This was written as an assignment for my grade 12 religion class, which I recently re-discovered. Interesting for me to read, to see how it aligns with that which I believe now, but likely boring as hell for others. Enjoy at your own risk.

Nobody can honestly say that they do not want to be happy in their lives. Some will claim otherwise, but this is generally just a call for attention. Because this is the case, it seems only fitting to have a section on what some see as the goal of life, happiness, in my philosophy of life.

I will start by answering the simplest question about happiness, yet possibly the most difficult to answer: what is happiness? This is a very important question to ask, as it is the answer to this that can very well decide whether an individual will ever be truly happy with their lives. For some, happiness is not easily attained. Instead, it requires a very specific set of circumstances – perhaps a family, perhaps money, perhaps love – before they can be happy. For others, like myself, happiness comes more from the simple fact that I know that I am alive and well. Maybe this seems quaint and cliche, but it is the honest truth. Because I do not believe in the afterlife, what I do in this life is very important, and because of this, what I do in this life makes me happy. According to some studies, involvement in a religion actually tends to make people happier. I personally feel that although this is possible, it may have something to do with their beliefs. If someone is not happy, perhaps they see this is a sign that they are unhappy with what their god has given them in life, which would be considered blasphemous.

It is difficult to describe the situation in which I would be most happy. I am fairly certain that I would not be rich and famous, not be around computers, nor would I be on an island in the middle of nowhere, alone with my thoughts. I think that because I am so happy with my day to day life, it is actually very hard to describe a happier situation. On the other hand, perhaps I am afraid that if I do think of a happier place, I will spend all my time dreaming about it, and get nothing done until I find myself in that place!