Am I too happy, too proud? For happiness, contentment rather, see my recent blogposts. As for pride, that's mostly vicarious, when I hear my husband talking about his work, for instance, or when my children tell me they've given successful presentations, Emma at an OTM Network meeting in London this week and George at the 8th Edoardo Amaldi Conference on Gravitational Waves (Amaldi8) in New York. Even my 89 year old mum told me yesterday that she'd "got an A" in two pieces of coursework she'd done for a couple of tutors at the Lifelong Learning Centre at Cardiff University. She's proud of that herself!
From sheer curiosity I did a Google search just now for "dangers of happiness" and I see that somebody has written a book on the subject—a columnist for the Sydney Morning Herald.
What's brought this on (apart from thinking that my blog is looking far too bland these days) was my rereading a novel by Iris Murdoch that's been on our shelves for years, Henry and Cato, that's an exploration of whether each of us needs to suffer (or forego happiness) for the sake of our spiritual welfare. Here's Henry towards at the end of the story:
I ought not to have married. Then perhaps I could have been a holy person after my fashion ... I've let myself be conned into love and happiness ... As a spiritual being I'm done for ... Now I shall never live simply and bereft as I ought to live. I have chosen a mediocre destiny. I have failed but I don't care ... I'm doomed to be a happy man, and I shall do my damnedest to make it last.
3 comments:
No no no, rejoice in your good fortune!
There are only 2 dangers:
1. If you forget that misfortune can occur at any time, and become lulled into a state where you would be unable to cope if it did;
2. If you allow it to dull the drive (which I'm sure you don't) to help other people who aren't so fortunate.
Have at you, self-doubt, guilt etc! I never did like Iris Murdoch books, anyway.
xx Littlesis
This is a very good comment, Faith. (I do remind myself of point 1 every day so I suppose / hope I'm not yet in a state of total smugness.) The only thing I don't agree with is your dislike of Iris Murdoch. Well, she does come across as very odd sometimes, but this particular book is a favourite of mine. Note that I've just added a quotation from it to the blog post.
how many time i do not do what i want to do but do what i dont want to do
Post a Comment