It is not difficult to see this pattern: when we immerse in activities that draw our full attention, we experience the ultimate happiness – the bliss.
The top of the list:
- Travelling to a new attractive place
- Playing computer games
- Watching very interesting movies
- Playing board games, such as chess
- Playing intensive sports, such as football, badminton, table tennis, etc.
- Practicing Tai Chi, Yogo
- Totally absorbed in your breathing during your meditation
- Writing an article
- Programming a software
- Engaging in an intresting SMS or IM
- Reading newspaper in the morning
Our minds fell most at home in absolute absorption. It is like fish dwells in water. The more our minds concentrate, the more joy we experience.
Actually, the mind is not that difficult to please. Have you noticed a child can get totally satisfied when given a new toy? The mind of the child will be totally absorbed in exploring the new toy – at least for a while. That short while is his/her happiest moment.
Even though we have grown up, that propensity of the mind has not gone away. We keep giving ourselves new toys: latest clothes, hair styles, phones and gadgets, latest novels and movies, and latest seminars. Some of us who are more adventurous go further: latest sport cars, latest jobs, and latest vacation tour, latest girl/boy friends, latest religion, and latest businesses.
But the real deal with the mind is simple: as long as it is given a chance to fully engage with something, it is happy. It doesn’t know the difference between luxury and simplicity. That explains why many poor people are happy.
Yet not many people understand that. Most of us still think that better and more expensive toys make us happier. We should not be surprised at all. The capitalist society is designed to make us desire for more and more, so that the GDP will continue to rise. The advertisements keep telling us we will be happier if, and only if, we eat at McDonald, ware Poh Kong jewelry, drive a BMW, use iPhone, have totally flawless and silky hair with Pantene, be a Manchester United fan, and etc.
Until we find a better ideology that is better than capitalism, we will need to understand and manage the effects of capitalism on us – it will keep telling us that we will be happy “only if …”
In short, happiness is not a function of the “toys” we have. Marketers will keep telling us it is. The mind is simple and unsophisticated thing, just give it something meaningful to engage, it will be happy, and we in turn will be happy.
