The keys to achieving happiness, according to Confucius

THE happiness It is a state of consciousness that can be achieved in different ways depending on the person, the context and many other factors. This led to some of the most important philosophers of their time to analyze and discover how to achieve happiness. Among these, Confucius.

The pursuit of happiness is something as old as the human race., and since the appearance of the first philosophers in history, people have studied how to achieve it in a natural way. This led toThe Chinese philosopher K’ung Chung-ni, better known as Confucius (551 BC-479 BC), study it all your life.

This great Chinese thinker is the author of famous phrases that lead those who listen to them to rethink the lifestyle adopted to seek their own happiness. Many of them also continue to pass through the generations and remain popular even today, such as: “The man who has made one mistake and does not correct it, commits another, greater one”; “He who does not know how to govern himself, how will he know how to govern others?”; “Where there is education there is no class distinction.”

Confucius I understood that To achieve happiness there was a fundamental starting point that helped achieve it: education. This Chinese philosopher placed education as a priority, since for him lifelong learning and moral development were essential to contribute to personal growth and well-being.

His philosophy has been adopted by millions of people over the years, although other philosophies also exist that followed the ideas of Buddhism or Taoism, among other traditions. The first was created by Siddhartha Gautama (the historical Buddha) in the 6th century BC, and he understood that happiness comes through the suffering a person experiences when worldly desires cease.

For its part, Taoism, a current created by one of the most relevant philosophers in Chinese history: Lao-Tzu, starts from the assumption that the idea of ​​widespread happiness is based on harmony with the Tao, a natural cosmic force.

In this sense, a study published in the Journal of Happiness Studies developed by Chinese scientists Zhang Guoqing and Ruut Veenhoven compares the concepts of happiness proposed by Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism; for the purpose of determining Which philosophy has been most adopted for the idea of ​​happiness that exists in modernity.

After several analyses, the investigation established this Confucianism offered the most favorable way to adopt a happy life, in relation to the other two philosophies; which have bases that are difficult to adopt today, such as the “suppression” or “minimization” of desires and the distancing of social participation.

Famous quotes by Confucius

• Those seeking constant happiness and wisdom must adapt to frequent changes
• Is there a precept that can guide the action of an entire life? Love.
• When the goal seems difficult, don’t change it; Find a new way to get there.
• Vices come as passengers, visit us as guests and remain as masters.
• What you don’t want others to do to you, don’t do to others.
• Everything has its beauty, but not everyone can see it as they would like.
• Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him to fish and he will eat for a lifetime.
• The superior man always thinks of virtue; The vulgar man thinks of comfort.