Personal Essay: Authenticity Is The Key To Happiness

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Recommended: Analysis of the Pursuit of Happyness

Everyone craves the philosophical good life, but many get lost in trying to figure out what leads to happiness. I decided to read a novel, listen to two videos, and two poems to see what other people have determined to be the keys that lead to living a good life filled with happiness. I know from experience that there is no such thing as a perfect life; often times I see my peers or people around me get caught up in trying to be happy, but trying too hard only causes the reverse of their initial goal. Authenticity is a powerful characteristic, and I think that it is one of the main keys to happiness. At only sixteen years old, I know that I have not lived for very long, or neither that I know much about myself, but I know that I want the rest of my life to be good. I want to learn all I can about how to accomplish this. …show more content…

But how can one be true to themselves when they do not know themselves? Especially in high school, I know many people who have yet to find who they really are. In fact, I do not fully know who I am. Actor Jim Carrey, in a commencement speech for a graduation ceremony at Maharishi University, said, “...take the risk to be true to yourself. Be fearless, passionate, and choose love...” (Carrey). From his words, I realized that Jim Carrey was telling me that I can fail doing something that I love, or doing something that I do not love, but doing something that I am truly passionate about is worth the risk. Perhaps I might have a better chance at succeeding in something that I do not love; I realized that in the end, I would never be happy. Life is too short to conform to what society tells us will lead to a good life. W.H. Auden wrote in his poem “The Unknown Citizen”:
Our researchers into Public Opinion are content That he held the proper opinions for the time of year; When there was peace, he was for peace: when there was war, he went. He was married and added five children to the

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