Chasing True Happiness: Beyond Wealth and Possessions

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The problem we have in today’s society is that people work to acquire as much money and possessions as they can and they think this will achieve happiness. Unfortunately, nobody told these people that happiness cannot be purchased and our possessions will fade no longer keep our interest. As we engulf ourselves in our daily busy work, our relationships are becoming strained and we are distancing ourselves from real happiness. We are seeking the means of work and money as an end, and we are chasing the wrong things in life. We hide from our unhappiness by watching television or partake in activities to distract ourselves from our problems. We need to find true happiness and this is found in becoming virtuous, creating good friendships, …show more content…

Kant says that if we misuse the “qualities of temperament” then they become extremely evil (Kant, 9). This would relate to what Aristotle discussed as virtues and when misused, they will become vices of excess or deficiency (Aristotle, 29). Kant continues by introducing that a person must have a good will to know how to properly use our “qualities of temperament” and “gift of fortune” and not have them become evil and a hindrance rather than a help to us in reaching our end (Kant, 9). Kant’s “qualities of temperament” are the virtues that we are trained in and his “gifts of fortune” are the material goods we use as a means to reach our end (Kant, 9). With the use of this good will, we will find happiness because “a good will is good not because of what is effects, or accomplishes, not because of its fitness to attain some intended end, but good just by its willing, i.e. itself” (Kant, 10). Here Kant is talking about good will and he means reason, but he means even more than reason, because good will is able to be directed toward others. Therefore, Kant is talking about a reasonable contemplation that is meant for the good of others. Kant goes even further by saying that this reason is assigned as our ruler by nature and this is setting our goal as a reasonable contemplation that is for the betterment of others. This good will should be, according to Kant, our ultimate end in life that all other actions should direct us to good will and thus give us

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