Monday, February 13, 2012

The more people have the more unhappy they seem to be.




I have been keeping this observation to myself for a long, long time. Having gone through life under six PMs from Tengku Abdul Rahman Putra to Datuk Najib Tun Razak, I was able to observe the various changes in the life style of Malaysians from pre Merdeka days to this age of nanotechnology. I've of course experienced the change myself. But being a nobody your experience means nothing to others.

Let's not bother ourselves with the trivialities of growing from rags to riches. The young people take that for granted although we old ones know how we growled and grimaced to reach where we are today. Those who hailed from the kampungs as I do will never forget the hard days when we went to school with ten or twenty cents in our pocket, with no proper breakfast,have only a par of bata shoes, and walked or cycled to school.
But, and this is what people seldom emphasized, we were happy. Yes, there was some bad experience with the teachers, but otherwise life outside the school was a romance with nature. Fishing in the padi field, swimming in the river, trapping birds, gallivanting in the dusun with a lot of fruit tress, playing tricks on the girls etc. etc.

We had nothing much but we were very happy. No bullies in school, no cigarettes or drugs, no fear of being robbed since we don't carry any money, no naughty calls over the phone, no cars and motorcycles crowding the school area both before and after school, no hassle no traffic jams. Now, the school children have everything they need, all the facilities, and the constant pampering, Yet are they happy? We hear cases of schoolboys being bullied, girls being kidnapped and raped, truancy, delinquency, blackmailing, gang-fight etc. etc. Look at them tugging along their bulging schoolbags, rushing to get into the cars, and the serious ones working their little head out to get as many As in the exam as possible. Can they be happy?

Look at the adults, the men and women of the modern age. They are so busy with work they don't have much time "to sit and stare". Life is a rush, to get through the traffic jams, to meet datelines, to pay bills, to wait for important people, attend endless meetings, keep up with appointments, run around too fetch the wife or kids, pay homage or play host to senior relatives and bosses, etc. Home is comfortable and all the facilities and amenities required for modern living are there, but are you really happy? Do you smile more than you grimace and sigh ( I won't say swear and curse).

Now look at the nations in the world. Are the richest and most modern nations home to the happiest and most peaceful people? They have almost everything yet the number of psychos and people with psychological problems, or the unhappy people are more than what one should expect. The Muslims nations in general are much richer today than they were years ago but are they happier and more satisfied with life than their seniors who have returned to the Creator. Are the younger people today happier than the older forks?

What appears so obvious to me is that the more people have of in terms of the requirements of a good life,the more unhappy and depressed they seemed to be. When people meet at socials or by chance you'll hear more of complaints and dissatisfaction than praise and gratitude to the powers that be for a much better life than that experienced by their seniors and ancestors. Much less heard are "praises to the Lord" or "Allah" for the bounties He had bestowed on them, even when they are at a party with so such sumptuous food to eat while some others are starving and dying. People in both rich and poor nations talk more about wars and fightings,
power-monghuls and power-struggles, ruthless killings of civilian, women and children, economic sanctions and boycott, corruptions and exploitations, murders and crimes taking places at all levels of society, etc. There is precious little heard about being happy with what God has given us, living in peace with our neighbors, and helping our neighbors to live a happier and more satisfying life.

I sometimes think that the world has lost its trust in God. More people seem to think that Men (and women) decide what is going to happen tomorrow, especially people in the rich and powerful nation. The more we search (and fight?) for happiness the more unhappy we become with disenchantment and dissatisfaction. The more the world has the more unhappy and disgruntled people are. I sometimes think that God is laughing in our face at our vanity and foolishness, More education has not made the human race wiser perhaps.

8 comments:

kaykuala said...

Akhi Norzah,
The more I progressed through your writing,the more I get very concerned even frightened.They're frighteningly true! I'm more frightened now that an
bombing incident in Bangkok involving an Iranian is being touted as an excuse to attack Iran. It'll be Iraq all over again!

Hank

rambomadonna said...

Dear Norzah, I couldn't agree more having gone through some of the phases myself. Life can be quite funny, when you think you will be satisfied with a plate of premium beef steak, it is indeed the humble nasik kosong with ikan masin that gives you the total bliss.

In a way I agree with Chinese principle of yin and yang, the feng shui principle of harmony and balance. You can have it, but can't have it all. When you have had so much from taking, balance it out by sharing or giving ...

There was a scene from CSI Las Vegas which I think was quite interesting. A script of a mass murderer "When dealt with a moment of life and death, even a non believer will hope for DIVINE INTERVENTION ..." ...

norzah said...

You've caught the thoughts that triggered my writing, Akhi Kaykuala. The so-called richest and strongest nation in the world seems to have the most number of unhappy and disgruntled (or disillusioned) people who don't like to see people in other "less developed nations" live happily with all their shortcomings and deprivations. They don't like to see poor countries live through their sufferings with godly abandon and a full true in God's Widom and Mercy. They think they can do better than God in improving the world and it's people, forcing them to change into what they are - a perturbed nation fearful of its own conscience.
Let's put our trust in Allah again.

norzah said...

Thank you, Ramboimadonna, for testifying to some of the hints I made. I think everyone can recall some of the happiest moment of their life and that happened when they were young, facing all sorts of dos and don'ts from their parents, having very little of their own. But they were happy, more happy than they are now with all the freedom and capacity to satisfy their needs for anything at all - but love and loyalty from someone who means more to them than family and friends. Only their love for God and the Savior keep them humble and sane.

This is true irrespective of the religion they embrace, being free to love God in their own way. But some people are not even happy to allow them to do so. They feel that they must interfere. When these people all live in a great nation, that great nation becomes the main hindrance to global peace, understanding and happiness.

Isn't that a sad thing that drives away our happiness?

abdulhalimshah said...

Akhi Norzah,
I have always asked the question "What is happiness" and I always give the answer that "Happiness" is what you make of it.To many, it is having power,wealth and health but to me "happiness" is only when you are given the book on the right hand on Judgement Day. Thus to define "Happiness" in this mundane life is something elusive and escape definition. It is relative and keeps on changing. The only solace I can think of is when one is completely submissive to the Will of ALLAH as to the happiness within rather than on the outside. Sometimes what we see in this wide world is just an image of what you think it is rather what it actually is. Even when you see yourself in the mirror, what is on the right becomes the left and vice versa. I hope I do not get into something which is confusing. Thus happiness is simply a state of the mind really.

norzah said...

That's a very philosophical interpretation of happiness which i agree to completely, Akhi Hakim. What bothers me is the wealthy and supposedly happy people who do not care to help poorer people but instead xploit and trounced them when they appear successful and are happier than they. These are the people of the rich and powerful nation who like to interfere with the affairs of the poorer Muslim countries. Why? because the poorer people pu their trust more in Allah tahn the supposedly wealthy benefactor.

rambomadonna said...

I am embarking on a Happiness project which the main objective is to improve "my state of mind" ... however, I always ended up finding solace in food at the end of each project.

norzah said...

I think you need to take some bread and coffee or milo before you go to an eatery or restaurant,J. The bread will reduce your appetite somewhat and will reduce your pechant for fattening chow. Keep lookinh atbthe barbie doll picture to strengthen your will power against the yum,ies,
.