Le Monde des religions no. 41, May-June 2010 —
Because it is fundamental to all human existence, the question of happiness lies at the heart of humanity's great philosophical and religious traditions. Its resurgence in our Western societies at the beginning of the 21st century stems from the collapse of the grand ideologies and political utopias that sought to bring happiness to humankind. Pure and simple capitalism has failed as much as communism or nationalism as a collective system of meaning. What remains, then, are personal quests, allowing individuals to strive for a happy life. Hence the renewed interest in ancient and Eastern philosophies, as well as the development within monotheistic religions of movements, such as the evangelical movement in the Christian world, that emphasize earthly happiness, and no longer solely in the afterlife. Reading the numerous viewpoints expressed in this collection by humanity's great sages and spiritual masters, one senses a persistent tension, transcending cultural diversity, between two conceptions of happiness. On the one hand, happiness is sought as a stable, definitive, and absolute state. It is the promised Paradise in the afterlife, of which one can have a foretaste here on earth by leading a holy life. It is also the quest of Buddhist or Stoic sages, which aims to acquire lasting happiness here and now, beyond all the suffering of this world. The paradox of such a quest is that it is theoretically available to all, but it demands an asceticism and a renunciation of ordinary pleasures that very few individuals are willing to embrace. At the other extreme, happiness is presented as random, necessarily provisional, and, all things considered, rather unfair since it depends greatly on each person's character: as Schopenhauer reminds us, following Aristotle, happiness resides in the fulfillment of our potential, and there is indeed a radical inequality in the temperament of each individual. Happiness, as its etymology suggests, therefore owes much to chance: "good fortune." And the Greek word eudaimonia refers to having a good daimon. But beyond this diversity of viewpoints, something resonates with many sages of all schools of thought, to which I fully subscribe: happiness is primarily about a healthy love of oneself and of life. A life that one accepts as it comes, with its share of joy and sorrow, trying to push back unhappiness as much as possible, but without the overwhelming fantasy of absolute happiness. A life that one loves by beginning with accepting and loving oneself as one is, in a "friendship" with oneself, as Montaigne advocated. A life that must be approached with flexibility, accompanying its constant movement, like breathing, as Chinese wisdom reminds us. The best way to be as happy as possible is to say "yes" to life.
Watch the video: