For the upcoming week in the Western World in particular (Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year) the focus is predominantly high spirits. The irrefutable description (though admittedly entangled with foreboding) is joyous and relieving, a state of keenness and gratification, the commingling of a fascination of endeavours and family and friends. It is a boisterous key to what is to come. Happiness, though a vague and indecisive term, nonetheless merits analysis and description. Not unlike other ambitions in life it captures ingredients, flavours and sensations which unwittingly describe our rudimentary nature, our proclivities, our aspirations.

While the pursuit of happiness may suffer the indignity of categorization and unwanted definition; while it may trespass upon our individuality or liberty; while it may be dismissed as a yellow brick road or other imaginary route to sardonic mysticism, a template for happiness must in my opinion be addressed if for no other reason than to put the matter to psychological and philosophic rest. We wouldn’t after all wish the frolicking pursuit of holiday happiness to be for naught.

Yet in order to start at the beginning, we must first properly characterize the dilemma. Unless we appreciate the issue, we cannot ensure the directness of our conclusion. As I have ofttimes repeated, “You say to me: What is the answer? and, I say to you: What is the question?” Trust me, this isn’t purely a debating tactic to refund the argument from the learnèd Members opposite. No, for me it is a legitimate opening to a functional dialogue.

The question first presumes there is one; that is, it is axiomatic that there can be no answer unless there is no question. I am going to take an inductive leap and conclude that there is substance to the inquiry, What is a template for happiness? My reason, simply put, is the fear that, unless it is first established that we have within ourselves the correct formula for happiness, we may be pursuing a false idol or an unwarranted goal. We may – in plain terms – be wasting our time; or, worse, overlooking opportunities. And I am guessing we needn’t punctuate the need to make timely decisions in this accelerated state of being we call life.

In round terms, the question therefore is this: Given our innate human aspiration for what we globally call happiness, what must we be wary to investigate or to punctuate or to agitate?

That settled, we may now engage ourselves in a deeper investigation of the rigid material that patterns the process. The template need not be “a nucleic acid molecule that acts as a pattern for the sequence of assembly of a protein, nucleic acid, or other large molecule” or anything so exquisitely acute. As glorious as our native elements are, I am guided by the frank observation that, If you know what you’re saying, you can relate the intelligence in a direct and comprehensible manner. It is so contrary to my disposition to speak with abstruseness or concealment. Complication is an inevitable result of any dialogue – it is a search for detail – but this doesn’t imply of necessity that the conclusion is either impractical or misunderstood.

Permit me therefore, dear Reader, to prolong this possibly painful investigation further by listing hereunder my own template for happiness, the production of which first acknowledges that it is my own just for me (that is, yours may be different); and second that it is in fact possible to list the ingredients of happiness, that the devotion is neither superfluous nor unimaginable. So, here we go:

1. The search for happiness is inward. Staring into the beyond is as immaterial to the elucidation as pretending to study while doing so.
2. Trust your instincts.  This is, I know, a tired adage. But its imperative is not diminished. The human brain and anatomy work with indisputable reliability from a myriad of forces far outdistancing our rudimentary and superficial application.
3. Calculate your finish line. Too often we disguise our tolerable ambitions with out-of-sight goals. Remember, it is not only, Where are we going? but also, How are we getting there?
4. Confirm your capital. This feature directs your mind to the material at hand. The wishful inclusion of resources unavailable will contaminate the conclusion; and,
5. Happiness is no different from any other product; that is, it is here and now.  To explain – using an extreme – whatever we envision today can change tomorrow. There is nothing eternal to the present except the present; and, part of that phenomenon is its mutability. I say this not to diminish the value of the original premises; rather, to preserve the equal reality that, notwithstanding the clarity of our present thoughts, it is all open to modification. Nonetheless I encourage proximate decision – not relentless obfuscation – in order to stabilize the hull as it crosses the sea. A state of constant flux and indeterminate direction amounts to nothing but flittering. Obviously our resolve of the constituents of happiness is open to question and alteration, but neither is imperative. If it were otherwise there would be no magic to rolling the dice or spinning the wheel or playing the cards. At the same time, some fundamental nutrition is not without its advantages.

The “Eastern” and “Western” worlds are broad cultural, historical, and geographical divisions, with the West typically encompassing Europe, North America, Australia, and New Zealand (emphasizing individualism, democracy) and the East including Asia and the Middle East (often focusing on collectivism, tradition).

Cultural; Historical Definitions:

The West (Occident): Originated from Western Europe (Roman Empire, Christianity) and spread through colonization, including North America, Australia, and New Zealand. Key traits: individualism, secularism, democracy, logic, and personal liberty.

The East (Orient): Includes Asia (East, South, Southeast, Central) and the Middle East, with rich histories like Confucianism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam. Key traits: collectivism (group harmony), respect for hierarchy, spiritual focus, and duty.