The never-ending search for happiness
The never-ending search for happiness
Posted 01:51am (Mla time) Mar 11, 2005
By Neal Cruz
Inquirer News Service
Editor's Note: Published on page A14 of the March 11, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer
THE PHILIPPINES is becoming famous all over the world-but for all the wrong reasons. Its latest achievement is being the second most corrupt nation in Asia, according to a survey of foreign businessmen conducted by a Hong Kong consultancy group, Political and Economic Risk Consultancy Ltd. (PERC).
There will surely be protests from the administration, but Filipinos recognize not only that the survey is correct but also the Philippines should perhaps be No. 1 on the list.
Filipinos love to be record holders, whether it is for the biggest shoe or the longest “longganisa” [native sausage], but the Philippines already holds many records. It has the highest birth rate; the slowest judicial system; the longest red tape; it is among the poorest countries in the world; it has the widest gap between the rich and the poor; it has the most number of citizens who have to work in other countries to support their families at home; it has the second highest electricity rates in Asia; it is the kidnap and “carnap” [car theft] capital of the world; it has one of the highest crime rates and, not surprisingly, the most inefficient police force; it has the most congested streets and the most unruly drivers; it has the most number of squatters and the greediest legislators who steal the biggest tax money in the form of pork barrel; it probably has the biggest number of citizens who want to leave their country and live elsewhere. Being the second most corrupt nation in Asia is only the latest crown.
In spite of all these, the Philippines ranks as the 6th happiest nation in the world, a fact that we should be happy about. Many people found the result of this particular survey surprising. How can the poorest people in the world be among the happiest? Perhaps, they said, they surveyed public officials, which explains why they are happy.
But no, I think the survey is accurate: Despite the grinding poverty, or because of it, there are more Filipinos who are happy than those who are unhappy. Because it doesn't take much to make the poor happy. Give them a meal and that will make them very happy. If a scavenger finds several kilos of scrap metal or a big bag of leftover food in the garbage, that will make him very happy. Give a jobless man a job and he will jump for joy.
On the other hand, rich people are very hard to please. A rich businessman who already has millions of pesos in the bank will be unhappy, even though he is still making several millions in profit, if what he is gaining today is less than what he was netting yesterday. A multi-billionaire, among the richest in the world, will be unhappy if a famous magazine ranks him lower than his rival on its list of the world's richest. A rich society matron will be very unhappy if her rival gets a bigger picture in the newspapers.
I once worked for a very rich publisher. He was very powerful and influential; government officials paid obeisance to him; he had a number of profitable businesses; when he held his birthday parties, champagne literally flowed from a fountain.
Yet every evening I saw this rich and powerful man pacing his office, a worried look on his face, and his fingers nervously plucking at the stubble on his chin. What could such a rich man be worried about? Perhaps he was worried he could not pay his debts. Or that one of his businesses would fail. Perhaps a rival was doing better than him. Or perhaps he was worried that one of his children would be kidnapped.
No such worries bother the poor. Nobody will bother to kidnap any of their kids. Their only worry is where to get the next meal. When they get it, they are very happy.
As for the rich, you serve them the best food cooked by the best chef but they can't eat; they have no appetite. Give the poor a little rice and two pieces of “tuyo” [dried fish] -- food the rich won't even look at -- and you make them happy. Could it be that the Philippines is a happy nation because there are so many poor people in it?
What I'm driving at is that happiness is relative. Different things make different people happy. What makes one person happy will not necessarily make the next one also happy. What a person lacks most will make him happy if he gets it.
Most people think that wealth will make them happy. But when they already have it, they are still not happy. Others think fame will make them happy, but we see so many famous people shunning the limelight, going through all sorts of disguises so they won't be recognized by the public that adores them. Some think it is high office, but that's not it either.
Sickly people will be happiest when they get their health back; and a couple who quarrel will be happiest when they kiss and make up. Sometimes, a simple thing like a baby's smile will make a mother or father very happy. Or a child who has been neglected by his or her father will be gladdened by just one kind word from him. Love and family are big sources of happiness but not completely. And as Peanuts has said so often, "Happiness is a warm puppy."
Yes, the search for happiness is a never-ending one. You chase a goal you think would make you happy but when you finally get to it, you are not completely happy. So you chase the next goal and when you find it, it's the same thing -- something is still lacking. What is it? True happiness is elusive.
Ask a Born Again Christian and he has the answer.
* * *
KAPIHAN NOTES: Monday's topic at the Kapihan sa Manila forum is the rising oil prices and the Oil Deregulation Law. Guests are Energy Secretary Vince Perez, Bataan Gov. Enrique Garcia who has the answer to the problem, Raul Concepcion of Oil Price Watch and a representative each from the oil companies, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, and a jeepney drivers' association.
