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...)

Happiness - I

Despite the lack of passion with studying finance theory from the books during my MBA, I've loved to follow the general goings on in the financial world. Especially, the crazy world of the equity markets. Its fun following it on TV, the likes of CNBC et al going "today has been a landmark day with the Sensex crossing the 20,000 mark..." etc etc.

Although what happens there doesn't directly affect me (I've no investments), the whole packaging and the passion involved in their reporting really captivates me. It also helps lift or in some cases even dim my spirits sometime! When there's a bull run, example, with all the smiling presenters going ga-ga over how great the economy is, it kinda rubs off on me too and I find myself smiling too. They say, smile and the world smiles with you... clear case of that I guess.

Off late, the gloom in the markets has the presenters coming in with gloomy faces and muffled voices. I feel the drop in their energy levels and its difficult not let it affect me as well.. Its like watching a sad movie praying there's a happy ending. I can't even begin to imagine what it is like for people whose investments have been hit. The same thing that made them happy a few months back is now stealing that happiness away from them. And... also those who've lost their jobs.

Because of some smart-ass derivatives structurers, people have had to part with their life earnings or the source of it. UNFAIR.

Sitting here, in a small town away from the mayhem, it makes me feel small and powerless. It would be easy to drown myself in the melancholy along with the rest of em... But I open my eyes and I also see happy locals all around as it is raining! The landscape is lush green (pics from my new phone soon :P )and the weather is near-perfect. (Apparently, since the rains were really bad this year, some major puja was done a coupla weeks back at Tirumala, specially to appease the Rain Gods - and now the whole most of South India is under threat from floods :-P )

Anyways, people around are happy and rejoicing, with Diwali also round the corner.... Happiness is most certainly about managing expectations... People here have only few (compared to what a city-dweller would for example).

Its probably a reason why we see so many happy faces in the villages and little towns... Something for us city-bred folk to think and reflect on perhaps...

Here's a link to Subbu's post, which along with a chat with him about this, got me thinking on this subject... More thoughts over the weekend perhaps...

xx