By Paul Weiser
A recurring assertion in John Crowley’s magic novel Little Big is, “the things that make us happy make us wise.” This resonates; it seems intuitively true. But intuition requires confirmation, particularly in the case of such a potential Great Truth.
The key, obviously, is our definition of happy, for everyone knows what wisdom means (though it may demand quite a bit of the thing itself to fully appreciate its qualities). Happiness is equally plain but harder to define: it is not mere sensual gratification, not a state of mindless contentment nor even harmonious balance (God in His heaven, all right with the world) though that comes close. It is not glee or gaiety, certainly not lust consummated or even justice meted out to the guilty. Happiness is a state of being, not quite a definite emotion like envy or love. Indeed, like love, it can only be perfectly defined by what it is not. Yet we all (if we’re sane) know what it is to be happy.
Linguistics can help. Like “happen,” happy derives from the Old Norse happ which can mean either an event or luck - but not necessarily a lucky event. This provides a valuable clue: the state of happiness is momentary (or at least moment-by-moment) and connected with good fortune. In other words, “happy” is a condition which results when things turn out better than expected.
This explains much. When things turn out as expected, we have grounds for contentment - but no access of wisdom. When they turn out better, this glad happenstance improves us, make us wise. In Robert M. Pirsig’s terms, happiness has a distinct Quality. Perhaps, since “better” is the comparative of “good,” happiness - discovery - is not merely a guide to Quality but the thing itself.
Such high-level speculations to the side, consider the consequences. Albert Einstein remarked that doing the same thing over and over but expecting a different result is one definition of insanity. Maybe... faith in exactly the same result, within limits of measurement, is science. But the scientific surprise - the fruitful error, when the speed of light in vacuum turns out to be absolute, not relative in spite of all logic and past experimentation - is as much cause for happiness as when the pole-vaulter, after 99 failures, succeeds on his hundredth attempt at a particular height. That different result defines not insanity but hope (though it also explains why some scientists and athletes seem a bit mad).
In the wider world happiness resonates - as “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Now that we have a better handle on what it means to be happy, we see that happiness can only - indeed, must eternally - be pursued rather than assured. Furthermore, since it comes unexpectedly from common undertakings (who was to know for certain a puppy, a child, painting in oils could lead to such happiness?) we are led to try new but plausible routes to it, to accept both novelty and commonplace. Our Founders and Framers, in securing this great pursuit, facilitated as well an accumulation of wisdom.
And so, though it’s said God looks after fools, drunks, and the United States of America, we have an old, subtle and widely-dispersed means to help Him out.
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