I can not possibly count the amount of times I have heard people say things like “I just want him to be happy.”  Or “As long as she is happy…”  Of course once the statement is thrown out there, there is a cultural expectation that we aren’t to question it because what has been said is among the noblest of all statements in our culture.   But let’s look at this statement briefly….

If I hand a cocaine addict an eightball of cocaine while boldy proclaiming “I just want him to be happy” not many would find the statement terribly compelling.  Likewise, if you could tell an adulteress that cheating on her spouse is “fine” because you “just want her to be happy” you have clearly become a victim to this lie and a purveyor of this lie in someone else’s life.

Put simply, happiness as a starting point is illegitimate. But happiness as an endgoal is likewise illegitimate.  The only proper place for happiness is as a side benefit of other truly noble pursuits.  So what are those nobler pursuits that can result in happiness among other things?

We will save that for another blog because this one is in danger getting too long! Essay writing for students: a gather more practical guide.