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Showing posts with label people. Show all posts
Showing posts with label people. Show all posts

Friday, January 22, 2010

What makes people happy?

What makes people happy?

by lt2ha.ftu

Everyone in all parts of the world has the same desire and feeling of happiness. It is necessary to know well the causes of happiness for those who want to achieve a happy life. From my experience, there are 3 main causes of happiness that related to emotional, material and physical factors.

It is easy to understand if there are a lot of people thinking about a good physical condition first as a source of happiness. Human body with 5 senses is the first gift that the Creator gives us. It allows us to see the life, to breathe fresh air, to hear the sound etc. All of them are often considered as a matter of course that people don’t care enough about their health until they lost them. Then, they realized that having a good health is the happiest thing of all. It is because a good health gives them a chance to enjoy life and do the things they wish to do.

Material factor is also considered as an indirect reason that leads to happiness. This is the fact that it is hard to do the things a person wants without money. Although, money is not the most important thing but it is the key for us to access modern technology, to learn, to travel, to raise our families or simply to put more palatable food on the table. Or if you take a step on your career ladder, you will have the feeling of accomplishment. Conversely, it will motivate you to do more to achieve your long-term goal. All of those things bring you a comfortable life and the capacity of doing the things you wish to do which are essential to obtain a happy life.

There is no denying that emotional factor is the main reason that makes people happy. It is that because emotions entirely depend on one’s attitude to life and events that occur around him. When a person is always kind to others, he will definitely gain respect and love from them. Such these things will fill his soul with happiness of being beloved and helpful to others. Another common example is that when one failed and seemed to have no ways to get out. If he insists on keeping the negative attitude, he simply sinks deeper into depression, but if he sees the situation in another way, a positive one, everything might be clearer and he finds not only solutions to cope with it but also opportunities. It will bring him the happiness of handling with failure – one of the hardest lessons of life.

Consciously or unconsciously, we are seeking happiness everyday by thinking about our direction, what we focus on and what we want to do. To do that, you will have to pay a lot of time and effort. Knowing the importance of physical, material and motional factors will help us to gain initiative in obtaining happiness in life.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

What I dislike most in people

What I dislike most in people

What I dislike most in people is when they do not keep their words. I have had many encounters with people who do this and I must say I find it most unpleasant.

I usually keep my word. If I find that I am not able to because of extraordinary circumstances, I make it a point to tell the person involved so that he or she will not feel let down. For example if I were to tell a friend that I will come to her house at 9 a.m. but cannot do so, I will make sure I let her know before that time so that she will not have to wait for me in vain.

However, I know from experience that many people do not keep their word. I have been kept waiting a number of times by friends who said they will meet me at certain time but come later or do not show up at all. What is worse is that they do not even apologize or say why they did not keep their word. These people then become less of a friend and more of just an acquaintance. I do not feel sorry for it. I am definitely better off without having to endure further disappointments.

It seems to me that some people simply say things without meaning what they say. They just utter words out of convenience. There is a man who replies “no problem” to any request made to him. He works as an electrician-cum-plumber. When we require his services we would ring him up and invariably his answer will be “no problem”. He always promises to come the next day but almost always he fails to show up. So we ring again and he will again say “no problem” but again he will fail to keep his words. Perhaps after a week or so he will appear to render his services. Sometimes we can wait, but more often now we get someone else to do the job. This someone else also does not usually keep his words but at least he does not say “no problem”.

Then there is an uncle of mine who is just as bad. Once he borrowed my father’s crash-helmet promising to return it the same evening. He never did return the helmet. When asked he denied that he ever borrowed the helmet. My father decided to let the matter rest as it was an old helmet not worth arguing over. It goes to show how untrustworthy a man can become. His words mean nothing. It has no value at all.

I always go by the saying “say what you mean, and mean what you say”. It seems many people can not be bothered about saying what they mean and meaning what they say. They just say anything they like and do something else. It is impossible to trust people like this. They will let you down.

It is best that we keep away from such people. However this is almost impossible to do because the whole world is filled with them. It seems to me there are more people who do not keep their words than people who do. Perhaps this is the result of living in the modern world where people are more concerned about making money than keeping their words. Money can kept in the bank, words cannot. Money can be used to buy things, words can’t.

As for me, I would rather keep my words. At least I also keep my integrity and honesty. If I do not have these two so important things, then whatever I do in the world will only make things worse, for I will have cheated and lied. I will become just another untrustworthy person that I dislike. I cannot allow myself to dislike myself.

People who look for excitement and danger are foolish.

People who look for excitement and danger are foolish.

