I recently watched Bo Burnham's new comedy special "Make Happy" (short review...I thought "What" was funnier, but I admire his utter honesty, and he's doing new things in comedy that no one else has done before). The whole special deals with his anxiety as his performer, and the shallowness that is the entertainment industry. But the big question that he closes the show with is, "Are you happy?"
I feel that many people are interpreting this as a question Bo is asking himself... However, I think that he is asking the audience the question... Are we happy? Are we satisfied with our lives?
As a college student, and pretty much as someone who overthinks everything, I often ask myself the question of if I'm okay, and if I'm happy with where I am. Am I on the right path? Is this the one that leads to a good life? Like Bo Burnham, who says he "panics every time he is unhappy", I often feel that if I am not entirely satisfied with everything, or if not everything is going right, I must be doing something wrong. Or the place I'm in, the people I'm with, the situation I'm in...Must not be right. Maybe I need a change, maybe I should do something different...I don't know.
You see my article title: "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness"... It's the three things that we all have the right to. It's a quote from the Declaration of Independence. Everyone knows it. And I feel that there is no quote that describes America more.
America is a nation that seems to be all about being happy at all times, especially in this next generation. There's a reason why we have fast food, technology, and we're so obsessed with sex... those are things that bring instant gratification and relief. It's especially reflected in social media, including Instagram, Facebook... we put pictures of ourselves at our most beautiful or at our most joyful... because we're trying to prove that we are happy, and that our lives are great.
Even if we don't consider ourselves happy, we're constantly working towards a goal that we think will make us happy... getting a promotion, making more money, working out and losing weight... everything we do seems to be towards happiness.
But personally, I feel that the American ideal of pursuing happiness is rather destructive... mainly because it leads to the idea that if we're not happy at the particular moment, or the particular time... there is something that we're doing wrong. Not happy right now? Your life really suck. Are you making an impact? Are you going to be remembered when you die? You must be doing something wrong.
Furthermore, we are so focused on succeeding, thinking that it's going to bring us satisfaction. Or, we'll be okay if we have fame, if we have a relationship, if we get everything we want... But when we don't, it just makes us miserable.
I believe America instills the idea that happiness is about reaching a goal... I believe that the key to happiness is acceptance. The acceptance of where you are and the things you have in life. Furthermore, we should stop saying that happiness is the goal, because it gives the idea that all other emotions are not okay: it's okay to feel sad, depressed, angry... especially when you have no control over it.
So, my reader, I would end this article by asking the question the way the Bo Burnham ends his show: "Are you happy?" But I'm not going to ask it, because in the end, it's okay if you're not at the moment.
