Material things are hurdles in the way of happiness

The World Happiness Report ranks India at 122 out of 155 countries. This indicates that a vast majority of Indians are not happy. But why aren’t we happy? What exactly are we not happy about? Are we really that badly off when it comes to being happy? After all, ours is the country which is so rich in traditions, family values, spirituality and faith. Or, have we become so enamoured with what we call shaan-o-shaukat that we have become enslaved to it, and so falsely believe that happiness comes only with power, fame, wealth, pleasure etc.

In other words, are we looking for happiness in wrong places? This is much more likely to be the case as far as today’s younger generation is concerned. For the youth today, the term happiness has come to mean expensive gadgets and branded clothes.

If the truth be told, anything that belongs to this world, i.e. the material things are hurdles in the way of happiness. They can’t bring us the lasting joy that we all yearn for, and the reason for this is that they’re not our ultimate end in themselves; they’re just the means to an end. And yet we place our trust in them. We long for them, and refuse to part with them, giving them undue attention, and inviting disappointment, frustration, stress and anxiety - factors that make us unhappy. This sense of detachment from things is the first step towards achieving happiness in life.

(Inner Voice comprises contributions from our readers) The views expressed are personal