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    The Natural State of Human Mood

    F-scott-fitzgerald-and-hi-001

    This is a subject that has come up many times throughout this past year.

    In his autobiographical essay, “The Crack-Up,” F. Scott Fitzgerald discusses his slow slip into reality the more and more he ages. The things he has seen and experienced have caused him to change his views of the world, and perhaps for the better. He seems a bit more cynical, which is also found in The Great Gatsby quite a lot, in my opinion. 

    In the second to last paragraph of his stream of opinions and mindful retellings, Fitzgerald comes to an unusual—but perhaps true—conclusion:

    “This is what I think now: that the natural state of the sentient adult is a qualified unhappiness.”

    A “qualified unhappiness” is what really struck me here. 

    Last semester, my Art of Nonfiction class discussed the natural state of the human brain, mainly dealing with emotions. We aren’t psychiatrists or psychologists, but there is something to be said about the constant struggle for humans to be happy. Throughout history, we have seen evidence that happiness is something one has had to fight for, and is never achieved very easily. Now, while I don’t think that when one gets older, he or she is necessarily “qualified” to be unhappy, but there comes a time when people realize that the highs and lows of everyday life just aren’t worth the struggle.

    Perhaps we are not naturally happy. Perhaps some are more naturally content than others, but as time goes on, that contentedness flutters away, and this is mainly because of more knowledge being acquired. The knowledge that people aren’t all good, for example, was a hard thing for me to learn, and looking back on my childhood now, I can pinpoint the exact moment that my emotional thermometer went from a highly-emotional temperature to one that was a bit calmer—somewhat like having a fever and getting over it. 

    Perhaps we are not naturally happy, and the fight for happiness is a newer idea. Perhaps this is why so many people live in ignorance, choosing to stay in a constant state of happiness without knowing of anything remotely wrong in the world. The more and more one learns about the world around them, the less and less content they become, and this brings about change.

    And change is important, is it not? We’ve overcome so many adversities through change, and change happens every single day. It is what we thrive off of, and change cannot happen without knowing what is wrong. Perhaps this is why I have become even remotely involved in politics and have stated my opinions on social issues—even one word, one change of perception can cause widespread change in others.

    To change our ideas of what should make us happy could be the key to making the world a better place. For if we are not naturally happy, we must find the right things to get us to that level. Happiness should be redefined. I believe that happiness can be achieved while knowing of the world around you and accepting it, while at the same time, striving to make it your own.

     

    • 30 May 2012
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  • Amber Cunningham's Space

    Currently a student at Emerson College, Class of 2014. BA Writing, Literature and Publishing. Specializing in Creative Writing, Book Design, and Editorial.

  • About Amber Cunningham

    Currently a student at Emerson College, Class of 2014. BA Writing, Literature and Publishing. Specializing in Creative Writing, Book Design, and Editorial.

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