Aditi Memani

HUM 2305
Due: Feb. 7
th
, 2014
Short Essay

Short Essay: The Pursuit of Happiness

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines happiness as the state of well-being and
contentment, but how does the everyday person define happiness? All of the world,
people have presented different philosophies of how to seek happiness, and live this
life of well-being and contentment. For example, in China, one can reaches
happiness by pursuing five core values. Yet Torontos feminist community believes
they will reach happiness by changing cultural norms relating to gender inequality.
As one can see these two groups of people have a completely different meaning of
how to seek happiness, but when one delves deeper there exists one major
similarity in their path to happiness.
In the Chinese culture it is believed that the five core values: Luck, Prosperity,
Longevity, Double Happiness, and Wealth, is what true happiness comes from. Yet to
them simply pursuing these values is not enough, one must also surround himself
images and objects that illustrate these values. Because according to this philosophy
the symbols of these values will protect a person from misfortune, bad omens, and
disaster(Sung, 11). For example, families will display scrolls in their homes with
phrases, such as ten thousand long lives without end to increase their chance of
Longevity, which is the desire to live a long life. Some place statues of the God of
Prosperity in their homes help them obtain honor, status, and advancement, so one
day they can live a prosperous and happy life. As one can see, for the Chinese
happiness comes from both their values and depicting their values in a physical
form.
On the other side of the world, the feminist community of Toronto has been
pursing their happiness by fighting for gender equality. These women joined
together for the Slutwalk to stand up against the stereotypes that exist about female
sexual assault victims. They gave speeches, created signs, danced, and sang to show
Toronto and the world that not matter what sexual assault is never the victims
fault. This protest made the feminist community of Toronto feel empowered and
invigorated (McCormack, 412), and allowed them to continue down their path to
attain happiness.
So how could these two groups paths to happiness possibly be similar when
what makes them happy is completely different? They are similar through how both
groups of people believe in illustrating their pursuit of happiness to the rest of the
world. The Chinese use objects and images to show what values are important to
them and how they will increase their chances of happiness. The women of Toronto
create signs, sing songs, and dance to illustrate what will make them happy.
Therefore even though the values of how to pursue happiness may differ, people
will always want to display how they will achieve their happiness.


Work Cited:

Clair McCormack and Nevena Prostran, A First-Hand Account from Slutwalk,
International Feminist Journal of Politics 14(3) (2012): 410-414.

Vivien Sung, Five fold Happiness: Chinese concepts of luck, prosperity,
longevity, happiness, and wealth. (San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2002);
11-12; 18-19; 34, 49, 70-71; 94-95 and 97; 152, 156-157; 204-205; 207;
210-211, 214