The Art of Being Happy: In a Series of Letters from a Father to His Children: with Observations and Comments — John Shaqi
The Art of Being Happy: In a Series of Letters from a Father to His Children: with Observations and CommentsDroz, Joseph
Philosophy
The Art of Being Happy: In a Series of Letters from a Father to His Children: with Observations and Comments
Droz, Joseph
Happiness
‘2dly. So many hours a day should be spent in the sedulous
employment of the knowing and reflecting faculties; in studying
the qualities of external objects, and their relations; also the
nature of all animated beings, and their relations; not with the
view of accumulating mere abstract and barren knowledge, but of
enjoying the positive pleasure of mental activity, and of turning
every discovery to account, as a means of increasing happiness, or
alleviating misery. The leading object should always be to find
out the relationship of every object to our own nature, organic,
animal, moral, and intellectual, and to keep that relationship
habitually in mind, so as to render our acquirements directly
gratifying to our various faculties. The reward of this conduct
would be an incalculably great increase of pleasure, in the very
act of acquiring knowledge of the real properties of external
objects, together with a great accession of power in reaping
ulterior advantages, and in avoiding disagreeable affections.
‘3dly. So many hours a day ought to be devoted to the cultivation
and gratification of our moral sentiments; that is to say, in
exercising these in harmony with intellect, and especially in
acquiring the habit of admiring, loving, and yielding obedience
to the Creator and his institutions. This last object is of vast
importance. Intellect is barren of practical fruit, however rich
it may be in knowledge, until it is fired and prompted to act by
moral sentiment. In my view, knowledge by itself is comparatively
worthless and impotent, compared with what it becomes when
vivified by elevated emotions. It is not enough that intellect
is informed; the moral faculties must simultaneously cooperate;
yielding obedience to the precepts which the intellect recognises
to be true. One way of cultivating the sentiments would be for men
to meet and act together, on the fixed principles which I am now
endeavoring to unfold, and to exercise on each other in mutual
instruction, and in united adoration of the great and glorious
Creator, the several faculties of Benevolence, Veneration, Hope,
Ideality, Wonder, and Justice. The reward of acting in this manner
would be a communication of direct and intense pleasure to each
other; for I refer to every individual who has ever had the good
fortune to pass a day or an hour with a really benevolent, pious,
honest, and intellectual man, whose soul swelled with adoration
of his Creator, whose intellect was replenished with knowledge
of his works, and whose whole mind was instinct with sympathy
for human happiness, whether such a day did not afford him the
most pure, elevated, and lasting gratification he ever enjoyed.
Such an exercise, besides, would invigorate the whole moral and
intellectual powers, and fit them to discover and obey the divine
institutions.’
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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