Posted 01:51am (Mla time) Mar 11, 2005
By Neal Cruz
Inquirer News Service
Editor's Note: Published on page A14 of the March 11, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer
THE PHILIPPINES is becoming famous all over the world-but for all the wrong reasons. Its latest achievement is being the second most corrupt nation in Asia, according to a survey of foreign businessmen conducted by a Hong Kong consultancy group, Political and Economic Risk Consultancy Ltd. (PERC).
There will surely be protests from the administration, but Filipinos recognize not only that the survey is correct but also the Philippines should perhaps be No. 1 on the list.
Filipinos love to be record holders, whether it is for the biggest shoe or the longest “longganisa” [native sausage], but the Philippines already holds many records. It has the highest birth rate; the slowest judicial system; the longest red tape; it is among the poorest countries in the world; it has the widest gap between the rich and the poor; it has the most number of citizens who have to work in other countries to support their families at home; it has the second highest electricity rates in Asia; it is the kidnap and “carnap” [car theft] capital of the world; it has one of the highest crime rates and, not surprisingly, the most inefficient police force; it has the most congested streets and the most unruly drivers; it has the most number of squatters and the greediest legislators who steal the biggest tax money in the form of pork barrel; it probably has the biggest number of citizens who want to leave their country and live elsewhere. Being the second most corrupt nation in Asia is only the latest crown.
In spite of all these, the Philippines ranks as the 6th happiest nation in the world, a fact that we should be happy about. Many people found the result of this particular survey surprising. How can the poorest people in the world be among the happiest? Perhaps, they said, they surveyed public officials, which explains why they are happy.
But no, I think the survey is accurate: Despite the grinding poverty, or because of it, there are more Filipinos who are happy than those who are unhappy. Because it doesn't take much to make the poor happy. Give them a meal and that will make them very happy. If a scavenger finds several kilos of scrap metal or a big bag of leftover food in the garbage, that will make him very happy. Give a jobless man a job and he will jump for joy.
On the other hand, rich people are very hard to please. A rich businessman who already has millions of pesos in the bank will be unhappy, even though he is still making several millions in profit, if what he is gaining today is less than what he was netting yesterday. A multi-billionaire, among the richest in the world, will be unhappy if a famous magazine ranks him lower than his rival on its list of the world's richest. A rich society matron will be very unhappy if her rival gets a bigger picture in the newspapers.
I once worked for a very rich publisher. He was very powerful and influential; government officials paid obeisance to him; he had a number of profitable businesses; when he held his birthday parties, champagne literally flowed from a fountain.
Yet every evening I saw this rich and powerful man pacing his office, a worried look on his face, and his fingers nervously plucking at the stubble on his chin. What could such a rich man be worried about? Perhaps he was worried he could not pay his debts. Or that one of his businesses would fail. Perhaps a rival was doing better than him. Or perhaps he was worried that one of his children would be kidnapped.
No such worries bother the poor. Nobody will bother to kidnap any of their kids. Their only worry is where to get the next meal. When they get it, they are very happy.
As for the rich, you serve them the best food cooked by the best chef but they can't eat; they have no appetite. Give the poor a little rice and two pieces of “tuyo” [dried fish] -- food the rich won't even look at -- and you make them happy. Could it be that the Philippines is a happy nation because there are so many poor people in it?
What I'm driving at is that happiness is relative. Different things make different people happy. What makes one person happy will not necessarily make the next one also happy. What a person lacks most will make him happy if he gets it.
Most people think that wealth will make them happy. But when they already have it, they are still not happy. Others think fame will make them happy, but we see so many famous people shunning the limelight, going through all sorts of disguises so they won't be recognized by the public that adores them. Some think it is high office, but that's not it either.
Sickly people will be happiest when they get their health back; and a couple who quarrel will be happiest when they kiss and make up. Sometimes, a simple thing like a baby's smile will make a mother or father very happy. Or a child who has been neglected by his or her father will be gladdened by just one kind word from him. Love and family are big sources of happiness but not completely. And as Peanuts has said so often, "Happiness is a warm puppy."
Yes, the search for happiness is a never-ending one. You chase a goal you think would make you happy but when you finally get to it, you are not completely happy. So you chase the next goal and when you find it, it's the same thing -- something is still lacking. What is it? True happiness is elusive.
Ask a Born Again Christian and he has the answer.
* * *
KAPIHAN NOTES: Monday's topic at the Kapihan sa Manila forum is the rising oil prices and the Oil Deregulation Law. Guests are Energy Secretary Vince Perez, Bataan Gov. Enrique Garcia who has the answer to the problem, Raul Concepcion of Oil Price Watch and a representative each from the oil companies, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, and a jeepney drivers' association.
posted by Dante at 1:51 AM
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