The conquest of happiness

By Bertrand Russell

Review

Bertrand Russell (1872 - 1970). Was Philosopher, mathematician, pacifist, prolific letter writer, known intellectual figures of author and columnist, Bertrand Russell was one of the most influential and widely the twentieth century. In 1950 he was awarded the Noble Prize for Literature in 1950 for his extensive contributions to world literature and for his "rationality and humanity, as a fearless champion of free speech and free thought in the West."

The conquest of happiness is a book that was publicated in 1930 and is about an analysis clear and pleasant about the facts that make us unhappy and the ones that make us happy and is not a book about self-help even though it seems by the name. Russell that was a great mind explains the subject of the book in a ironic way, he is splendid in the most part of his thoughts.

It’s difficult to make a selection of phrases or words to be emphasized because almost all the text deserved to be underline. For Russell one the reasons of happiness consist in the high expectations that we have in our lives. It means that not every day can be full of intense and exciting moments that make us feel totally happy or in joy . At this point is very important that education of children to be ready from infant to this reality. As Russell himself says

“The capacity to endure a more or less monotonous life is one which should be acquired in childhood. Modern parents are greatly to blame in this respect; they provide their children with far too many passive amusements, such as shows and good things to eat, and they do not realize the importance to a child of having one day like another, except, of course, for

Somewhat rare occasions.”

Russell talks us about a happiness that is outside, and the best recipe is not make harm to any body and try to have occupations that fill our time and stimulate to make things better, he says “The secret of happiness is this: let your interests be as wide as possible, and let your reactions to the things and persons that interest you be as far as possible friendly rather than hostile.”

Bertrand Russell also writes about things that cause unhappiness and as the author himself explains having no outside cause, are all the more upset since they seem to have no solution. Russell proposes answers for the everyday happiness that every human being is bound to suffer. His chapters include Envy (the greatest of human passions, according to him), Persecution Mani , Family, Work, and so on. A few things in the book must be taken with a grain of salt; however, I fell that on the whole Russell hits the nail on the head and offers us a work that is part philosophy, part psychology, and very effective in doing what it proposes. The second part of the book contains chapters that explain the cause of happiness, and how one can attain it. chapters like, Is happiness still possible?, Zest, Affection, The family, Work, Impersonal interests, Effort and resignation, The happy man, this chapter give us a perspective of how can we reach happiness and the different meanings of this word for the people, Russell explains how in healthy life must have a equilibrium between different activities in order to give a balance to a our health, incomes, study, work, and religion . In the end, the book is a bit more about human nature, and realizing that a book that was written so long ago is incredibly current- he truth that human nature never changes, Russell talks about the happy man is the one who can live in a objective way and certain things are indispensable to the happiness of most men, but these are simple things: food and shelter, health, love, successful work.

The happy man is the man who does not suffer from either of these failures of unity, whose personality is neither divided against itself nor pitted against the world

This book can help us to think and open the eyes to things that may be we don´t stopped to think, in order to eliminate those obstacles, almost the time imposed in every one , that stop us from being really happy