Is 'pursuit of happiness' overrated?

[Moonlight]

Isn't pursuit of happiness a very selfish thing? It's all about you. You want yourself to be happy & sometimes it doesn't even matter to people that on their way to find happiness-----they have made many unhappy & crestfallen. Interestingly, just cup of tea can make you happy. Then why the furor about it? Isn't pursuit of impact a bigger thing than pursuit of happiness? When you want to do more for others than yourself. You want to make this world better place to live? How can you do it when all you think is about yourself? Technically, making others smile or happy is already making you happy as well. No?

What is your take on it?

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[Raja.Pakistani]

Isn't pursuit of happiness a very selfish thing?

so what? We are all selfish and whatever makes us happy is what we should pursue. We need to be happy in order to make others happy. All our acts are motivated by our self interests even though it may benefit others directly or indirectly. You help others because it give you feeling of peace and satisfaction .Even God knew our nature thats why introduced concept of heaven as reward for following his orders and hell as punishment for going against his command . How many religious people would have followed the command of God without being selfish i.e without expecting rewards or without any fear of punishments..

 

[Sky lord]

How can you be happy without friends and family, unless you're a sociopath?

And if you have friends and family how can you be happy if they are not?

Nothing wrong with the pursuit of happiness, money doesn't being happiness it just brings money. Power doesn't bring happiness, it just gives you power.

To live well is an art form. Most Asians are pretty bad at it and don't know how to be happy. In my opinion, the French are best at it, they know how to live. They eat sumptuously, they are not consumerist, they know how to live well without owning too much stuff, they appreciate the arts and have beautiful things around them, they entertain all the time, they take long vacations.

We can learn from them. Vive la France.

 

[Moonlight]

so what? We are all selfish and whatever makes us happy is what we should pursue. We need to be happy in order to make others happy. All our acts are motivated by our self interests even though it may benefit others directly or indirectly. You help others because it give you feeling of peace and satisfaction .Even God knew our nature thats why introduced concept of heaven as reward for following his orders and hell as punishment for going against his command . How many religious people would have followed the command of God without being selfish i.e without expecting rewards or without any fear of punishments..

Don't we need more people like Nelson Mandela, Abdul Sattar Edhi, Mother Teresa and so on. What if I tell you Islam encourages you to have pursuit of impact? Or think out of the box?

 

[Raja.Pakistani]

Don't we need more people like Nelson Mandela, Abdul Sattar Edhi, Mother Teresa and so on. What if I tell you Islam encourages you to have pursuit of impact? Or think out of the box?

as i said abdul star edhi and people like him are also working for their happiness..Helping others give them happiness and peace of mind..It give inner peace to their soul after knowing that they did help many people..dont wanan repeat same things so here it is

Is there any selfless act?

 

[Moonlight]

How can you be happy without friends and family, unless you're a sociopath?

And if you have friends and family how can you be happy if they are not?

Nothing wrong with the pursuit of happiness, money doesn't being happiness it just brings money. Power doesn't bring happiness, it just gives you power.

To live well is an art form. Most Asians are pretty bad at it and don't know how to be happy. In my opinion, the French are best at it, they know how to live. They eat sumptuously, they are not consumerist, they know how to live well without owning too much stuff, they appreciate the arts and have beautiful things around them, they entertain all the time, they take long vacations.

We can learn from them. Vive la France.

There's nothing wrong in being happy, OF COURSE. The case I'm setting is, when we want change this world and don't really care about people around us and all we care about ourselves and focus on 'pursuit of happiness'. Then that's selfishness. Nai?

 

[Moonlight]

as i said abdul star edhi and people like him are also working for their happiness..Helping others give them happiness and peace of mind..It give inner peace to their soul after knowing that they did help many people

But isn't it pursuit of impact at the same time. And happiness and excellence is promised when you have an impact------ positive impact on society or societies. In order to this all, you still need to think about the big picture. I mean as you are saying all these greatest people are seeking their happiness. Nai?

Ok what about prophet Muhammad saw? You have same thought about Him too? I think He (saw) is the selfless people----the most selfless person ever existed on the face of earth. Nai?

@Raja.Pakistani

 

[Raja.Pakistani]

But isn't it pursuit of impact at the same time. And happiness and excellence is promised when you have an impact------ positive impact on society or societies. In order to this all, you still need to think about the big picture. I mean as you are saying all these greatest people are seeking their happiness. Nai?

