Thich Nhat Hanh’s Quote About Happiness: It’s About Peace, Not Excitement
I couldn't agree more.
Happiness is a tough topic. Why? Because what we deem happiness to be guides how we live our lives. And there is much disagreement over what happiness is or should be.
Here’s what the late Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh believed:
“Many people think excitement is happiness. But when you are excited you are not peaceful. True happiness is based on peace.”
Now do you see why happiness is a tough topic? Because what we believe will make us happy is what we pursue in life. And Thich Nhat Hanh is saying that pursuing excitement will not make us happy.
What I mean by excitement
Since excitement and peace are just a collection of letters making up two words, let’s define, using examples, what we mean by both.
I believe excitement arises from things like getting that big promotion at work, buying a flashy new car or even something like, “Oh my God! She agreed to go on a date with me!”
Do any of these occurrences make us feel peaceful inside? No.
