All That Happiness Is: Some Words on What Matters

Happiness is found not in “something gained but in something lost—the loss of ourselves in something ‘other,’ ” according to this concise and elegant meditation from New Yorker staff writer Gopnik (The Real Work). In his view, happiness arises from “accomplishment”—an “engulfing activity” that yields fulfillment for its own sake rather than concrete reward, and is more lasting and valuable than the proverbial “trophy pressed into your hands.” (It’s also more elusive, partly because “the better we become at something the less pleasure it supplies inside.”) Recalling how he taught himself at age 12 to play Beatles songs on his guitar, a memory that remains “a touchstone” for “almost every meaningful thing I’ve done in my life,” Gopnik reflects on the particularities of accomplishment (it’s more accessible to amateurs and hobbyists than to professionals, for example) before broadening his scope to call for a pluralistic society that both supports and is supported by those who pursue their passions. While Gopnik’s notion of happiness seems designed specifically for artists, he constructs a convincing case for the pursuit of individual fulfillment as both an end in itself and a precondition for an open society with strong communal bonds. The result is a thought-provoking look at an eternally fascinating topic. (Apr.)