Can you elaborate further because i am not getting your question? We do everything because we see /think or feel that it is important so we set our priorities as per our feelings/self interest . Selfish actions can benefit others. So selfishness or working for self-intrest is not necessarily a bad thing

 

[Sky lord]

There's nothing wrong in being happy, OF COURSE. The case I'm setting is, when we want change this world and don't really care about people around us and all we care about ourselves and focus on 'pursuit of happiness'. Then that's selfishness. Nai?

Well, not all people are the same. I am sure people like edhi. or mother Teresa are happy because that is what they want to do. But not everyone is like that. Some people would prefer pursuing scientific invention or academics and others just sitting by the pool getting a tan.

We were all made differently. I think you must be a person who wants to do things for others so you think that is the only way to be happy ....believe me there are some people who never think of others and are perfectly happy.


But you do have a point, most people get more happiness from giving than receiving and of you have work that you love and is meaningful. then you will always be happy. When you are old and look back on your life, it is good to think you have left the world a better place than when you came into it.

 

[Raja.Pakistani]

Ok what about prophet Muhammad saw? You have same thought about Him too? I think He (saw) is the selfless people----the most selfless person ever existed on the face of earth. Nai?

@Raja.Pakistani

Mission of all Prophets were to please their God and to seek his happiness and all their actions was motivated by this desire of pleasing creator and then hoping blessing or rewards of Allah in return

read my thought in topic is there any self less act as i dont believe there is any act which is truly self-less

 

[Moonlight]

Mission of all Prophets were to please their God and to seek his happiness and all their actions was motivated by this desire of pleasing creator and then hoping blessing or rewards of Allah in return

read my thought in topic is there any self less act as i dont believe there is any act which is truly self-less

I just said in above of my post, happiness is promised in pursuit of happiness.

As per your thought on selfless, remember that event when people people of Quraish stoned Rasool Allah (saw) and wounded him and made him bleed. He (saw) could make dua to Allah to destroy the kufaar, but He never did----rather prayed for their forgiveness. Isn't it selflessness? Even when skies and earths asked Him to destroy them.

 

[Moonlight]

Well, not all people are the same. I am sure people like edhi. or mother Teresa are happy because that is what they want to do. But not everyone is like that. Some people would prefer pursuing scientific invention or academics and others just sitting by the pool getting a tan.

We were all made differently. I think you must be a person who wants to do things for others so you think that is the only way to be happy ....believe me there are some people who never think of others and are perfectly happy.


But you do have a point, most people get more happiness from giving than receiving and of you have work that you love and is meaningful. then you will always be happy. When you are old and look back on your life, it is good to think you have left the world a better place than when you came into it.

Yeah that is the point. Shouldn't one leave the legacy of greatness. Well it's opinion based subject--- so yeah we all have different views.

 

[Raja.Pakistani]

I just said in above of my post, happiness is promised in pursuit of happiness.

As per your thought on selfless, remember that event when people people of Quraish stoned Rasool Allah (saw) and wounded him and made him bleed. He (saw) could make dua to Allah to destroy the kufaar, but He never did----rather prayed for their forgiveness. Isn't it selflessness? Even when skies and earths asked Him to destroy them.

You are not getting the point and going in wrong direction when you are comparing Prophet(PBUH) with Human beings. Prophet Muhammad(PBUH) was rehmat ul ameen and was on mission to guide those people towards right path rather than destroying them so every act of Prophet Muhammad was there to please Allah and getting blessing from him in return
"Certainly you have in the Messenger of Allah an excellent example (of conduct) for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Final Day, and who engages much in the Praise of Allah." (Quran, 33:21)

Many Islamic Prophets even had power from God to perform miracles if you read the life stories of Prophet jesus(PBUH) and Moses(PBUH)

 

[Sky lord]

Mission of all Prophets were to please their God and to seek his happiness and all their actions was motivated by this desire of pleasing creator and then hoping blessing or rewards of Allah in return

read my thought in topic is there any self less act as i dont believe there is any act which is truly self-less

Moral of the story is that

We should concern ourselves less with the pursuit of happiness and more with the happiness of our pursuits.

 

[I.R.A]

remember that event when people people of Quraish stoned Rasool Allah (saw) and wounded him and made him bleed.

Those were not Quresh but people of Taif.

Happiness is all around us we don't need to chase it, however being successful and feeling accomplished is one aspect of being happy. A simple example would be when your child takes his/her first steps, when she utters the words baba mama for the first time, when you see your parents smiling etc these little things make you will feel happy like nothing else. We chase things that we don't have and it is not necessary that once we have achieved those things that will make us happy. This chase could be more of for peace of mind rather than for feeling or being happy.