Socially Acceptable Happiness

As I began reading John F. Schumaker's chapter on The Happiness Conspiracy about how each culture has a conspiracy to keep its inhabitants happy by conforming to whats perceived as normal. This unity allows for people to agree with it's societies expectations with ease, by feeling happy with their sense of involvement within the community. This unity may create a stronger society but the path towards being socially acceptable lessens many peoples happiness by feeling the pressure to be normal. It reminded me of how many parents discourage their kids from doing things that are not socially acceptable. Little kids are often easily amused. So when they begin to laugh at something completly stupid to adults, many parents will tell them that its not funny. By doing so, the parents are robbing their kids of their happiness in an effort to make them normal to society. By having a loved one condemn something that makes you happy, leads children to realize the emotional rules that govern our society. As you grow up and realize more of what you can and can't do, your view on the world and what you can do is suddenly not as glorious as what you thought as a kid. As a kid your also told about how life gets harder and goes by faster as you age. This is only true if you view it in that way. Conforming to society makes it much more functional, but takes away the imagination and spontaneous happiness of it. By constantly being on guard of what we say and do, we spend more time worried about what people will think of what we say and do rather than thinking about whats best for yourself. Schumaker makes use of Peter Schaffer's statement, "Normal is the good smile in a child's eye, and also the dead stare in a million adults." (pg. 138) Rather than conforming to societies expectations, we should be taught with more emphasis to conform to our beliefs. Just because an elder says something, it doesnt meant that it's right. The happiest people conform to society to the point that they feel is neccessary to sustain their own happiness and invoke happiness in others. Societies' social rules shouldnt be taught by another, they should be interpreted by each individual.