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Challenges of Knowing Yourself and the Quesr for Happiness

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Challenges of Knowing Yourself and the Quesr for Happiness
CHALLENGES OF KNOWING YOURSELF AND THE QUEST FOR HAPPINESS
R.Priyadarshini (MBA FINAL year) rpdarshini87@gmail.com Contact no. 9677216300
Dept. of Management Studies, University of Madras
INTRODUCTION:

“The world is so unhappy because it is ignorant of the true self. Man’s real nature is happiness. Happiness is inborn in the true self. Man’s search for happiness is an unconscious search for his true self. The true self is imperishable; therefore, when a man finds it, he finds a happiness which does not come to an end.”

Mankind is united in conviction that happiness is a very desirable state. Every person, consciously or unconsciously, are motivated in all we do by our need for happiness. Being happy and peaceful is considered the ultimate aspect of a successful life, but it is really the most fundamental aspect of life. The level of happiness may vary from person to person, but what all people are aiming for is to feel happy.

We chase money, health, growth, fame, power, property and relationships, not for their own sake but for the satisfaction they promise. The creation of empires and civilizations, the discovery of continents, the waging of wars, the whole ebb and flow of history is a graphic portrait of man 's ceaseless quest for happiness.

QUEST FOR HAPPINESS:

The quest for happiness is endless and bounds no place and time. The level of man’s longing for happiness becomes higher and higher as the standard of living also increases. The first step towards happiness leads to another step, and then to another until a progression of steps is made transgressing the three dimensions of time - the past, the present, and the future. Happiness is parallel to contentment based on dictionary. Man has never been content all his life. His success for having attained a particular end always paves way to the urge to meet a higher end.

Epicurus, an Athenian philosopher, suggested that in order for man to achieve happiness, he



References: 1. “Twelve Psychological Barriers To Self-Actualization and Personal Success” By Murray Johannsen. 2. “Positive Thinking - Your 7 Step Action Plan By Jinger Jarrett 3. “Knowing yourself well” by Donna P. Lendzyk

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