LEOBELO JOFEL DELICANA Aug.

8, 2012
AB Philosophy III

How Happy are You?
All of us search for this one thing in life- happiness. Maybe most of us, if not all, will
agree that we ourselves are the ones to determine if we are happy or not. We give regard to
happiness as an emotion, as a feeling. So maybe, one could be happy now and the next day he is
sad. We often consider many factors that affect ones happiness. These factors are often external.
It may be because of other people, things and even achievements and failures. The bottom line is,
we strive to feel happiness. We strive to be happy. We do this search for happiness in our entire
life. Coming to think of it, who would not want to be happy?
For Aristotle, in order for men to be happy; he must be rational, active and virtuous. He
must know how to think, how to use his mind. Man must be active in a sense that he must have
actions and deeds as he applies his knowledge, his being rational. Lastly, these actions must
result to virtuous actions that will lead to something good. It may be good if it is for himself and
best if it is also for the good of his fellowmen
To be virtuous is rooted to three habits. These are the habits of right thinking, right choice
and right behaviour. I cant help but to associate each of these habits to the three requirements in
order to become happy according to Aristotle. If you have the habit of right thinking, you are
being rational. If you make right choices in doing things, you are being active. Lastly, you are
being virtuous if you have right behaviour.
To make it simple, we could relate this to real life. People from all walks of life would
give due respect especially to people who are intellectual, who are intelligent. However, he will
still be criticized if he is intelligent yet he has not done any good action or had any achievement
in his life. If one is intelligent and great in action and achievements, some if not many people
would still hate him if he is directed towards what is evil. It really makes sense. What good is a
man of brain if he is a bane. Thus, it really takes all three requirements: being rational, being
active and being virtuous for a man to be happy.
Maybe other people tend to be happy because they are intelligent and they used it to gain
money in a bad way. They have all the capacity to buy the things they want. They could indulge
themselves with pleasures of life. However, this I believe is only temporary. There will come a
time when the person will fell unhappy as he realizes that what he has done is evil. Happiness
does not come from the outside, it is an inside job.
I believe that Mahatma Gandhi is a good example for this. He belonged to the Brahmin
Caste in India for he was a preacher. He became a leader in India and was famous for his Active
Non Violence. He is intelligent and is a good man. Also, his actions brought freedom for his
beloved country. Another is our very own, Efren Peaflorida. He is an educator. He is rational.
He brought his teaching into practice. He is active. Lastly, he also devoted his life in teaching the
less fortunate children. He even became famous for that cart with books that he brings with him
as he taught at roadsides. He is virtuous. Mahatma Gandhi and Efren Peaflorida are men who
are rational, active and virtuous. These two are exemplary individuals. With the way Aristotle
viewed happiness, I would say that these two had and has a happy life respectively.
We in our generation must also strive to be like them. Maybe we would not be of that
level but at least with same outlook in life. It is good to know that we could become happy by
being instruments of goodness for others, for the world. Let us ask ourselves; are we rational,
active and virtuous? If yes, then how happy are you?