whatishappiness
Itisacommonplaceamongmoraliststhatyoucannotgethappinessbypursuingit.Thisisonlytrueifyoupursueitunwisely.GamblersatMonteCarloarepursuingmoney,andmostofthemloseitinstead,butthereareotherwaysofpursuingmoney,whichoftensucceed.Soitiswithhappiness.Ifyoupursueitbymeansofdrink,youareforgettingthehang-over.Epicuruspursueditbylivingonlyincongenialsocietyandeatingonlydrybread,supplementedbyalittlecheeseonfeastdays.Hismethodprovedsuccessfulinhiscase,buthewasavaletudinarian,andmostpeoplewouldneedsomethingmorevigorous.Formostpeople,thepursuitofhappiness,unlesssupplementedinvariousways,istooabstractandtheoreticaltobeadequateasapersonalruleoflife.ButIthinkthatwhateverpersonalruleoflifeyoumaychooseitshouldnot,exceptinrareandheroiccases,beincompatiblewithhappiness.