In Pursuit Of Happiness

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Picture: Outlook India 
I am usually a happy and upbeat person, but last week after reading some contrived and shoddy articles in Outlook magazine’s Happiness Edition, I became highly miserable and fell into a dark well of “critically deep dukh and taynsion.”

To lift up my spirits, I turned the pages of the latest issue of the Time magazine. As if as a sign from Ma Unicorn, the first thing I read was, “10 Questions for Daniel Kahneman,” an interview with the psychologist and Nobel Prize winning economist.

Towards the end, he is asked if his research had changed the way he lives. Being a psychologist, he gives a long-winded, convoluted answer, which essentially means that happiness “depends on how much time you spend with people you like.”

Taking the cue from Heavens, I made a list of people I liked. It turned out that many of them lived in other cities and far-off countries. I put their names in a separate list for future references. If I ever visited their cities, I would definitely give them opportunity to host me and make me happy.

For now, I decided to make do with the people living in my own city. I tried to contact those who were on the top of my list, but their agents and managers simply refused to put me through. I left many voice messages, Facebook messages, and also tweeted to them. Only once, did I receive a reply when an agent told me that if I did not stop, I would be reported for stalking. After that, I struck off all the celebrities from my list of friends.

I thought, I should better spend my time with those friends who are approachable, people with whom I interact regularly. This exercise also turned out to be a damp squib. Some said they were busy as they already had plans. Sometimes a kid would pick up the phone, mumbling, “Hello… hello…” and then say, “Mommy says, she is not at home.”

And then there were others who would say, “My wife will kill me,” or “My wife will burn me alive.” It is a real pity to see men living in such terror. How can you expect people to be concerned about terrorism at large, when they are busy dealing with it at the home front?

Although this idea of spending time with people I liked has flopped badly, it does not signal the end of my pursuit of happiness. I have been mulling over my past and trying to recall the small instances and big events that had made me happy so that I can recreate something similar whenever I am in low spirits. I will share these findings in my next post.

24 comments:

  1. Do not despair!! I'm told, happiness is right around the corner, you just have to find it. I haven't found it, though. Maybe, because I keep going in circles...better luck to you:))

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  2. @Neelam: Ok, I'll look for it in the corners....

    @Lalit: It's always kolaveri, kolaveri, kolaveri, kolaveri di!!

    @Deepak: Thanks :-)

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  3. Reading this spirited article partially fullfilled my pursuit of happiness. Hope you write many more to make my pursuit easier.

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  4. I wonder if that psychologist was truly happy ....its all in the mind and now they have discovered this happy gene.. You can thank your mom for your happy-go lucky attitude.

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  5. Remember blinking Govind Tiwari ...thought of him always makes me happy.

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  6. I like the pun element in the article...i am no shrink but i am sure that happiness is a function of ones cognitive ability to decide and implement a set of deliverable which makes them fell wanted and needed....
    if that sounded like a shrink :0)forget it...

    Do things that you want to...happiness will be in your pursuit

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  7. You certainly meandered on path to happiness ..:)I hope you did finally find some small things that give joy!

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  8. Poor you! don't you despair. There are many friends in the real world who would love to not only spend time with you but also host you.

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  9. The thing about happiness is, you don't find it, it finds you. Atleast, as far as I know :)
    But I wish you all the best in your pursuit :)
    Oh, and lovely post :D :D


    If you could spare a few minutes, could you read a post of mine? And if you like it, give it a vote? Perhaps what I have to say in my post may put a smile on your face, for all you know :P
    But I'd be really really grateful :))

    http://www.indiblogger.in/indipost.php?post=90039

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  10. You are still searching for it,and look I just found it !! Happy reading this refreshing piece.Thanks :-)

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  11. happiness is just round the corner.Look around

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  12. that was an awesome post, to say the least... i loved it... especially the husbands part... i can be pretty sure that i wont let myself be in such a place and i wont hold my wife too... if she wants to meet her guy frenz i'll let her :)

    thank you for the post. i smiled a lot :)

    Take care and keep writing.......

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  13. Dear World, stop giving dukh and taynsion to sweet Giribala.

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  14. Don't you have approachable friends who plan to meet you at a coffee shop and never show up. Also switch off their cellphone for a day or so? I have.

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  15. I left facebook messages, tweets and the agent called me... :)
    Very funny.

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  16. Hopefully you can find your happiness without being reported for stalking in the future. Then you can write a book on how best to go about 'pursuing one's happiness'. Oh also an easier way would be to read tabloids like Daily Mail or The Sun- the 'news' items published over can cure somebody of depression any day.

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  17. @Sadhna: Thanks for the nice words :-)

    @Alka: Some have it in their heads and some in their genes...

    @Kavita: that's true! I also think about my own blinking image!

    @Sunil: Thanks for reading and the insight!

    @Rahul: I have many small things littered around me.

    @Zephyr: That sounds so good!!

    Time to take a break.........will bwe back soon....

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  18. @Achyuth: done!

    @Meeta: thanks :-)

    @Gayatri: thanks :-)

    @Thousif Raza: nice knowing you!

    @Purba: Only if everyone were as considerate as you are....

    @Prateek: Really sad! I can understand.

    @Sairam: thanks for reading :-)

    @Samadrita: Good advice! Let's get lost in those juicy details and forget all the worldly tensions....

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  19. For spending time with people you like, your best bet would be self. Easy to approach !!!

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  20. Giri,

    One idea you can also include in this topic, people who pick your how they behave( with you by saying dialogue like 1.. one second my ..........disturbs me.... one second hold i will check this thing...........one second hold...........chal then we will talk later. lot of disturbance over here. I cannot hear anything.
    Just a suggestion to add in article...Nice and interesting topic. Really enjoyed

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  21. @Usha: that really makes sense!!

    @Anchal: Thanks!! Yes, they will say talk to you later, and then never call back. Even enemies are better than such friends :D

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