Paper
Rethinking happiness: using your power for purpose a
Published Nov 1, 2016 · Kim K. Azzarelli
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
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Abstract
“Life isn’t short, but time is limited.”1 Malak Jân Nemati, the woman who uttered these words, provides valuable insight into how we can achieve greater happiness through a life well-lived. Her life exemplifies the human quest for meaning and purpose, and the deeper happiness that ensues for oneself and others. Despite being a frail, blind woman living in rural Iran early in the 20th century,2 Malak Jân transformed the mindset of those in her community and beyond, establishing greater equality for women and girls while serving as a profound example of how to live a meaningful life within a larger arc of purpose. Her life’s work brings into relief the perennial questions about the purpose of our existence and how we should be spending our finite time here on earth. For Malak Jân, acquiring the correct philosophy of life, shaped by one’s intellectual and moral development, was fundamental to the pursuit of a meaningful life. She emphasized that service to others in the midst of tending to one’s daily affairs provides the fuel for self-knowledge and ethical progress. She also firmly believed that each person has a duty to use his or her positive traits for the benefit of others. Her life serves as a powerful example of what philosophers have known for centuries and what a growing body of scientific research suggests— that finding purpose and contributing to something greater than ourselves is one of the surest steps to achieving a more meaningful and satisfying life, one in which happiness becomes a by-product of a life well-lived, not a goal in and of itself.
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