Happiness Or Ignorance: A Thin Line

What is happiness? I was asked this question today by my ethics teacher. The first thing that came to my mind at that moment was that every person had a different measure of happiness. What might make me happy is different from what might make you happy. I then mentioned how happiness is simply being at peace. Having more time to think about it I realized that sometimes we create a false shelter, or happy place for ourselves. This is important as the Tralfamadorians mention: “Later on in life, the Tralfamadorians would advise Billy to concentrate on the happy moments of his life, and to ignore the unhappy ones-to stare only at pretty things as eternity failed to go by.” (Vonnegut, Chapter 9) If Billy started to stare into the pretty things in life he would achieve a fake happiness. Obviously it is great to look at the good things in life and enjoy what you can. That is when the line must be drawn. You have to decide whether to live a happy but separate life or try to achieve true and permanent happiness.

I personally believe in a balance. You have to be able to enjoy even the smallest things, but you can’t lose perspective. Through the Tralfamadorians Vonnegut tells the reader to enjoy life and not to listen to anything else. Vonnegut gives us a great example of what happens when someone does this: “though it may well be that they were too remote from the harsh realities of war to understand fully the appalling destructive power of air bombardment in the spring of 1945” (Vonnegut) These people were in their own world, focused on the positive, and didn’t think of the consequences their action may have. I then come to the conclusion that happiness is very close to ignorance. In order to live a completely happy life you must do it knowingly. Bill was able to choose and nobody can criticize his decision, happiness is what a person makes it.