 200 Francs a month. It is then that Andrea says his previously stated thoughts. One can have two views on what Andrea meant by this. Andrea, having a stroke of luck, finally seems to obtain happiness. However, despite this, other people force him to relinquish this happiness to help others. Andrea then is dejected that he will not be happy after all. The second viewpoint is that Andrea feels sorry for Caderousse. Though surviving, greed takes over Caderousse and inclines him to beg for money. As the reader would know later, Caderousse is not satisfied with this stipend, and will later go on to commit theft and murder for more money.
Happiness cannot be reached despite all efforts towards it. After obtaining it, the standard of happiness increases and once more grows beyond ones reach. Therefore should one give up their search for happiness? No, this cannot be said. Though happiness is out of reach, one can hope for the second-best, in this case, contentedness. Happiness and contentedness, though similar, are not congruent. Contentedness is that feeling of success and not as fleeting as that of happiness. One can be content while striving for the achievement of their goals.
Works Cited:
Dumas, Alexandre. The Count of Monte Cristo England:Penguin, 2003.
Russell, Bertrand. The Conquest of Happiness. New York: Liveright, 1958
Postscript: 750 word essay in 30 minutes? Not bad.
