Do you want to be happy or right?

I find it motivating to write about whether happiness is more important or being right.

Have you ever found yourself in the middle of an argument asking: is it better to win this or better to be happy? My mother will say I’m hypocritical because I love a good debate, but I don’t see that as an argument – I see it as intellectual stimulation. No, I am talking about a heated argument in which your blood pressure rises and your emotions run rampant. I am not a fan of these. And so I fall in the category of wanting to be happy and losing the argument rather than winning at all costs.

As the Italians believe there is nothing greater than La Dolce Vita, the sweet life. Why not, I ask, try to live as they do, than run the risk of upsetting yourself at something that in the end most likely is of little worth? 

Pakistanis take things too seriously. From a worthless spat with a stranger (and strange) woman on the subway to punches thrown over that elusive cab, one must ask oneself, is it worth it? Perhaps for some it is, but for my sanity and for the wellbeing of this society, I can’t abide by it. Certainly it feels good sometimes to throw a zinger – but what does that say about you rather than the person who may have deserved the zing?

So take this New Year to reflect on the course of your life. Are you one that is constantly and continually upset or are you cool as a cucumber? I would suggest, in my humblest opinion, that in 2012 you try to take a deep breath, survey your surroundings and cherish what you’ve got.