Write the summary of the essay entitled “The Road To Happiness”.

Ans.

Introduction

It is necessary to mention that the moralists had condemned happiness for more than two thousand years because they regarded happiness as an unworthy thing. They under the leadership of the stoics had criticised Epicurus who used to preach happiness because they regarded the theory of happiness as useless philosophy. In the modern period many philosophers of Germany also hate happiness. They also showed their contempt against the happiness of all persons. The communists are the best example of such conception.

The concept of the moralists

According to the moralists, the people who suppress their natural impulses live on the basis of their theory, keeping their high aim. It is not good because they suppress their impulses. Such persons follow a wrong track to follow such pleasures which do not give any happiness. They meet despair in their life. For example some gamblers try to get money in a wrong way but they do not get true happiness by a wrong method. If you follow the path of happiness by using drink, it would give you some trouble.

There are some persons who have material conditions of happiness like good health, enough money but they are not happy because they ignore their natural instincts. The second example is of a businessman whose chief purpose is to gather much wealth but he loses his health and love for his children and some other family members. The result is that he earns money but loses his happiness.

Activity is the road to happiness

After reading this essay ‘The Road to Happiness‘ we find that regular road to happiness is our activity in our life. The women get true happiness only by loving their children who love their mother in an equal way. The artists, writers, scientists get true happiness by doing their special work with interest. The people of the city work hard in their gardens and they feel very happy after looking at the beauty of flowers. According to the writer, activity can be enjoyed when it is done with loving feelings. Activity is useful when it is normal and it is directed to the main purpose and it is not contrary to our impulses.

According to the writer, prestige and power help in social success but it is not the sure way to happiness. You may be rich and you may be admired by your friends. A man without any friends is not a happy man but you may be unhappy. Two things are necessary for real happiness. The first is a stable framework and the second is the play. We should not hate our family members and the work should not be so much hard that it may create some troubles to the family members and others. The family members also should tolerate any such work which is not easy.

The writer says that some people think that a man cannot be happy without a set theory of life or of religion. If some people become unhappy by a bad theory, they need better theory like that man who is sick, so he needs a better theory like a tonic. If a man is sound mentally and intellectually, he should be happy even without a set theory. The writer makes it very clear that we get happiness only in simple things. He may feel happy after looking at his wife and children with clear smile on their faces. He may also get success in his daily work. We will be happy under any such philosophy.

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