Happiness

Several friends of mine, in different and independent conversations, stated that the origin of happiness is relative: we see other less happy, less successful, poorer, less fit, having smaller cars and uglier houses, and we feel happy. I must admit that I enjoy when the Dutch football team loses; but that’s as far as I can go with this form of happiness, competitive happiness I would say. Competitive happiness is the counterpart of envy. We look around us and we start counting the amount of people that envy us; if we feel that number is large, we feel happy. But I don’t feel happy when I walk in a hospital. I am not happy when I see war in Middle East. I am not happy to see malformed children. I don’t enjoy conversation with people dumber than I. I like when people prove me wrong – which rarely occurs, by the way – and when everybody is satisfied at a banquet. I like when everybody’s dancing and enjoying. During sex, I like it best when we both enjoy. My happiness is therefore much less competitive than my friends would believe.