Happiness (is overrated?)

“How to become happy?”

That was the question one US student asked famous Russian movie director A. Tarkovski.

In todays western culture context it seems very natural and logical question. After all everybody is talking about it. Read this book, if you apply these methods you’ll become happy, relaxed and whatnot. Come to our church, it’ll make you peaceful, happy and give your life a new meaning. Do this, do that, go there… then you’ll be happy-happy.

What was Tarkovsi’s response? First of all he didn’t understand at all what the guy meant. “What does he mean how to be happy? What does that guy want from me? You came into this life to do what you were meant to do, with a specific purpose. You do it. Whether happiness comes or not, is actually not an issue.”

What a strange and fascinating view to life. Very different to what I take for granted, what has been my social conditioning. I/we am/are always on a lookout for something… Something that makes is happy, content, that makes our life bearable, live-able. If I achieve this goal, if I get this thing, if I get a house, a car, a wife, a baby etc. etc, well then I’ll be content, then I’ll be happy. This is just a illusion. I have not lived on this Earth for very long time, but I’ve seen it already. There’s no need to chase some wild goals.

There’s no need to look very far, everything we need to live a fulfilling life we already possess. We don’t need any organizations or groups or books to tell us how to live. You know it already. Maybe some directions, yes. Some guidelines, definitely. But for Pete’s sake, don’t let anybody tell you that if you don’t do this or that, you’ll go to hell. This is just nonsense.

End of rant.

But on a brighter side – I decided to make a serious change in my life. Exchange my office job for something more interesting. I decided to become a male stripper.