Happiness is not dependent on external circumstances from "summary" of Waking Up by Sam Harris
The truth of this claim is not hard to establish. Consider the moments in your life when you have felt truly happy. In such moments, you were not actually seeking happiness - because you already had it. You may have been looking at a sunset, or watching your child sleep, or having an intimate conversation with a friend. Whatever the circumstances, they were sufficient to make you happy because your attention was fully engaged. The feeling of being happy arises spontaneously when we are not obsessively focused on ourselves. This is why it is said that happiness is our natural state. It is not something that can be pursued - it can only be uncovered. And this is why the pursuit of happiness through external circumstances is a fool's errand. The problem is, most of us spend our lives seeking happiness in things that are ultimately fleeting - money, success, relationships, possessions. We believe that if we can just get that promotion, or find the perfect partner, or buy that house, then we will finally be happy. But these external circumstances can never provide lasting happiness, because they are always subject to change.- We are freed from the endless cycle of seeking and striving. We can still pursue our goals and dreams, but we do so with a sense of detachment, knowing that our well-being does not depend on their outcome. This is the essence of true happiness - the ability to find contentment and peace in the present moment, regardless of what is happening around us.
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