Albert Einstein said, "if you want to be happy tie it to a goal, not to people or things."
I partially disagree with the above quote. Happiness is an abstract value that is acquired via abstract or concrate values. The concrate values could be attached to materialism. Materialism is not an end itself. It is a means to an end. If materialism signifies the current condition of happiness, then the statistics of suicide we have from Europe, America and some developed countries wouldn't have been so. If someone's income is less than the price of a materialistic product, then that person will be eliminated from the market. If he chooses to be depressed, then thats all.
I agree with Einstein that happiness shouldn't be a function of objects, partially as well. We will come to that later.
How about happiness being a function of people? Shouldn't we depend on people for our sources of joy?
Well, this is a relative question: it depends on that person's value in your life. How about the relationship one has with his parents? Your siblings and friends? Those that share common denominator with you. They share in your dreams and they make sure you remain committed to achieving your goals. And Einstein said your happiness should not be dependent on them! No.
William Shakespeare was quoted to having said, "I have never been disappointed, because I never expected anything from someone."
Of course expectations contributes largely to our sources of happiness or sadness. For this reason I will agree with Einstein if the adjective he used in qualifying people is relative. That is "if you wan to be happy, tie it to a goal, not to 'all people' or things.
Goal: the goal of every successful life is to be happy. One should be able to get to his apprenticeship level, successfully complete that stage happily, work happily and retire happily. People get very fascinating when they set goals and achieve those goals.
Our relationship with people towards achieving our goals and happiness is very, very essential and under no circumstances should it be jeopardized.
Many at times, people's sources of happiness largely varies from one another. In other words, people's sources of happiness is relative to one another. The objects Einstein discarded should not be the sources of happiness could be a sources of happiness to another if for instance Mr. A derives pleasure in reading books, (an object) and Mr. B only derives dissatisfaction from.
The best selling author Dale Carnegie said "it is not who you are, where you are or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy, it is what you think."
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