Happiness - II

In my first post on this topic, I had just about started exploring what is it that makes people happy. Its been over two months since that post...! (So much for trying to continue the series 'over the weekend'! How time flies..!)

Anyways, I had observed then that people in the towns and villages seemed visibly far happier than their big-city counterparts. I put this down to the lower expectations they had with their lives. Let me explore this notion a little further...

We're bombarded by information today. Be it the newspapers, television, internet or radio, they're all feeding us with reams and reams of data. This shapes the way perceive ourselves and the world around us, how we think, what we look forward to, what we detest...

Small town people live in relative oblivion. They're in their own little worlds - the place they live, their little locality and the place they work - things are generally very simple. When you speak with them, you're generally greeted by warm smiles and you can't help but notice their absolute zest and joy for life. (I came across a bunch of labourers in a small town close to Tirupati few days back... and these people were having a ball while working - passing around bricks and cement, singing songs and smiling ear to ear). One might argue that they're also exposed to a lot of information - Television & radio are now far more prevalent... Yes, but still, the language barrier means that they still watch and follow local programs. Their perceptions, thoughts, dreams are still largely, and very happily, local.

The situation is different for the city folk. My conjecture is that since city people are exposed to so much more information, they see a bigger world around them... They see that they're still not completely a part of this world.. Consequently, they want more money, a better job, more out of their relationships, better food... the list is endless.

Of course, there's nothing wrong in wanting it, is there? Everyone has ambitions. But the problem starts arising when they start expecting it, when they start saying "My life sucks coz I don't have x, y, z..." How often have we heard that statement? People live in frustration & denial of what they don't have yet... While, unfortunately, forgetting what they already have.

The concept of peer-pressure is also stronger in the city environment. Competition is intense, and no-one really wants to be left away from the crowd. Most people find it difficult to stay true to themselves in their eagerness to 'fit in' or 'get ahead'. This is where the city-folk differ most from their up-country counterparts. They are well and truly in the rat race to nowhere. They see people around them getting there and when they don't, it opens the door for Mr/Ms Unhappiness to walk right in.

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Where does the discussion so far then leave us? Are we any closer to unraveling the mystery behind the small-town happiness?

(to be continued...)