tions and rise above them, we do not ignore the negative, we just think of the positive as stronger. Meanwhile, a positive outlook requires the generosity to let other things appear good. My stressed out, sleep deprived friend was right about a few things: the selfish, trivial happiness emphasized by our culture does indeed make light of life, and the refusal to accept sadness is equally damaging. As John Stuart Mill wrote, “Those only are happy who have their minds fixed on some object other than their own happiness; aiming thus at something else, they find happiness along the way.” It is this sense of aiming at something else, this sense of striving that helps create that inner happy state, that sense of personal fulfillment and generosity of enjoyment, which is ultimately so much more important.
“What is important is not that lighthearted sensation but the knowledge that we are alive.” In fact, provided that the inner state is as it should be, moments of apparent sadness need not be considered negative. There are so many worthwhile
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emotions beyond the confines of giddy joy. What is important is not that lighthearted sensation but the knowledge that we are alive. It is good to feel sad sometimes. Happiness feels wrong after the death of a loved one. We go to movies to cry. We bawl our eyes out after heartbreak and then feel better. Melancholy on a cloudy rainy day can be delightful. Anger can be cathartic. Thus, it seems my friend did have the right to be sad—and maybe even enjoy it—although it probably would have been best if he had just gone to bed. -Antonia Czinger TD ‘13