Seeking Happiness

I have grown to appreciate the wisdom in Victor Frankl’s novel, Man’s Search for Ultimate Meaning, when he writes, “Happiness must ensue.  It cannot be pursued.  It is the very pursuit of happiness that thwarts happiness.  The more one makes happiness the aim, the more he misses the aim” (Frankl, 1948, p.90).  It seems to me that many people, myself included, go about seeking happiness in their daily lives.  However, happiness itself cannot be obtained in and of itself.  It is derived as a secondary effect from having served a greater purpose (i.e. self-transcendence, selflessness, spirituality, love).  

Cited

Frankl, V. E. (2000). Man's search for ultimate meaning. Cambridge, Mass.: Perseus Pub.