Unit9WhatIsHappinessJohnCiardi(abridged)TherighttopursuehappinessisissuedtoAmericanswiththeirbirthcertificates,butnooneseemsquitesurewhichwayitruns.Itmaybeweareissuedahuntinglicensebutofferednogame.JonathanSwiftseemedtothinksowhenheattackedtheideaofhappinessas“thepossessionofbeingwell-deceived,”thefelicityofbeing“afoolamongknaves.”ForSwiftsawsocietyasVanityFair,thelandoffalsegoals.Itis,ofcourse,un-Americantothinkintermsoffoolsandknaves.Wedo,however,seemtobededicatedtotheideaofbuyingourwaytohappiness.WeshallallhavemadeittoHeavenwhenwepossessenough.AndatthesametimetheforcesofAmericancommercialismarehugelydedicatedtomakingusdeliberatelyunhappy.Advertisingisoneofourmajorindustries,andadvertisingexistsnottosatisfydesiresbuttocreatethem—andtocreatethemfasterthananyman'sbudgetcansatisfythem.Forthatmatter,ourwholeeconomyisbasedonadedicatedinsatiability.Wearetaughtthattopossessistobehappy,andthenwearemadetowant.Weareeventolditisourdutytowant.Itwasonlyafewyearsago,tociteasingleexample,thatcardealersacrossthecountrywereflyingbannersthatreadYouAutoBuyNow.TheywerecallinguponAmericans,asanactapproachingpatriotism,tobuyatonce,withmoneytheydidnothave,automobilestheydidnotreallyneed,andwhichtheywouldberequiredtogrowtiredofbythetimethenextyear'smodelswerereleased.Orlookatanyofthewomen'smagazines.There,asBernardDeVotooncepointedout,advertisingbeginsaspoetryinthefrontpagesandendsaspharmacopoeiaandtherapyinthebackpages.Thepoetryofthefrontmatteristhedreamofperfectbeauty.Thisisthebabyskinthatmustbehers.These,theflawlessteeth.This,theperfumedbreathshemustexhale.This,thesixteen-year-oldfigureshemustdisplayatforty,atfifty,atsixty,andforever.Oncepastthevaguelyupliftingfictionandfeaturearticles,thereaderfindstheotherfaceofthedreaminthebackmatter.ThisistheharnessintowhichMothermuststrapherselfinordertodisplaythatperfectfigure.These,thechinstrapsshemustsleepin.Thisisthesalvethatrestoresall,thisisherlaxative,thesetheseyouth,perpetualofhormonesthearethesefat,awaymeltthattabletsthearearethestockingsthathidevaricoseveins.Obviouslynohalf-sanepersoncanbecompletelypersuadedeitherbysuchpoetryorbysuchpharmacopoeiaandorthopedics.Yetsomeoneisobviouslytryingtobuythedreamasofferedandspendingbillionseveryyearintheattempt.Clearlythehappiness-marketisnotrunningoutofcustomers,butwhataretheytryingtobuyTheideahappiness,tobesure,willnotsitstillforeasydefinitions:thebestonecandoistotrytosetsomeextremestotheideaandthenworkintowardthemiddle.Tothinkofhappinessasacquisitiveandcompetitivewilldotosetthematerialisticextreme.Tothinkofitastheideaonesensesin,say,aholymanofIndiawilldotosetthespiritualextreme.Thatholyman'sidealofhappinessisinneedingnothingfromoutsidehimself.Inwantingnothing,helacksnothing.Hesitsimmobile,raptincontemplation,freeevenofhisownOrnearlyfreeofit.Ifdevoutadmirersbringhimfood,heeatsit;ifnot,hestarvesindifferently.WhybeconcernedWhatisphysicalisanillusiontohim.Contemplationishisjoyandheachievesitthroughafantasticallydemandingdiscipline,theaccomplishmentofwhichisitselfajoywithinhim.But,perhapsbecauseIamWestern,Idoubtsuchcatatonichappiness,asIdoubtthedreamsofthehappiness-market.WhatiscertainisthathiswayofhappinesswouldbetorturetoalmostanyWesternman.Yettheseextremeswillstillservetoframetheareawithinwhichallofusmustfindsomesortofbalance.Thoreau—acreatureofbothEasternandWesternthought—hadhisownfirmsenseofth...