A Theory of Happiness

Desires that are accomplished bring happiness.

Desires that are not accomplished or that cannot be accomplished bring sorrow.

Accomplishing the desires that we can fulfill, such as getting something done so that we may relax, will bring us happiness.

By forgetting our desires that cannot be fulfilled now and using this moment to fulfill desires that we are capable of accomplishing, we will once again find happiness and avoid sorrow.

To judge the importance of each desire, we must look to the past consequences of similar desires, to our wanting to accomplish the desire now, and to our appreciation for it later. Therefore, we must look to the past, the present, and the future.

Accomplishing desires that bring harm upon others will surely bring us sorrow in the future. We must again judge the importance of each desire to see if it is worth fulfilling.

One does not become “bad” by thinking harmful thoughts; one becomes bad by accomplishing ill-judged desires that come from thinking harmful thoughts. One becomes “good” by learning to control these harmful thoughts.

Desires fuel the world, because everyone wishes to lead a happy life, and that is a desire in itself.

Rosie, 13, MO

My Experiences on a Special Diet

Eternal Beauty

It’s really hard to tell what beauty really is. There are different opinions. Lots of people will just blurt out, “A flower!” but other people say that shells at the beach or a setting sun is a form of beauty. Fireworks are a beauty. So are music and art. Neat schoolwork with an A+ on the top is the best beauty, some people may say. Or maybe aquatic fish, icicles, or even pretty animals and insects such as butterflies, ladybugs, and flamingoes. Beauty is when you plant some seeds and watch them grow into a garden and you pick the vegetables and make soup out of them, someone may think. There is beauty everywhere.

But all of these beauties are very temporary—all of them will disappear sooner or later. For example, a flower will die, a setting sun will set, neat schoolwork will be recycled, fireworks will stay for a few seconds, icicles will melt, gardens will wilt.

So, I think that the best beauty is helping somebody. Why? Because if you do a favor to the person, he or she will remember you forever. For example, help your teacher by cleaning the board and delivering papers, help your parents by doing extra chores, and help your classmates with questions they don’t know. Help your environment by recycling. Maybe, perhaps, you will find yourself being friends with the person you helped. And again, the person will remember you always. And you will be happy forever.

Asma, 10, TX

Published in the Fall 2011 issue of Creative Kids