Play 1

I'm writing my own play, eat this Shakespeare!

Why am I here?

"Um... to do what I want to do, I guess..."

Why do you want to do what you want to do?

"To feel good, to be happy... I guess..."

Why do you want to be happy?

"Oh that's easy, because it makes my existence so pleasurable. It feels good to be happy!"

So being happy is good, what else is there?

"Well the alternative is being sad, and that is horrible. I don't even want to think about that one..."

Being happy and being sad, what is in between then?

"Um... being bored I guess?"

Is being bored a nice feeling?

"I guess it is kinda neutral, but no I don't want to feel bored."

Neutral huh? Will feeling bored lead to being happy or being sad?

"Hah, that's obvious... feeling bored for too long will make you feel sad eventually."

So everyone here in this world is here to be happy?

"Yeah why not? Otherwise why be here in the first place?"

But is that a fact yet?

"Not really, happiness seems to be a rare commodity nowadays."

How did that come about?

"Um... I guess people forgot why they came here for in the first place."

How did that happen?

"I'm not really sure."

Ok how about this: At what age is a person most happy?

"Mostly as a child, yeah that has to be it."

Why is that so?

"Ignorance? Nah that can't be it... adults are pretty ignorant too. Um... lemme see, freedom, security, loving people, not being forced to do things."

Do those things change as people grow up?

"Freedom isn't free, you have to pay for security, people are nasty, and you have to do things you don't like... come to think of it, everything changes!"

No wonder people are unhappy, all the basics are inverted!

"Jeez I never saw it in that way... ouch!"

So... is there any way to be happy now? As an adult?

"I guess the only thing that can do that is money, right? You can buy freedom, security, and people are forced to be nicer to you, and you can do whatever you want... wow... sounds good."

So money equals happiness?

"Oh man, that's a tough one... that can't be, I know of rich people who are miserable as an old dog; well not all of them of course."

So then what else is missing from the equation of happiness?

"I gotta think about that... I'll get back to you when I do."