Of discontent and progress

Say anything and there is always someone who will find something wrong in it. Even if he has to analyse it nano-meter by nano-meter. And, so, when I say something about happiness, how can it be that it does not face censure?

"I know you are the laziest bum around. Does that mean that you have to make a virtue of not having any aspirations?"

THIS with an audience, too. Another friend was also lounging around. And you know how it goes. You can take it when you are alone but your ears start burning when there is someone else listening in. So, naturally, I was all upset and defensive.

"What do you mean? Wait...was that about that happiness post. About always postponing it because you want something more?"

"Yes! What's wrong about having aspirations? Where is progress if there are no aspirations?"

"Yeah, if you are content you do not want to get anything more. So you may not...progress. But that's how it is. Happiness comes from contentment. Progress starts with discontent."

The other friend cleared his throat.

"Tell me," he asked the other guy. "How do you define discontent?"

Oh, this was going to be one of those things. Where people start defining terms, start fighting over the definitions till you totally forget what you wanted to say. Thank God, he was addressing the other guy. Intellectual I am not, being unable to pay sufficient attention to the fine art of splitting hairs.

"To want more than what you have. To know that things can be better than they are. That's the root of discontent. And, unless you want more and better, you will not strive to get it. That's how you progress."

NOW our lad was going to ask the definition of progress, I am sure.

He surprised me.

"Progress...hmmm! Tell me, was Einstein necessarily unhappy? He thought a Unified Field theory should be discovered and proved. He did not manage it in his lifetime, did he?"

It was fun to be a mere spectator when people fight each other and not over how truly stupid I am.

"Why would he be? After all, he was instrumental in a whole lot of progress in Science..."

"There you are! See, there IS a type of discontent which pushes forth progress. In Einstein's case, it is a discontent with the current state of knowledge. Yet, the pursuit of knowledge is itself sufficient for happiness, even if you know full well that you are not going to completely eliminate the lacunae."

"Your point being?"

"A pursuit of excellence in your own field, a pursuit of ridding yourself of the weaknesses in your own character...there is a lot of such discontent which causes individuals and societies to progress. But the gap between the ideal and actual is not cause for unhappiness."

"What do you mean? That, unlike what this fellow said, aspirations are not at the root of unhappiness?"

"No! It depends on what those aspirations are. If you aspire for possessions, aspire for what you want to get from Society, THEN you have unhappiness for a permanent guest. For, then, you will keep pushing the goal-posts further and postponing your own happiness."

"Essentially, you are saying that if the GOAL is what I think will make me happy, then I shall be unhappy all the time. Because I will keep pushing for the next goal and so on. If the process will make me happy, then discontent is a non-issue as far as being happy goes."

"Yes. THEN it is like a child's curiosity. The child seeks to know the world around, has a great deal of fun exploring it, but is not unhappy if it does not understand it."

"Hmmm! Point."

"The point also is aspirations focused on gaining knowledge and improving ability keep you enjoying the process. Aspirations focused on acquiring wealth and power keep you goal-focused."

"Hmm! You are back to 'Karmanyeva adhikaraste, maa phaleshu kadachana'. 'Focus on what you do, not on what you can get from it', if I may slightly alter the saying."

"It's probably not even an alteration, only one of the possible interpretations."

I poked my nose in.

"Also the truth of the other saying. 'Para adhinam prana sankatam'. Dependence on others is distressing to the soul. So, if you are always social climbing, working for other people's respect, of course you will be unhappy."

You know what! I had the last word once again! Yippee!