Everyone wants to be happy. Many, however, wrongly believe that happiness comes from having enough money, fame, personal comfort, worldly success, or even dumb luck. Happiness just seems to be so elusive and arbitrary — something all too often just out of reach.
Joan Chittister sees happiness differently. To her it is not a by-product of wealth or success but, rather, a personal quality to be learned, mastered, and fearlessly wielded. Happiness, she says, “is an organ of the soul that is meant to be nourished.” In these pages Chittister develops “an archeology of happiness” as she conducts a happiness “dig” through sociology, biology, neurology, psychology, philosophy, history, and world religions. Sifting through the wisdom of the ages, Chittister offers inspiring insights that will help seekers everywhere learn to cultivate true and lasting happiness within themselves.
Exploring What It Means to Be Happy There was a lot I liked about the book, and a lot I didn’t like. I enjoyed reading about scientific discoveries showing that “happiness” is actually a physical state, and that our brains are “hard-wired for happiness”. I also liked reading about how the field of psychology has taken a new direction, in that researchers are trying to discover what makes people happy, and how to help people live happier lives. Chittister doesn’t actually include any scientific data or any of their discoveries, although she does show that when people in different nations and cultures are asked about happiness, their answers vary from culture to culture.I appreciated Chittister’s insight into certain areas of life that effect happiness, such as health and wealth. She points out that people have a moral responsibility to take care of themselves, because our lives affect the lives of everyone around us. If we’re miserable, we’ll make everyone around us miserable.There is also a lot of discussion about the difference between pleasure and happiness.I also think she did a good job talking about the history of philosophical thought concerning happiness. She does refer to Aristotle quite a bit, but she writes plenty about other philosophers and their conclusions. I think she refers to Aristotle so much because Aristotle seemed to best understand what is necessary to live a happy life, which is, “doing well and living well”.On the other hand, I think Chittister did a lousy job explaining how the major world religions treat the subject of happiness. She takes two chapters for each religion, first explaining the beliefs, next showing how each deals with happiness, life and suffering. In my opinion, this section was very disappointing for a number of reasons. The first reason is that there is little to no analysis. She treats the subject as if we can learn about happiness from all religions, that it doesn’t really matter which one, and she ignores any flaws. I don’t think she does anyone any good by being impartial and not pointing out the way. I also think, for a nun, she does a terrible job writing about Christianity. For example, she has her own interpretation of the Sermon on the Mount… which is unlike any I’ve ever read. I also didn’t like the way she criticized the Church, unfairly, I think.Finally, her occasional anecdotes, meant to illustrate some profound truths, were just plain weird.I give the author credit, though, for helping me realize that happiness is not something that comes and goes and eludes us. Happiness is a choice, and we need to begin to give the subject much thought in order to determine what it is that will make us happier individuals. And we’ll discover it’s not what we thought. At night, I find myself reflecting on my day and discovering that I am indeed happy, because, although my life is far from being problem-free, I have the satisfaction of knowing my life has purpose and meaning and I’m doing well.
Profound yet accessible extended meditation upon the meaning of universal Happiness in this technological time The Reverend Sister Joan Chittister OSB, past President of American Benedictine Prioresses has held us safe and carried us carefully towards peace through her several warm and generous writings, such as, recently, , as well as , and graciously with .We now have her over two hundred page hardcover text on Happiness, examined philosophically in all of its aspects, comparing and contrasting with what we mistake for happiness at our peril and ultimate sorrow, guiding us gently on to true happiness, and unto peace.The Reverend Sister Joan like a great and life bringing mighty river profusely fills us with the hope of happiness through this great spiritual treatise, published now by the well known theological publishing house of William Eerdmans. This book serves us all who sorrow in guiding us gently upon the path to peace, stripping off all the delusions which are not in the end happiness. But I cannot recount this long and excellent and edifying text here briefly for you, but ask you please to enter its gentle, encircling dance drawing us on to realize ultimate happiness. This is yet another book from the Reverend Sister Joan which requires fully the Benedictine discipline of lectio divina, a meditative technique calling for our attentive reading, and rereading, and meditation of what is read, and read again. This book serves well as the reading at meals in a large Benedictine motherhouse, in which a reader includes a few pages from this book in the daily public reading at meals, pages for close consideration by each listener, and recollection for the next day’s subsequent reading. This is a book to come home to, in peace and in solitude and in silence, to find true happiness.Rabbi Michael Lerner, editor of Tikkun, finds in this book and her author: ” . . .Already a contemporary saint and an embodiment of the spiritual elder ‘wise woman,’ Benedictine Sister Joan draws her insights not only from the most profound philosophers and every major religious traditions East and West, but also from her own experience of a life well lived, consciously lived, and beautifully lived. ( . . .)”Poor as I am, I can express this truth no better, but urge you to begin the path to true Happiness holding the sure and hardened hand of the Reverend Sister Joan Chittister OSB. We live in a time of great material desire now drawing to a close; now is our time to find where true happiness lies. Read this book. Try this book, and may you find true happiness at last.