Ifyoulookaroundatthemenandwomenwhomyoucancallhappy,youwillseethattheyallhavecertainthingsincommon.Themostimportantofthesethingsisanactivitywhichatmostgraduallybuildsupsomethingthatyouaregladtoseecomingintoexistence.Womenwhotakeaninstinctivepleasureintheirchildrencangetthiskindofsatisfactionoutofbringingupafamily.
Artistsandauthorsandmenofsciencegethappinessinthiswayiftheirownworkseemsgoodtothem.Buttherearemanyhumblerformsofthesamekindofpleasure.Manymenwhospendtheirworkinglifeinthecitydevotetheirweekendstovoluntaryandunremuneratedtoilintheirgardens,andwhenthespringcomes,theyexperienceallthejoysofhavingcreatedbeauty.
Thewholesubjectofhappinesshas,inmyopinion,beentreatedtoosolemnly.Ithadbeenthoughtthatmancannotbehappywithoutatheoryoflifeorareligion.Perhapsthosewhohavebeenrenderedunhappybyabadtheorymayneedabettertheorytohelpthemtorecovery,justasyoumayneedatonicwhenyouhavebeenill.Butwhenthingsarenormalamanshouldbehealthywithoutatonicandhappywithoutatheory.Itisthesimplethingsthatreallymatter.Ifamandelightsinhiswifeandchildren,hassuccessinwork,andfindspleasureinthealternationofdayandnight,springandautumn,hewillbehappywhateverhisphilosophymaybe.If,ontheotherhand,hefindshiswifefateful,hischildren’snoiseunendurable,andtheofficeanightmare;ifinthedaytimehelongsfornight,andatnightsighsforthelightofday,thenwhatheneedsisnotanewphilosophybutanewregimen—adifferentdiet,ormoreexercise,orwhatnot.Manisananimal,andhishappinessdependsonhisphysiologymorethanhelikestothink.Thisisahumbleconclusion,butIcannotmakemyselfdisbelieveit.Unhappybusinessmen,Iamconvinced,wouldincreasetheirhappinessmorebywalkingsixmileseverydaythanbyanyconceivablechangeofphilosophy.
