Last weekend I went and visited my parents. In the evening, when I felt some reading was in order, I decided once again to peruse their bookshelves. It still amazes me that even though I spent 20 years of my life living with them, and still visit frequently, I still manage to find old books that I swear I have never seen before!
I have, in fact, inherited my parents’ love of reading, and have always been a devourer of books. Most of mine are still in boxes after my last move, and I can’t wait until my Dad has finished building me two big bookcases that he’s been working on for a while now.
So, back to the story - I came across a tattered old edition of ‘The Conquest of Happiness’ by Bertrand Russell.
Now, I’ve studied a bit of philosophy, but I’ve never actually read any Bertie before. What a loss!
It is a pretty short book, and I made quick work of it, but I think I’ll be re-reading it in the not to distant future. His approach to happiness, and the lack thereof, is refreshingly down to earth and appealing.
The first half of the book analyses the causes for unhappiness in the modern, middle-class Western world, and the second half gives solutions - the things that will bring us true happiness. Now, it was written back in the 30’s, so some of it seems a little dated, but overall, it’s a fascinating read. What appealed to me the most was the idea that we are responsible for our feelings - that we can choose to engage ourselves in the kind of life that will bring us happiness - something that I’m sure many of you on the same path as me believe already.
It’s always lovely to come across a find like this… there’s nothing like a good, life-enhancing book.
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