Everyone in today’s world is striving to attain the ultimate goal: happiness. While some individuals successfully pursue happiness, others end up compromising it. Each person has their own approach to achieve happiness, but sometimes they realize that what they desire is unattainable, resulting in compromised happiness. On the other hand, some individuals can pursue and achieve their desired happiness in life. Occasionally, those who strive for happiness end up compromising it in the process. The image “New York, ca. 1962” serves as evidence of how compromised happiness can be. Therefore, when individuals pursue their own happiness, the way they go about it can potentially compromise what they truly seek.
In the image “New York, ca. 1962,” the prominent feature that catches my attention is the presence of bars and fences surrounding the image, giving a sense of confinement and imprisonment. This confinement often leads to a compromise in people’s happiness, as they are unable to freely pursue their desires or aspirations. Instead, they are limited to ensuring their own survival behind these barriers. The trapped wolf in the image exemplifies this compromised state of happiness through its posture – with a slightly bowed head and a tail held low. It observes passersby who still possess the freedom to pursue their happiness. Incarceration behind bars is often a consequence of someone’s misguided pursuit of happiness. When individuals choose wrong methods in their pursuit, they find themselves in trouble from which they cannot escape, ultimately sacrificing their ability to pursue anything due to the repercussions of their actions. This reinforces the notion that pursuing happiness can result in compromising one’s own happiness if one takes the wrong path.
I have experienced numerous endeavors to find happiness, accomplishing some but often having my pursuit compromised by the choices I make. A prime example is when I determined that acquiring a new, sportier car would bring me happiness, as it had always been my dream first car. To accomplish this, I embarked on a covert path, keeping my intentions hidden from my parents and relying solely on myself with only a select few aware of my true agenda. I needed to sneak around because my parents did not approve of me obtaining the desired car, so disclosing anything would have jeopardized my happiness. However, it was inevitable that they would eventually discover my secret after I acquired the car. Opting for this path caused me significant trouble on multiple fronts. Handling everything alone revealed that the car had several issues that I needed to deal with, marking just the beginning of compromising my happiness through the chosen path. The final blow came when my parents found out and promptly expelled me from the house for a few nights. This represented the ultimate compromise of my happiness, as it left me with the sensation of lacking support when in need.The text emphasizes that choosing the wrong path to seek happiness ultimately leads to compromising one’s happiness instead of attaining it.
The image “New York, ca. 1962” demonstrates that striving for happiness can lead to being imprisoned due to the efforts made to attain it, while others carry on with their pursuit without hindrance. Moreover, based on personal experiences and actions, it is evident that selecting the incorrect route towards happiness not only compromises one’s own well-being but also affects their life and reputation. To sum up, an individual’s endeavor to achieve happiness has the potential to endanger their own contentment.
