In Bertrand Russell’s essay "The Happy Life," Russell writes that happiness requires a "kind of direction of interest outward" (790). An individual attempting to accomplish some personal goals through outward interest must take the proper steps to act upon those certain interests. On the other hand, he might avoid all frightening situations if he mistakes the feeling of eternal bliss as the state of happiness. He cannot expect to feel an immediate, uninterrupted joy while skiing on a black diamond trail for the first time on a mountain range. He would find himself disappointed after tripping on the snow, hurting himself without intending to.
As tempting as it may be, an individual should not avoid situations that he did not expect. He could talk to others who may have encountered similar situations if he does not know how to handle them. For instance, a corporate worker at Microsoft might lose his job due to a layoff. Nonetheless, he must not allow irrational worries to consume his perspective. Instead, he must take on some daunting tasks; he could either work extra hours or help other employees. Although these responsibilities require some self-denial, the individual actually takes on these responsibilities because he values both his job and the company.
Russell writes that while the individual "should desire the happiness of those whom we love," he should not consider it "as an alternative" to his own (790). In other words, Russell suggests that the individual may forget to live a happy life if he depends on someone else too much. As an example, he may not want to leave his girlfriend if he discovers that she loved someone else. He may cling onto his relationship, what he thinks defined his happiness. Once he leaves the relationship, he must find another fulfilling experience that might make him happy.
A person who strives for happiness should also learn to overcome restrictive fears. One student might clench his teeth if he learns that he must give an informative speech on conserving the Amazon rainforest. However, by dwelling on his crippling anxiety, he is not motivating himself to prepare his speech. He could take notes on his research or analyze the information he gathered. By taking the proper steps to prepare his speech, he discovers that he has a reason to feel secure of his own plausible success.
Russell believes that a person may feel unhappy if his conscious and unconscious mind do not synchronize (790). The truly happy individual must not only identify his aspirations but must also transform those dreams into a reality. It is not enough for a person to imagine himself participating in the Olympic Games. Rather than fantasizing, he could reduce his grand goal into smaller goals. For instance, if he wants to play tennis, he can practice with a friend at a tennis court. He might also adapt to a rigorous schedule that may strengthen his discipline as an athlete. Practical commitments require conscious thought. The unconscious mind stores his dreams, while the conscious mind structures his plans.
An independent, yet dependable person must also make rational decisions that benefits both himself and his society. His work as a cashier at Barnes and Nobles is more important to society than his desire to see his favorite rock band perform at an arena. However, if he handles his money with prudence, he may save enough to buy a concert ticket. Under these circumstances, he would not spend five dollars on a bag of barbeque potato chips if he cared about his future enough. When satisfying only his temporary desires, he neglects to find much interest in more meaningful experiences. As Bertrand Russell emphasizes in his essay, the happy individual must fulfill bot" objective interests and affections" (790). The truly happy individual satisfies both himself and society as much as possible. While many unfamiliar situations may frighten him at first, he cannot develop into a stronger person by ignoring difficult situation. An individual willing to endure throughout all situations will earn not only respect from society but will also allow him to feel secure of himself. He focuses on meaning rather than pleasure alone. The happy person knows what he is capable of.
Ultimately, the unity with self is essential if the person wants to make the decisions he thinks will benefit him. Self-integration is the result of the lack of self-denial, and the lack of self-denial does not necessarily mean that the person believes he is automatically "entitled" to happiness. If a person strives to be happy and if he is willing to overcome the challenges he must face, then he will likely become happy. Self-integration means the willingness to self-knowledge and self-education, regardless of whether he feels pleasure or pain. Truly happy people do not excessively rely on their feelings in order to make decisions.
The unity with society means that the individual is willing to learn from his society. His unity with society allows him to make long-term decisions based on his own analyses. His unity with society allows him to see the big picture which will help him adapt to many situations. His unity with society means he is able to obtain objective phenomenon as his experience that he will then use in hopes to define his diversified state of mind — as according to his versatile approach toward experiences.
The truly happy individual does not walk away from challenging experiences, no matter how difficult they may seem. Instead, he approaches all challenging experiences with a sense of purpose in mind. Additionally, he does not allow unrealistic expectations or short-term goals to dictate his life. The individual seeks many meaningful experiences that leave a profound impact on his life. His strong sense of unity with himself and with society inspires him to live a happy, meaningful life.
Russell, Bertrand. "The Happy Life." Current Issues and Enduring Questions. Eds., Sylvan Barnet and Hugo Bedau. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2014. 789–790.