Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind（3）

However, for human beings, the whole society is also the environment, it may be more important than the environment of nature. The complexity of society and culture makes the standard required by human beings higher and more complicated. Therefore, sometimes we are not as happy as animals such as cats and dogs. What is pathetic is nothing but our civilization which creates so many gaps for our desire; it seems that we will never be able to fill the gaps. What is happiness? To us, it may be a car, a house, a wife, a good child or a decent job, to be respectful, to occupy rare resources, to do something others cannot do, or all of the above stated. While for the other organisms, such as cats and dogs, it will be much easier: the delicious food for the three meals every day, a master who cares about it, the opposite sex at the opposite door. Many times we sign with emotion for the innocence of children, and then we will doubt ourselves for what we really need, actually it is totally not necessary. When you put down the complicated desires in your heart and return the target of your pursuit to the status of desire before it is disturbed by all the matters and objects you hear and see, you can also experience the innocence and happiness you lost. 

There are two methods for one to obtain happiness: work hard for the target you have determined for yourself and achieve it, or lower your target. The latter one sounds incredible, but it is a fact and more practical. Civilization has brought us too many desires, when you achieve one after all the hardship, another one appears, and there is no end. If you can see the deepest craves in your heart and work hard with the focus on them, you will find that it is not that hard for you to achieve it. What needs to be known is that the easy happiness of small children and small animals is originated from their simple desire. Russell once said: “what I need is actually the sufficient amount of sunlight, fresh air, quiet environment, delicious food and a gentle woman with good intention.”