Things that people do for fun or for money are very numerous today. Some of these things are positively dangerous, but there seem to be no lack of people eager to do them. Bungee-jumping, rock-climbing and sky-diving are certainly not everybody’s cup of tea. Then there are less dangerous but no less exciting pursuits of motor-racing and professional boxing. These are all exciting and dangerous things. Some even earn a living doing these dangerous jobs. Why would people put themselves in such dangers? Would they be considered foolish?

Those who purposely go out to get some excitement are usually those who are bored with their lives. Bungee-jumping is a predominantly western invention and the participants are usually bored westerners who would do anything for some excitement. It needs a certain amount of guts to be able to jump off a bridge only to be saved from certain death by a piece of rubber cord failed and the thrill-seekers perished. Yet the others persist. I suspect these others are not only bored with their lives, they could be unconsciously looking to either end their boredom or their lives. In short they could have suicidal tendencies. Would people bent on killing themselves be called foolish?

Rock-climbers and sky-divers also take enormous risks. Deaths resulting from accidents are not uncommon, but people continue to do them. I asked a friend who does rock-climbing why he pursued such a dangerous sport. He said every time he reached the top of a rock, the feeling of excitement and achievement was quite incomparable. It is intoxicating and he is hooked by it. So he seeks to repeat the high, despite the obvious risks.

I suppose the exciting feeling holds true for the other unpaid dangerous sports as well. They get the adrenalin flowing through the blood. These excitement-seekers are obviously addicted to it. The only thing they get out of their pursuits is excitement, which has to be repeated. No other gain is forthcoming except some respect from others. Perhaps respect is also an excitement thing for some.

The professionals who take great risks are far better off than the amateur ones in terms of financial rewards. Race-drivers are usually millionaires. So are boxers. Also these professionals are well covered by insurance and they do not take unnecessary risks. In fact they are very careful indeed in their work.

In conclusion, I would say that amateurs who look only for excitement and danger are foolish because they stand to gain nothing and to lose everything. They are putting their heads on chopping block for the sheer thrill of it. The professionals are different. They get paid and make sure that their necks are well padded. Thus they are not as foolish, not by a long shot.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Crowds

Crowds

A crowd is a gathering of many people in a place of limited size, such as in a hall, a supermarket or a town square. In a crowd, the movement of a person is restricted. He or she cannot move freely and may often have to take action to avoid collision with another person.

I have been in many types of crowds before and I have to say that the experience is not pleasant. Though a crowd can be bearable, most of the time it is uncomfortable to be in one and I get out as quickly as possible.

Once I had the misfortune of going to a popular supermarket when it was having a sale on. I did not know that until I reached the place. All I wanted to buy was some mosquito coils and some sweets. When I arrived there, I was shocked to see the place packed with people. Nevertheless, as I had come quite a distance by bus, I decided to join in the crowd to see what was inside the supermarket that attracted the people so.

That was one of the biggest mistakes of my life. The moment I squeezed into the crowd at the entrance, I was swept into the supermarket by the sheer wave of eager people. There were all sorts of people here. Young and old, men, women and children were all gripped by the 70% discount fever that was plastered all over the place.

I had intended to go to the confectionery section but I was pushed against my will towards the clothes section. That was where most of the action was taking place. The clothes were on sale. I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw respectable-looking adults involved in what looked like a gold-rush. They were literally tearing at the clothes. No quarter was given or asked. It was madness. I could see how people could behave when they stood to gain from something. Manners, courtesy and shyness were all thrown aside as they grabbed the dirt-cheap clothes.

After some struggle I managed to free myself. However it was no different in other sections. I had to fight my way through the throng to get what I wanted. Then I had to wait in line at the checkout counter, which was the only orderly place in the entire supermarket, for a long time to pay for what I got. After paying it was another struggle to get to the exit. Finally outside the supermarket, I breathed a huge sigh of relief. I swore that I would never join in such a mad crowd again.

Another crowd that is unpleasant is the going-home crowd in the bus station every evening. As night approaches everyone is eager to get home and that is when people can become impatient and unruly. Young and old jostle with each other to get on the bus. The conductors yell out obscenities but no one takes any notice. All each person wants is to go home, regardless of others. So everyone rushes. If one does not then one has to wait for the last bus.

There are other crowds like those in stadiums, processions and other social activities that involve many people. Not all are unruly. This is so as long as there is no disturbance. A crowd, however, has the tendency of turning into a mob if there is excitation, as evident in football matches. I shy away from such dangerous emotions. A crowd is definitely not my cup of tea.