The Importance Of Happiness In Antigone

Happiness is, “the state of being happy or an experience that makes you happy.” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). A life well lived is different from person to person, it is not measurable and is fulfilled by demonstrating love, joy, faith, sacrifice and devotion. Choices affect our happiness and vary. Choices alter our temporal and eternal happiness. Some choices may affect just the temporal while some may just affect the eternal however it is possible for choices to affect both the temporal and eternal. A choice may be temporal meaning that it will only make you happy for a short amount of time or it could be eternal meaning that it is something that “makes you tick”. A person’s definition varies because what makes someone else happy may be unlike

This choice has affected Antigone both temporally and eternally by more than just her happiness. Antigone was happy and confident when she buried Etocles but was forced to accept her fate in order to achieve this goal. “Life is but the happiness you get out of it.” (Antigone, Part VI) Chris McCandless from Into the Wild found his happiness eventually after a journey to Alaska and recorded, “Happiness only real when shared” (Into the Wild, 189). Chris later discovered that he found his temporal happiness while on a journey in the woods of Alaska when he came to the realization shortly before death that his eternal happiness was when he was surrounded by others. Phil from Groundhog Day found his happiness after he took the time to help others and fell in love with Rita. Phil believed that a life well lived would be living with Rita in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Phil’s temporal happiness would be to stop reliving groundhog day and to get Rita to fall in love with him. He found happiness through suffering due to being stuck in the same day until he broke the cycle and attempted suicide. “No matter what happens tomorrow, for the rest of your life, I’m happy now.” (Phil Connors, Groundhog

“He should first show them in deeds rather than words all that is good and holy.” (The Rule of Saint Benedict) Happiness is satisfied by serving others rather than being self involved. A life is well lived when we make sacrifices, devote life to God and put others before ourselves to make an impact on the world through charity and justice. Happiness in The Bhagavad-Gita, “Satvik or Pure happiness is one that arises from the spiritual intelligence of the embodied self. In the beginning it seems like poison (due to the intellectual, emotional and physical disciplining of the intellect, mind & body that is required) but in the end it is like nectar [6]. Rajasik or result-oriented happiness that arises from senses and sense-objects and is like nectar in the beginning but poison in the end (because of its dependency on results and external entities) [7]. Tamasic or slothful happiness is one that arises from excessive sleep, sloth and irresponsibility and deludes the self from beginning till the end [8].” (Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 18) Which means that if you live a good life devoted to the gods you will be rewarded by a great reincarnation. The choices in The Gita are eternal because you get rewarded and disciplined in the afterlife depending on what choices you make. The Gospel of Luke has a main parable titled The Good Samaritan that furthers The Rule of Saint Benedict’s idea about service by