Ifyoulookaroundatthemenandwomenwhomyoucancallhappy,
youwillseethattheyallhavecertainthingsincommon.
Themostimportantofthesethingsisanactivity
whichatmostgraduallybuildsupsomething
thatyouaregladtoseecomingintoexistence.
Womenwhotakeaninstinctivepleasureintheirchildren
cangetthiskindofsatisfactionoutofbringingupafamily.
Artistsandauthorsandmenofsciencegethappinessinthisway
iftheirownworkseemsgoodtothem.
Buttherearemanyhumblerformsofthesamekindofpleasure.
Manymenwhospendtheirworkinglifeinthecity
devotetheirweekendstovoluntary
andunremuneratedtoilintheirgardens,
theyexperienceallthejoysofhavingcreatedbeauty.
.Thewholesubjectofhappinesshas,
inmyopinion,beentreatedtoosolemnly.
Ithadbeenthoughtthatmancannotbehappy
withoutatheoryoflifeorareligion.
Perhapsthosewhohavebeenrenderedunhappybyabadtheory
mayneedabettertheorytohelpthemtorecovery,
justasyoumayneedatonicwhenyouhavebeenill.
Butwhenthingsarenormalamanshouldbehealthywithoutatonic
andhappywithoutatheory.
.Itisthesimplethingsthatreallymatter.
Ifamandelightsinhiswifeandchildren,
andfindspleasureinthealternationofdayandnight,
hewillbehappywhateverhisphilosophymaybe.
hefindshiswifefateful,hischildren’snoiseunendurable,
andatnightsighsforthelightofday,
ifinthedaytimehelongsfornight,
thenwhatheneedsisnotanewphilosophybutanewregimen—
adifferentdiet,ormoreexercise,orwhatnot.
andhishappinessdependsonhisphysiologymorethanhelikestothink.
butIcannotmakemyselfdisbelieveit.
Unhappybusinessmen,Iamconvinced,
wouldincreasetheirhappinessmorebywalkingsixmileseveryday
thanbyanyconceivablechangeofphilosophy.